< Ecclesiastes 2 >

1 I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and behold, this also [is] vanity.
我心下自語:「來,試一試快樂,享受一下福樂! 」看,這也是空虛。
2 I said of laughter, [It is] mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
我稱歡笑為「瘋狂,」我對喜樂說:「這有何用﹖」
3 I sought in my heart, to give myself to wine, yet acquainting my heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what [was] that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
我遂決意喝酒以使我的肉身暢快,--但我的心仍為智慧所引導,並決意迷於狂妄的事,直到我看清,世人在天下一生有限的歲月中所做的事,有什麼好處為止。
4 I made me great works; I built me houses; I planted me vineyards:
我於是擴大我的工程:為自己建造宮室,栽植葡萄園,
5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all [kind of] fruits:
開闢園囿,在其中栽植各種果樹,
6 I made me pools of water, to water with them the wood that bringeth forth trees:
挖掘水池,以澆灌在生長中的樹木。
7 I procured [me] servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:
買了奴婢,還有在家中出世的僮僕,又有許多牛羊,多過我以前住在耶路撒冷的人。
8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings, and of the provinces: I procured me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, [as] musical instruments, and of all sorts.
我還聚斂了大批金銀,及各王候各省份的財寶;擁有許多歌唱的男女,無數的嬪妃,以及人間所有的享受。
9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
我雖如此富有,超過以往住在耶路撒冷的人,但我仍沒有喪失智慧。
10 And whatever my eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labor: and this was my portion of all my labor.
凡我眼所希求的,我決不加以拒絕;凡我心所願享受的快樂,我決不加以阻止;因為我的心對我的一切勞苦工作,實在滿意;其實,這也是我由勞苦工作應得的報酬。
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do: and behold, all [was] vanity and vexation of spirit, and [there was] no profit under the sun.
但當我回顧我所作的一切工作,以及工作時所受的勞苦,看,一切都是空虛,都是追風;在太陽之下,毫無裨益。
12 And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what [can] the man [do] that cometh after the king? [even] that which hath been already done.
我又回顧觀察智慧、瘋狂和昏愚;那繼位作君王的人能做什麼﹖只能做已做過的事。
13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
我看透智慧勝於昏愚,像光明勝於黑暗。「
14 The wise man's eyes [are] in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.
智者高瞻遠矚,愚者卻在黑暗中摸索。」但我也知道:二者都要遭遇同樣的命運。
15 Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also [is] vanity.
我心中自問:「愚人的命運,我也會遇到,為什麼我要更明智﹖」我遂下結論說:「這也是空虛。」
16 For [there is] no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now [is] in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise [man]? as the fool.
因為智者和愚者,同樣不為人常久記念,早晚有一天都要被人遺忘。可惜,智者和愚者同樣死去!
17 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun [is] grievous to me: for all [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
於是我惱恨生命,因為太陽之下所發生的事,無非使我煩惱,因為全是空虛,都是追風。
18 Yes, I hated all my labor which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it to the man that shall be after me.
我憎恨我在太陽下所受的勞苦,因為我要將勞苦所得,留給我的後人。
19 And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise [man] or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have showed myself wise under the sun. This [is] also vanity.
他是智是愚,有誰知道;但他一定要主管我在太陽下,以智慧所辛苦經營的一切工作:這也是空虛。
20 Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labor which I took under the sun.
我回顧我在太陽下所受的一切勞苦,就灰心失望。
21 For there is a man whose labor is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not labored in it, shall he leave it [for] his portion. This also [is] vanity and a great evil.
因為有人以智慧、學問和才幹勞作得來的,卻應留給那未曾勞作的人,作為產業:這也是空虛和大不幸。
22 For what hath man of all his labor, and of the vexation of his heart, in which he hath labored under the sun?
人在太陽下所受的一切勞苦,以及痛心的事,究竟有什麼裨益﹖
23 For all his days [are] sorrows, and his labor grief; yes, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
其實,人天天所有的事務,無非是悲苦和煩惱;而且夜裏,心也得不到安息:這也是空虛。
24 [There is] nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and [that] he should make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it [was] from the hand of God.
人除了吃喝和享受自己勞作之所得以外,別無更好的事。我也看透了:這是從天主手裏來的。
25 For who can eat, or who else can hasten [to it] more than I?
因為離了天主,誰能有吃的,誰能有所享受﹖
26 For [God] giveth to a man who [is] good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth toil, to gather, and to amass, that he may give to [him that is] good before God. This also [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
天主原把智慧、學問和歡樂,賜給他所喜愛的人。至於罪人,天主將積蓄貯藏財物的勞苦加於他身上,好將一切財物留給天主所喜愛的人:這也是空虛,也是追風。

< Ecclesiastes 2 >