传道书 第 7 章

¹名誉强如美好的的膏油；人死的日子胜过人生的日子。A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.

²往遭丧的家去，强如往宴乐的家去；因为死是众人的结局，活人也必将这事放在心上。It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.

³忧愁强如喜笑；因为面带愁容，终必使心喜乐。Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

⁴智慧人的心在遭丧之家；愚昧人的心在快乐之家。The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

⁵听智慧人的责备，强如听愚昧人的歌唱。It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.

⁶愚昧人的笑声，好像锅下烧荆棘的爆声；这也是虚空。For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.

⁷勒索使智慧人变为愚妄；贿赂能败坏人的慧心。Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart.

⁸事情的终局强如事情的起头；存心忍耐的，胜过居心骄傲的。Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

⁹你不要心里急躁恼怒，因为恼怒存在愚昧人的怀中。Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

¹⁰不要说：先前的日子强过如今的日子，是甚么缘故呢？你这样问，不是出于智慧。Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.

¹¹智慧和产业并好，而且见天日的人得智慧更为有益。Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.

¹²因为智慧护庇人，好像银钱护庇人一样。惟独智慧能保全智慧人的生命。这就是知识的益处。For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.

¹³你要察看神的作为；因神使为曲的，谁能变为直呢？Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?

¹⁴遇亨通的日子你当喜乐；遭患难的日子你当思想；因为神使这两样并列，为的是叫人查不出身后有甚么事。In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.

¹⁵有义人行义，反致灭亡；有恶人行恶，倒享长寿。这都是我在虚度之日中所见过的。All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.

¹⁶不要行义过分，也不要过于自逞智慧，何必自取败亡呢？Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?

¹⁷不要行恶过分，也不要为人愚昧，何必不到期而死呢？Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?

¹⁸你持守这个为美，那个也不要松手；因为敬畏神的人，必从这两样出来。It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.

¹⁹智慧使有智慧的人比城中十个官长更有能力。Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.

²⁰时常行善而不犯罪的义人，世上实在没有。For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

²¹人所说的一切话，你不要放在心上，恐怕听见你的仆人咒诅你。Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee:

²²因为你心里知道，自己也曾屡次咒诅别人。For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

²³我曾用智慧试验这一切事；我说，要得智慧，智慧却离我远。All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.

²⁴万事之理，离我甚远，而且最深，谁能测透呢？That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out?

²⁵我转念，一心要知道，要考察，要寻求智慧和万事的理由；又要知道邪恶为愚昧，愚昧为狂妄。I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:

²⁶我得知有等妇人比死还苦：他的心是网罗，手是锁链。凡蒙神喜悦的人必能躲避他；有罪的人却被他缠住了。And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

²⁷传道者说：看哪，一千男子中，我找到一个正直人，但众女子中，没有找到一个。我将这事一一比较，要寻求其理，我心仍要寻找，却未曾找到。Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:

²⁸(本节与上节合并)Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.

²⁹我所找到的只有一件，就是神造人原是正直，但他们寻出许多巧计。Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.