Ecclesiastes 3
1 For everything an appointed time and an time for every matter under the heavens.
事事有時節，天下任何事皆有定時：
2 A time to bear a child and a time to die a time to plant and a time to pluck up [what] is planted.
生有時，死有時，栽種有時，拔除栽種的亦有時；
3 A time to kill and a time to heal a time to break down and a time to build.
殺戮有時，治療有時，拆毀有時，建築有時；
4 A time to weep and a time to laugh a time to mourn and a time to dance.
哭有時，笑有時，哀悼有時，舞蹈有時；
5 A time to throw away stones and a time to gather stones a time to embrace and a time to be far from embracing.
拋石有時，堆石有時；擁抱有時，戒避擁抱亦有時；
6 A time to seek and a time to count as lost a time to keep and a time to throw away.
尋找有時，遺失有時；保存有時，捨棄有時；
7 A time to tear and a time to sew a time to be silent and a time to speak.
撕裂有時，縫綴有時；緘默有時，言談有時，
8 A time to love and a time to hate a time of warfare and a time of peace.
愛慕有時，憎恨有時；作戰有時，和睦有時。
9 What? [is] [the] profit of the worker in [that] which he [is] a laborer.
工作的人，從勞苦中得了什麼利益﹖
10 I have seen the task which he has given God to [the] children of humankind to be busy with it.
我觀察了天主交予人類所應從事的事務，得知：
11 Everything he has made beautiful in time its also perpetuity he has put in heart their because not which not he will find humankind the work which he has done God from beginning and to end.
天主所行的一切事宜，都很適時，並賜給人認識時事的經歷，但人仍不能明瞭，天主自始至終所做的工作。
12 I know that there not [is] good for them that except to rejoice and to do good in life his.
於是我明瞭：人類的幸福，只有在此生歡樂享受；
13 And also every person that he will eat and he will drink and he will see good in all toil his [is] a gift of God it.
但人人有吃有喝，享受自己一切勞苦之所得，也是天主的恩賜。
14 I know that all that he does God it it will be for ever to it not to add and from it not to take away and God he has acted that people will fear from to before him.
我知道：凡天主所行的事，永恒不變，無一可增，無一可減。天主這樣作，是為叫人敬畏他。
15 Whatever that is [has been] already it and [that] which [is] to be already it has been and God he will seek [what] was pursued.
現今所有的，早已有過；將來所有有，先前已有過；因為天主必追尋已往的事。
16 And again I have seen under the sun [the] place of justice [was] there wickedness and [the] place of righteousness [was] there wickedness.
我在太陽下還看見：正義之處有不義，公平之處有不平。
17 I said I in heart my the righteous and the wicked he will judge God for a time [is] for every matter and on every deed there.
我心裏想天主必要審判義人和惡人，因為各種事情和行為，在天主那裏都有其定時。
18 I said I in heart my on cause of [the] children of humankind to test them God and to see that they [are] animal[s] they for themselves.
我想，天主藉此是為使世人認清自己是誰，看清自己與走獸無異。
19 For [the] fate of [the] children of humankind and [the] fate of animal[s] and fate one [belongs] to them like [the] death of this so [the] death of this and breath one [belongs] to all and [the] advantage of humankind [is] more than the animal[s] not for everything [is] futility.
的確，世人的命運，同走獸的命運，都是一樣：前者怎樣死，後者也怎樣死；氣息都一樣，人並不優於走獸：因為都是虛無。
20 Everything [is] going to place one everything it was from the dust and everything [is] returning to the dust.
都同歸於一處；既都出於塵土，也都歸於塵土。
21 Who? [is] knowing [the] spirit of [the] children of humankind that is going up it upwards and [the] spirit of the animal[s] that is going down it downwards to the earth.
人的氣息是否向上高升，走獸的氣息是否下降地下，有誰知道﹖
22 And I saw that there not [is] good more than that he will be happy humankind in work his for that [is] portion his for who? will he bring him to look on whatever that will be after him.
因此，我看出：人最好還是享受自己勞苦之所得，因為這是他的命運；有誰能領他去看自己身後的事呢﹖
