Ecclesiastes 2
1 Therfor Y seide in myn hertez, Y schal go, and Y schal flowe in delicis, and Y schal vse goodis; and Y siy also that this was vanyte.
我心下自語：「來，試一試快樂，享受一下福樂! 」看，這也是空虛。
2 And leiyyng Y arrettide errour, and Y seide to ioye, What art thou disseyued in veyn?
我稱歡笑為「瘋狂，」我對喜樂說：「這有何用﹖」
3 I thouyte in myn herte to withdrawe my fleisch fro wyn, that Y schulde lede ouer my soule to wisdom, and that Y schulde eschewe foli, til Y schulde se, what were profitable to the sones of men; in which dede the noumbre of daies of her lijf vndur the sunne is nedeful.
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 Y magnefiede my werkis, Y bildide housis to me, and Y plauntide vynes; Y made yerdis and orcherdis,
我於是擴大我的工程：為自己建造宮室，栽植葡萄園，
5 and Y settide tho with the trees of al kynde;
開闢園囿，在其中栽植各種果樹，
6 and Y made cisternes of watris, for to watre the wode of trees growynge.
挖掘水池，以澆灌在生長中的樹木。
7 I hadde in possessioun seruauntis and handmaidis; and Y hadde myche meynee, and droues of grete beestis, and grete flockis of scheep, ouer alle men that weren bifore me in Jerusalem.
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 Y gaderide togidere to me siluer and gold, and the castels of kingis and of prouyncis; Y made to me syngeris and syngeressis, and delicis of the sones of men, and cuppis and vessels in seruyce, to helde out wynes;
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 and Y passide in richessis alle men, that weren bifor me in Jerusalem. Also wisdom dwellide stabli 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 alle thingis whiche myn iyen desiriden, Y denyede not to hem; nether Y refreynede myn herte, that ne it vside al lust, and delitide it silf in these thingis whiche I hadde maad redi; and Y demyde this my part, if Y vside my trauel.
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 And whanne Y hadde turned me to alle werkis whiche myn hondys hadden maad, and to the trauels in whiche Y hadde swet in veyn, Y siy in alle thingis vanyte and turment of the soule, and that no thing vndir sunne dwellith stabli.
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 I passide to biholde wisdom, errours, and foli; Y seide, What is a man, that he may sue the king, his maker?
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 And Y siy, that wisdom yede so mych bifor foli, as miche as liyt is dyuerse fro derknessis.
我看透智慧勝於昏愚，像光明勝於黑暗。「
14 The iyen of a wijs man ben in his heed, a fool goith in derknessis; and Y lernede, that o perisching was of euer either.
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 And Y seide in myn herte, If o deth schal be bothe of the fool and of me, what profitith it to me, that Y yaf more bisynesse to wisdom? And Y spak with my soule, and perseyuede, that this also was vanyte.
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 mynde of a wijs man schal not be, in lijk maner as nether of a fool with outen ende, and tymes to comynge schulen hile alle thingis togidere with foryetyng; a lerned man dieth in lijk maner and an vnlerned man.
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 And therfor it anoiede me of my lijf, seynge that alle thingis vndur sunne ben yuele, and that alle thingis ben vanyte and turment of the 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 Eft Y curside al my bisynesse, bi which Y trauelide moost studiousli vndur sunne, and Y schal haue an eir 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 whom Y knowe not, whether he schal be wijs ether a fool; and he schal be lord in my trauels, for whiche Y swatte greetli, and was bisi; and is ony thing so veyn?
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 Wherfor Y ceesside, and myn herte forsook for to trauele ferthere vnder sunne.
我回顧我在太陽下所受的一切勞苦，就灰心失望。
21 For whi whanne another man trauelith in wisdom, and techyng, and bisynesse, he leeueth thingis getun to an idel man; and therfor this is vanyte, and greet yuel.
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 whi what schal it profite to a man of al his trauel, and turment of spirit, bi which he was turmentid vndur sunne?
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 Alle hise daies ben ful of sorewis and meschefs, and bi nyyt he restith not in soule; and whether this is not vanyte?
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 Whether it is not betere to ete and drynke, and to schewe to hise soule goodis of hise trauels? and this thing is of the hond 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 Who schal deuoure so, and schal flowe in delicis, as Y dide?
因為離了天主，誰能有吃的，誰能有所享受﹖
26 God yaf wisdom, and kunnyng, and gladnesse to a good man in his siyt; but he yaf turment, and superflu bisynesse to a synnere, that he encreesse, and gadere togidere, and yyue to hym that plesith God; but also this is vanyte, and veyn bisynesse of soule.
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。
