Ecclesiastes 8
1 The wisdom of a man schyneth in his cheer; and the myytieste schal chaunge his face.
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 kepe the mouth of the kyng, and the comaundementis and sweryngis of God.
我劝你遵守王的命令；既指 神起誓，理当如此。
3 Haste thou not to go awei fro his face, and dwelle thou not in yuel werk. For he schal do al thing, that he wole;
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 and his word is ful of power, and no man mai seie to hym, Whi doist thou so?
王的话本有权力，谁敢问他说“你做什么”呢？
5 He that kepith the comaundement of God `in this lijf, schal not feele ony thing of yuel; the herte of a wijs man vndurstondith tyme and answer.
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 Tyme and cesoun is to ech werk; and myche turment is of a man,
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 he knowith not thingis passid, and he mai not knowe bi ony messanger thingis to comynge.
他不知道将来的事，因为将来如何，谁能告诉他呢？
8 It is not in the power of man to forbede the spirit, nethir he hath power in the dai of deth, nethir he is suffrid to haue reste, whanne the batel neiyeth; nethir wickidnesse schal saue a wickid man.
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 I bihelde alle thes thingis, and Y yaf myn herte in alle werkis, that ben don vndur the sunne. Sum tyme a man is lord of a man, to his yuel.
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 Y siy wickid men biryed, which, whanne thei lyueden yit, weren in hooli place; and thei weren preisid in the citee, as men of iust werkis; but also this is vanyte.
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 Forsothe for the sentence is not brouyt forth soone ayens yuele men, the sones of men doon yuels with outen ony drede.
因为断定罪名不立刻施刑，所以世人满心作恶。
12 Netheles of that, that a synnere doith yuel an hundrid sithis, and is suffrid bi pacience, Y knew that good schal be to men dredynge God, that reuerensen his face.
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 Good be not to the wickid man, nethir hise daies be maad longe; but passe thei as schadewe, that dreden not the face of the Lord.
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 Also another vanyte is, which is don on erthe. Iust men ben, to whiche yuels comen, as if thei diden the werkis of wickid men; and wickid men ben, that ben so sikur, as if thei han the dedis of iust men; but Y deme also this moost veyn.
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 Therfor Y preysid gladnesse, that no good was to a man vndur the sunne, no but to ete, and drynke, and to be ioiful; and that he schulde bere awei with hym silf oneli this of his trauel, in the daies of his lijf, whiche God yaf to hym vndur the sunne.
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 And Y settide myn herte to knowe wisdom, and to vndurstonde the departing, which is turned in erthe. A man is, that bi daies and niytis takith not sleep with iyen.
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 And Y vndurstood, that of alle the werkis of God, a man may fynde no resoun of tho thingis, that ben don vndur the sunne; and in as myche as he traueilith more to seke, bi so myche he schal fynde lesse; yhe, thouy a wijs man seith that he knowith, he schal not mow fynde.
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。
