Ecclesiastes 7

1 A good name is better than fine perfume, and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth.

1 美好的名声胜过珍贵的膏油， 人死之日胜过出生之时。

2 It is better to enter a house of mourning than a house of feasting, since death is the end of every man, and the living should take this to heart.

2 探望丧家胜过参加宴席， 因为死亡是每个人的结局， 活着的人要把这事铭记在心。

3 Sorrow is better than laughter, for a sad countenance is good for the heart.

3 哀伤胜过欢笑， 因为哀伤磨炼心灵。

4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.

4 智者的心思考死亡， 愚人的心只顾作乐。

5 It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools.

5 听智者的责备， 胜过听愚人的颂歌。

6 For like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This too is futile.

6 愚人的笑声像锅底下烧荆棘的噼啪声。 这也是虚空。

7 Surely extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.

7 欺压使智者变愚昧， 贿赂败坏人心。

8 The end of a matter is better than the beginning, and a patient spirit is better than a proud one.

8 事情的结局胜过事情的开端； 恒久忍耐胜过心骄气傲。

9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool.

9 不要轻易发怒， 因为愚人心怀怒气。

10 Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is unwise of you to ask about this.

10 不要问为什么过去比现在好， 因为这样问不明智。

11 Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good, and it benefits those who see the sun.

11 智慧如同产业一样美好， 有益于得见日光的世人。

12 For wisdom, like money, is a shelter, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.

12 智慧提供保障， 如同金钱一样。 智慧能保全智者的生命。 这就是知识的好处。

13 Consider the work of God: Who can straighten what He has bent?

13 你要思想上帝的作为， 因为上帝弄弯的， 谁能使它变直呢？

14 In the day of prosperity, be joyful, but in the day of adversity, consider this: God has made one of these along with the other, so that a man cannot discover anything that will come after him.

14 顺境时要快乐， 逆境时要思想： 两者都是上帝的安排， 好叫人不能预知将来。

15 In my futile life I have seen both of these: A righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.

15 在我虚空的一生中，我见过义人行义，反而灭亡；恶人行恶，却享长寿。

16 Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?

16 为人不要过分正直，也不要过于聪明，何必自取毁灭呢？

17 Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?

17 不要过分邪恶，也不要做愚人，何必时候未到就死呢？

18 It is good to grasp the one and not let the other slip from your hand. For he who fears God will follow both warnings.

18 最好是持守这个教训也不放松那个教训，因为敬畏上帝的人必避免两个极端。

19 Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city.

19 智慧使一个智者比城里十个官长更有能力。

20 Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

20 诚然，在地上无法找到一个一生行善、从未犯罪的义人。

21 Do not pay attention to every word that is spoken, or you may hear your servant cursing you.

21 你不要斤斤计较别人所说的每一句话，免得听见你的仆人咒诅你，

22 For you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.

22 因为你心里知道自己也曾多次咒诅别人。

23 All this I tested by wisdom, saying, “I resolve to be wise.” But it was beyond me.

23 我用智慧试验过这一切。我说：“我要做智者”，谁知智慧却离我甚远。

24 What exists is out of reach and very deep. Who can fathom it?

24 智慧如此遥不可及、深不可测，谁能找得到呢？

25 I directed my mind to understand, to explore, to search out wisdom and explanations, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the folly of madness.

25 我用心去认识、探究、追寻智慧和事物的原委，并去认识邪恶带来的愚昧和无知带来的狂妄。

26 And I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a net, and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is ensnared.

26 我发现有的妇人比死亡更苦毒，她是个陷阱，心如网罗，手像锁链。讨上帝喜悦的人避开她，罪人却被她俘虏。

27 “Behold,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find an explanation.

27–28 传道者说：“看啊，我事事反复探索，要查明万事之理，却没有寻获。但我发现在一千个男子中还可以找到一位正直人，在众女子中却未找到一位。

28 While my soul was still searching but not finding, among a thousand I have found one upright man, but among all these I have not found one such woman.

29 Only this have I found: I have discovered that God made mankind upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”

29 我只发现一件事，上帝造的人本来正直，人却找出各种诡计。”