Ecclesiastes 8
1 Who is like the wise man, and who knoweth the explanation of a thing? A man's wisdom brighteneth his countenance, and the harshness of his face is changed.
谁如智慧人呢？ 谁知道事情的解释呢？ 人的智慧使他的脸发光， 并使他脸上的暴气改变。
2 I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that on account of the oath of God.
我劝你遵守王的命令；既指 神起誓，理当如此。
3 Be not in haste to depart from his presence; persist not in an evil thing; for whatever pleaseth him, that he doeth.
不要急躁离开王的面前，不要固执行恶，因为他凡事都随自己的心意而行。
4 For the word of the king is powerful; and who can say to him, “What doest thou?”
王的话本有权力，谁敢问他说“你做什么”呢？
5 He that keepeth the commandment shall experience no evil; and the heart of the wise man hath regard to time and judgment.
凡遵守命令的，必不经历祸患；智慧人的心能辨明时候和定理。
6 For to every thing there is a time and judgment. For the misery of man is great upon him.
各样事务成就都有时候和定理，因为人的苦难重压在他身上。
7 For no one knoweth what shall be; for who can tell him how it shall be?
他不知道将来的事，因为将来如何，谁能告诉他呢？
8 No man hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit, and no man hath power over the day of death; and there is no discharge in that war; and wickedness shall not deliver those that are guilty of it.
无人有权力掌管生命，将生命留住；也无人有权力掌管死期；这场争战，无人能免；邪恶也不能救那好行邪恶的人。
9 All this have I seen, and I have given heed to all things that are done under the sun. There is a time when man ruleth over man to his hurt.
这一切我都见过，也专心查考日光之下所做的一切事。有时这人管辖那人，令人受害。
10 And so I saw the wicked buried, while the righteous came and went from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city. This also is vanity.
我见恶人埋葬，归入坟墓；又见行正直事的离开圣地，在城中被人忘记。这也是虚空。
11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore doth the heart of the sons of men become bold within them to do evil.
因为断定罪名不立刻施刑，所以世人满心作恶。
12 But though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and have his days prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, that fear before him.
罪人虽然作恶百次，倒享长久的年日；然而我准知道，敬畏 神的，就是在他面前敬畏的人，终久必得福乐。
13 But it shall not be well with the wicked: he shall be like a shadow, and shall not prolong his days, because he feareth not before God.
恶人却不得福乐，也不得长久的年日；这年日好像影儿，因他不敬畏 神。
14 There is a vanity which taketh place upon the earth, that there are righteous men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked, and that there are wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous. I said, “This also is vanity!”
世上有一件虚空的事，就是义人所遭遇的，反照恶人所行的；又有恶人所遭遇的，反照义人所行的。我说，这也是虚空。
15 Then I commended joy; because nothing is good for a man under the sun, except to eat and to drink and to be joyful; for it is this that abideth with him for his labor during the days of his life which God giveth him under the sun.
我就称赞快乐，原来人在日光之下，莫强如吃喝快乐；因为他在日光之下， 神赐他一生的年日，要从劳碌中，时常享受所得的。
16 When I applied my mind to know wisdom, and to see the business which is done upon the earth, —that one seeth no sleep with his eyes by day or by night, —
我专心求智慧，要看世上所做的事。（有昼夜不睡觉不合眼的。）
17 then I saw the whole work of God, that a man cannot comprehend that which is done under the sun; how much soever he labor to search it out, yet shall he not comprehend it; yea, though a wise man resolve to know it, yet shall he not be able to comprehend it.
我就看明 神一切的作为，知道人查不出日光之下所做的事；任凭他费多少力寻查，都查不出来，就是智慧人虽想知道，也是查不出来。
