Ecclesiastes 4
1 And I have turned, and I see all the oppressions that are done under the sun, and lo, the tear of the oppressed, and they have no comforter; and at the hand of their oppressors [is] power, and they have no comforter.
我又轉念，見日光之下所行的一切欺壓。看哪，受欺壓的流淚，且無人安慰；欺壓他們的有勢力，也無人安慰他們。
2 And I am praising the dead who have already died above the living who are yet alive.
因此，我讚歎那早已死的死人，勝過那還活着的活人。
3 And better than both of them [is] he who hath not yet been, in that he hath not seen the evil work that hath been done under the sun.
並且我以為那未曾生的，就是未見過日光之下惡事的，比這兩等人更強。
4 And I have seen all the labour, and all the benefit of the work, because for it a man is the envy of his neighbour. Even this [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
我又見人為一切的勞碌和各樣靈巧的工作就被鄰舍嫉妒。這也是虛空，也是捕風。
5 The fool is clasping his hands, and eating his own flesh:
愚昧人抱着手，吃自己的肉。
6 'Better [is] a handful [with] quietness, than two handfuls [with] labour and vexation of spirit.'
滿了一把，得享安靜，強如滿了兩把，勞碌捕風。
7 And I have turned, and I see a vain thing under the sun:
我又轉念，見日光之下有一件虛空的事：
8 There is one, and there is not a second; even son or brother he hath not, and there is no end to all his labour! His eye also is not satisfied with riches, and [he saith not], 'For whom am I labouring and bereaving my soul of good?' This also is vanity, it is a sad travail.
有人孤單無二，無子無兄，竟勞碌不息，眼目也不以錢財為足。他說：「我勞勞碌碌，刻苦自己，不享福樂，到底是為誰呢？」這也是虛空，是極重的勞苦。
9 The two [are] better than the one, in that they have a good reward by their labour.
兩個人總比一個人好，因為二人勞碌同得美好的果效。
10 For if they fall, the one raiseth up his companion, but woe to the one who falleth and there is not a second to raise him up!
若是跌倒，這人可以扶起他的同伴；若是孤身跌倒，沒有別人扶起他來，這人就有禍了。
11 Also, if two lie down, then they have heat, but how hath one heat?
再者，二人同睡就都暖和，一人獨睡怎能暖和呢？
12 And if the one strengthen himself, the two stand against him; and the threefold cord is not hastily broken.
有人攻勝孤身一人，若有二人便能敵擋他；三股合成的繩子不容易折斷。
13 Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who hath not known to be warned any more.
貧窮而有智慧的少年人勝過年老不肯納諫的愚昧王。
14 For from a house of prisoners he hath come out to reign, for even in his own kingdom he hath been poor.
這人是從監牢中出來作王，在他國中，生來原是貧窮的。
15 I have seen all the living, who are walking under the sun, with the second youth who doth stand in his place;
我見日光之下一切行動的活人都隨從那第二位，就是起來代替老王的少年人。
16 there is no end to all the people, to all who were before them; also, the latter rejoice not in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
他所治理的眾人就是他的百姓，多得無數；在他後來的人尚且不喜悅他。這真是虛空，也是捕風。
