< Ecclesiastes 12 >
1 Remember also thy Creators in days of thy youth, While that the evil days come not, Nor the years have arrived, that thou sayest, 'I have no pleasure in them.'
你趁着年幼、衰败的日子尚未来到,就是你所说,我毫无喜乐的那些年日未曾临近之先,当记念造你的主。
2 While that the sun is not darkened, and the light, And the moon, and the stars, And the thick clouds returned after the rain.
不要等到日头、光明、月亮、星宿变为黑暗,雨后云彩反回,
3 In the day that keepers of the house tremble, And men of strength have bowed themselves, And grinders have ceased, because they have become few. And those looking out at the windows have become dim,
看守房屋的发颤,有力的屈身,推磨的稀少就止息,从窗户往外看的都昏暗;
4 And doors have been shut in the street. When the noise of the grinding is low, And [one] riseth at the voice of the bird, And all daughters of song are bowed down.
街门关闭,推磨的响声微小,雀鸟一叫,人就起来,唱歌的女子也都衰微。
5 Also of that which is high they are afraid, And of the low places in the way, And the almond-tree is despised, And the grasshopper is become a burden, And want is increased, For man is going unto his home age-during, And the mourners have gone round through the street.
人怕高处,路上有惊慌,杏树开花,蚱蜢成为重担,人所愿的也都废掉;因为人归他永远的家,吊丧的在街上往来。
6 While that the silver cord is not removed, And the golden bowl broken, And the pitcher broken by the fountain, And the wheel broken at the well.
银链折断,金罐破裂,瓶子在泉旁损坏,水轮在井口破烂,
7 And the dust returneth to the earth as it was, And the spirit returneth to God who gave it.
尘土仍归于地,灵仍归于赐灵的 神。
8 Vanity of vanities, said the preacher, the whole [is] vanity.
传道者说:“虚空的虚空,凡事都是虚空。”
9 And further, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge, and gave ear, and sought out — he made right many similes.
再者,传道者因有智慧,仍将知识教训众人;又默想,又考查,又陈说许多箴言。
10 The preacher sought to find out pleasing words, and, written [by] the upright, words of truth.
传道者专心寻求可喜悦的言语,是凭正直写的诚实话。
11 Words of the wise [are] as goads, and as fences planted [by] the masters of collections, they have been given by one shepherd.
智慧人的言语好像刺棍;会中之师的言语又像钉稳的钉子,都是一个牧者所赐的。
12 And further, from these, my son, be warned; the making of many books hath no end, and much study [is] a weariness of the flesh.
我儿,还有一层,你当受劝戒:著书多,没有穷尽;读书多,身体疲倦。
13 The end of the whole matter let us hear: — 'Fear God, and keep His commands, for this [is] the whole of man.
这些事都已听见了,总意就是:敬畏 神,谨守他的诫命,这是人所当尽的本分。
14 For every work doth God bring into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether good or bad.'
因为人所做的事,连一切隐藏的事,无论是善是恶, 神都必审问。