傳道書 第 7 章

¹名譽強如美好的的膏油；人死的日子勝過人生的日子。A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.

²往遭喪的家去，強如往宴樂的家去；因為死是眾人的結局，活人也必將這事放在心上。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憂愁強如喜笑；因為面帶愁容，終必使心喜樂。Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

⁴智慧人的心在遭喪之家；愚昧人的心在快樂之家。The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

⁵聽智慧人的責備，強如聽愚昧人的歌唱。It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.

⁶愚昧人的笑聲，好像鍋下燒荊棘的爆聲；這也是虛空。For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.

⁷勒索使智慧人變為愚妄；賄賂能敗壞人的慧心。Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart.

⁸事情的終局強如事情的起頭；存心忍耐的，勝過居心驕傲的。Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

⁹你不要心裡急躁惱怒，因為惱怒存在愚昧人的懷中。Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

¹⁰不要說：先前的日子強過如今的日子，是甚麼緣故呢？你這樣問，不是出於智慧。Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.

¹¹智慧和產業並好，而且見天日的人得智慧更為有益。Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.

¹²因為智慧護庇人，好像銀錢護庇人一樣。惟獨智慧能保全智慧人的生命。這就是知識的益處。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你要察看神的作為；因神使為曲的，誰能變為直呢？Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?

¹⁴遇亨通的日子你當喜樂；遭患難的日子你當思想；因為神使這兩樣並列，為的是叫人查不出身後有甚麼事。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有義人行義，反致滅亡；有惡人行惡，倒享長壽。這都是我在虛度之日中所見過的。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不要行義過分，也不要過於自逞智慧，何必自取敗亡呢？Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?

¹⁷不要行惡過分，也不要為人愚昧，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你持守這個為美，那個也不要鬆手；因為敬畏神的人，必從這兩樣出來。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個官長更有能力。Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.

²⁰時常行善而不犯罪的義人，世上實在沒有。For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

²¹人所說的一切話，你不要放在心上，恐怕聽見你的僕人咒詛你。Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee:

²²因為你心裡知道，自己也曾屢次咒詛別人。For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

²³我曾用智慧試驗這一切事；我說，要得智慧，智慧卻離我遠。All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.

²⁴萬事之理，離我甚遠，而且最深，誰能測透呢？That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out?

²⁵我轉念，一心要知道，要考察，要尋求智慧和萬事的理由；又要知道邪惡為愚昧，愚昧為狂妄。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我得知有等婦人比死還苦：他的心是網羅，手是鎖鍊。凡蒙神喜悅的人必能躲避他；有罪的人卻被他纏住了。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傳道者說：看哪，一千男子中，我找到一個正直人，但眾女子中，沒有找到一個。我將這事一一比較，要尋求其理，我心仍要尋找，卻未曾找到。Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:

²⁸(本節與上節合併)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，但他們尋出許多巧計。Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.