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 名譽強如美好的膏油；人死的日子勝過人生的日子。

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 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。

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

3 憂愁強如喜笑； 因為面帶愁容，終必使心喜樂。

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

4 智慧人的心在遭喪之家； 愚昧人的心在快樂之家。

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

5 聽智慧人的責備， 強如聽愚昧人的歌唱。

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

6 愚昧人的笑聲， 好像鍋下燒荊棘的爆聲； 這也是虛空。

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

7 勒索使智慧人變為愚妄； 賄賂能敗壞人的慧心。

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

8 事情的終局強如事情的起頭； 存心忍耐的，勝過居心驕傲的。

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

9 你不要心裏急躁惱怒， 因為惱怒存在愚昧人的懷中。

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。

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

11 智慧和產業並好， 而且見天日的人得智慧更為有益。

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

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。

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

13 你要察看上帝的作為； 因上帝使為曲的，誰能變為直呢？

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 遇亨通的日子你當喜樂；遭患難的日子你當思想；因為上帝使這兩樣並列，為的是叫人查不出身後有甚麼事。

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 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。

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

16 不要行義過分，也不要過於自逞智慧，何必自取敗亡呢？

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

17 不要行惡過分，也不要為人愚昧，何必不到期而死呢？

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 你持守這個為美，那個也不要鬆手；因為敬畏上帝的人，必從這兩樣出來。

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

19 智慧使有智慧的人比城中十個官長更有能力。

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

20 時常行善而不犯罪的義人，世上實在沒有。

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

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。

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

22 因為你心裏知道，自己也曾屢次咒詛別人。

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

23 我曾用智慧試驗這一切事；我說，要得智慧，智慧卻離我遠。

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

24 萬事之理，離我甚遠，而且最深，誰能測透呢？

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。

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 我得知有等婦人比死還苦：她的心是網羅，手是鎖鍊。凡蒙上帝喜悅的人必能躲避她；有罪的人卻被她纏住了。

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

27–28 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。

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 我所找到的只有一件，就是上帝造人原是正直，但他們尋出許多巧計。