< Ecclesiastes 1 >
1 Words of a preacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
在耶路撒冷作王、大卫的儿子、传道者的言语。
2 Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, Vanity of vanities: the whole [is] vanity.
传道者说:虚空的虚空, 虚空的虚空,凡事都是虚空。
3 What advantage [is] to man by all his labour that he laboureth at under the sun?
人一切的劳碌, 就是他在日光之下的劳碌,有什么益处呢?
4 A generation is going, and a generation is coming, and the earth to the age is standing.
一代过去,一代又来, 地却永远长存。
5 Also, the sun hath risen, and the sun hath gone in, and unto its place panting it is rising there.
日头出来,日头落下, 急归所出之地。
6 Going unto the south, and turning round unto the north, turning round, turning round, the wind is going, and by its circuits the wind hath returned.
风往南刮,又向北转, 不住地旋转,而且返回转行原道。
7 All the streams are going unto the sea, and the sea is not full; unto a place whither the streams are going, thither they are turning back to go.
江河都往海里流,海却不满; 江河从何处流,仍归还何处。
8 All these things are wearying; a man is not able to speak, the eye is not satisfied by seeing, nor filled is the ear from hearing.
万事令人厌烦, 人不能说尽。 眼看,看不饱; 耳听,听不足。
9 What [is] that which hath been? it [is] that which is, and what [is] that which hath been done? it [is] that which is done, and there is not an entirely new thing under the sun.
已有的事后必再有; 已行的事后必再行。 日光之下并无新事。
10 There is a thing of which [one] saith: 'See this, it [is] new!' already it hath been in the ages that were before us!
岂有一件事人能指着说这是新的? 哪知,在我们以前的世代早已有了。
11 There is not a remembrance of former [generations]; and also of the latter that are, there is no remembrance of them with those that are at the last.
已过的世代,无人记念; 将来的世代,后来的人也不记念。
12 I, a preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
我传道者在耶路撒冷作过以色列的王。
13 And I have given my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that hath been done under the heavens. It [is] a sad travail God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.
我专心用智慧寻求、查究天下所做的一切事,乃知 神叫世人所经练的是极重的劳苦。
14 I have seen all the works that have been done under the sun, and lo, the whole [is] vanity and vexation of spirit!
我见日光之下所做的一切事,都是虚空,都是捕风。
15 A crooked thing [one] is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to be numbered.
弯曲的,不能变直; 缺少的,不能足数。
16 I — I spake with my heart, saying, 'I, lo, I have magnified and added wisdom above every one who hath been before me at Jerusalem, and my heart hath seen abundantly wisdom and knowledge.
我心里议论说:我得了大智慧,胜过我以前在耶路撒冷的众人,而且我心中多经历智慧和知识的事。
17 And I give my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I have known that even this [is] vexation of spirit;
我又专心察明智慧、狂妄,和愚昧,乃知这也是捕风。
18 for, in abundance of wisdom [is] abundance of sadness, and he who addeth knowledge addeth pain.'
因为多有智慧,就多有愁烦; 加增知识的,就加增忧伤。