Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better than costly perfume, and the day of death is better than the day of birth.
名誉强如美好的膏油；人死的日子胜过人生的日子。
2 It is better to go to a house of mourning than to a house of feasting, for mourning comes to all people at the end of life, so living people must take this to heart.
往遭丧的家去， 强如往宴乐的家去； 因为死是众人的结局， 活人也必将这事放在心上。
3 Grief is better than laughter, for after sadness of face comes gladness of heart.
忧愁强如喜笑； 因为面带愁容，终必使心喜乐。
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of feasting.
智慧人的心在遭丧之家； 愚昧人的心在快乐之家。
5 It is better to listen to the rebuke of the wise than to listen to the song of fools.
听智慧人的责备， 强如听愚昧人的歌唱。
6 For like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot, so also is the laughter of fools. This, too, is vapor.
愚昧人的笑声， 好像锅下烧荆棘的爆声； 这也是虚空。
7 Extortion certainly makes a wise man foolish, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
勒索使智慧人变为愚妄； 贿赂能败坏人的慧心。
8 Better is the end of a matter than the beginning; and the people patient in spirit are better than the proud in spirit.
事情的终局强如事情的起头； 存心忍耐的，胜过居心骄傲的。
9 Do not be quick to anger in your spirit, for anger resides in the hearts of fools.
你不要心里急躁恼怒， 因为恼怒存在愚昧人的怀中。
10 Do not say, “Why were the days of old better than these?” For it is not because of wisdom that you ask this question.
不要说： 先前的日子强过如今的日子， 是什么缘故呢？ 你这样问，不是出于智慧。
11 Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good. It benefits those who see the sun.
智慧和产业并好， 而且见天日的人得智慧更为有益。
12 For wisdom provides protection as money can provide protection, but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to whoever has it.
因为智慧护庇人， 好像银钱护庇人一样。 惟独智慧能保全智慧人的生命。 这就是知识的益处。
13 Consider the deeds of God: Who can straighten out anything he has made crooked?
你要察看 神的作为； 因 神使为曲的，谁能变为直呢？
14 When times are good, live happily in that good, but when times are bad, consider this: God has allowed both to exist side by side. For this reason, no one will find out anything that is coming after him.
遇亨通的日子你当喜乐；遭患难的日子你当思想；因为 神使这两样并列，为的是叫人查不出身后有什么事。
15 I have seen many things in my meaningless days. There are righteous people who perish in spite of their righteousness, and there are wicked people who live a long life in spite of their evil.
有义人行义，反致灭亡；有恶人行恶，倒享长寿。这都是我在虚度之日中所见过的。
16 Do not be self-righteous, wise in your own eyes. Why should you destroy yourself?
不要行义过分，也不要过于自逞智慧，何必自取败亡呢？
17 Do not be too wicked or foolish. Why should you die before your time?
不要行恶过分，也不要为人愚昧，何必不到期而死呢？
18 It is good that you should take hold of this wisdom, and that you should not let go of righteousness. For the person who fears God will meet all his obligations.
你持守这个为美，那个也不要松手；因为敬畏 神的人，必从这两样出来。
19 Wisdom is powerful in the wise man, more than ten rulers in a city.
智慧使有智慧的人比城中十个官长更有能力。
20 There is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
时常行善而不犯罪的义人，世上实在没有。
21 Do not listen to every word that is spoken, because you might hear your servant curse you.
人所说的一切话，你不要放在心上，恐怕听见你的仆人咒诅你。
22 Similarly, you know yourself that in your own heart you have often cursed others.
因为你心里知道，自己也曾屡次咒诅别人。
23 All this have I proven by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was more than I could be.
我曾用智慧试验这一切事；我说，要得智慧，智慧却离我远。
24 Wisdom is far off and very deep. Who can find it?
万事之理，离我甚远，而且最深，谁能测透呢？
25 I turned my heart to learn and examine and seek wisdom and the explanations of reality, and to understand that evil is stupid and that folly is madness.
我转念，一心要知道，要考察，要寻求智慧和万事的理由；又要知道邪恶为愚昧，愚昧为狂妄。
26 I found that more bitter than death is any woman whose heart is full of snares and nets, and whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God will escape from her, but the sinner will be taken by her.
我得知有等妇人比死还苦：她的心是网罗，手是锁链。凡蒙 神喜悦的人必能躲避她；有罪的人却被她缠住了。
27 “Consider what I have discovered,” says the Teacher. “I have been adding one discovery to another in order to find an explanation of reality.
传道者说：“看哪，一千男子中，我找到一个正直人，但众女子中，没有找到一个。”我将这事一一比较，要寻求其理，我心仍要寻找，却未曾找到。
28 This is what I am still looking for, but I have not found it. I did find one righteous man among a thousand, but a woman among all those I did not find.
29 I have discovered only this: That God created humanity upright, but they have gone away looking for many difficulties.”
我所找到的只有一件，就是 神造人原是正直，但他们寻出许多巧计。
