Ecclesiastes 7

名誉强如美好的膏油；人死的日子胜过人生的日子。

míng yù qiáng rú měi hǎo de gāo yóu ； rén sǐ de rì zi shèng guò rén shēng de rì zi 。

A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one’s birth.

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。

wǎng zāo sàng de jiā qù ， qiáng rú wǎng yàn lè de jiā qù ； yīn wèi sǐ shì zhòng rén de jié jú ， huó rén yě bì jiāng zhè shì fàng zài xīn shàng 。

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 should take this to heart.

忧愁强如喜笑； 因为面带愁容，终必使心喜乐。

yōu chóu qiáng rú xǐ xiào ； yīn wèi miàn dài chóu róng ， zhōng bì shǐ xīn xǐ lè 。

Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.

智慧人的心在遭丧之家； 愚昧人的心在快乐之家。

zhì huì rén de xīn zài zāo sàng zhī jiā ； yú mèi rén de xīn zài kuài lè zhī jiā 。

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

听智慧人的责备， 强如听愚昧人的歌唱。

tīng zhì huì rén de zé bèi ， qiáng rú tīng yú mèi rén de gē chàng 。

It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools.

愚昧人的笑声， 好像锅下烧荆棘的爆声； 这也是虚空。

yú mèi rén de xiào shēng ， hǎo xiàng guō xià shāo jīng jí de bào shēng ； zhè yě shì xū kōng 。

For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.

勒索使智慧人变为愚妄； 贿赂能败坏人的慧心。

lè suǒ shǐ zhì huì rén biàn wèi yú wàng ； huì lù néng bài huài rén de huì xīn 。

Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.

事情的终局强如事情的起头； 存心忍耐的，胜过居心骄傲的。

shì qíng de zhōng jú qiáng rú shì qíng de qǐ tóu ； cún xīn rěn nài de ， shèng guò jū xīn jiāo ào de 。

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

你不要心里急躁恼怒， 因为恼怒存在愚昧人的怀中。

nǐ bú yào xīn lǐ jí zào nǎo nù ， yīn wèi nǎo nù cún zài yú mèi rén de huái zhōng 。

Don’t be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.

不要说： 先前的日子强过如今的日子， 是什么缘故呢？ 你这样问，不是出于智慧。

bú yào shuō ： xiān qián de rì zi qiáng guò rú jīn de rì zi ， shì shén me yuán gù ne ？ nǐ zhè yàng wèn ， bú shì chū yú zhì huì 。

Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not ask wisely about this.

智慧和产业并好， 而且见天日的人得智慧更为有益。

zhì huì hé chǎn yè bìng hǎo ， ér qiě jiàn tiān rì de rén dé zhì huì gèng wéi yǒu yì 。

Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent for those who see the sun.

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。

yīn wèi zhì huì hù bì rén ， hǎo xiàng yín qián hù bì rén yí yàng 。 wéi dú zhì huì néng bǎo quán zhì huì rén de shēng mìng 。 zhè jiù shì zhī shi de yì chù 。

For wisdom is a defense, even as money is a defense; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.

你要察看 神的作为； 因 神使为曲的，谁能变为直呢？

nǐ yào chá kàn shén de zuò wéi ； yīn shén shǐ wèi qǔ de ， shuí néng biàn wèi zhí ne ？

Consider the work of God, for who can make that straight which he has made crooked?

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什么事。

yù hēng tōng de rì zi nǐ dāng xǐ lè ； zāo huàn nàn de rì zi nǐ dāng sī xiǎng ； yīn wèi shén shǐ zhè liǎng yàng bìng liè ， wèi de shì jiào rén chá bù chū shēn hòu yǒu shén me shì 。

In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything after him.

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。

yǒu yì rén xíng yì ， fǎn zhì miè wáng ； yǒu è rén xíng è ， dǎo xiǎng cháng shòu 。 zhè dōu shì wǒ zài xū dù zhī rì zhōng suǒ jiàn guò de 。

All this I have seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.

不要行义过分，也不要过于自逞智慧，何必自取败亡呢？

bú yào xíng yì guò fèn ， yě bú yào guò yú zì chěng zhì huì ， hé bì zì qǔ bài wáng ne ？

Don’t be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?

不要行恶过分，也不要为人愚昧，何必不到期而死呢？

bú yào xíng è guò fèn ， yě bú yào wèi rén yú mèi ， hé bì bú dào qī ér sǐ ne ？

Don’t be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should you die before your time?

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。

nǐ chí shǒu zhè ge wèi měi ， nà gè yě bú yào sōng shǒu ； yīn wèi jìng wèi shén de rén ， bì cóng zhè liǎng yàng chū lái 。

It is good that you should take hold of this. Yes, also don’t withdraw your hand from that; for he who fears God will come out of them all.

智慧使有智慧的人比城中十个官长更有能力。

zhì huì shǐ yǒu zhì huì de rén bǐ chéng zhōng shí gè guān zhǎng gèng yǒu néng lì 。

Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.

时常行善而不犯罪的义人，世上实在没有。

shí cháng xíng shàn ér bú fàn zuì de yì rén ， shì shàng shí zài méi yǒu 。

Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and doesn’t sin.

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。

rén suǒ shuō de yí qiè huà ， nǐ bú yào fàng zài xīn shàng ， kǒng pà tīng jiàn nǐ de pú rén zhòu zǔ nǐ 。

Also don’t take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you;

因为你心里知道，自己也曾屡次咒诅别人。

yīn wèi nǐ xīn lǐ zhī dào ， zì jǐ yě céng lǚ cì zhòu zǔ bié rén 。

for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others.

我曾用智慧试验这一切事；我说，要得智慧，智慧却离我远。

wǒ céng yòng zhì huì shì yàn zhè yí qiè shì ； wǒ shuō ， yào dé zhì huì ， zhì huì què lí wǒ yuǎn 。

All this I have proved in wisdom. I said, “I will be wise;” but it was far from me.

万事之理，离我甚远，而且最深，谁能测透呢？

wàn shì zhī lǐ ， lí wǒ shèn yuǎn ， ér qiě zuì shēn ， shuí néng cè tòu ne ？

That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out?

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。

wǒ zhuǎn niàn ， yì xīn yào zhī dào ， yào kǎo chá ， yào xún qiú zhì huì hé wàn shì de lǐ yóu ； yòu yào zhī dào xié è wèi yú mèi ， yú mèi wèi kuáng wàng 。

I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is madness.

我得知有等妇人比死还苦：她的心是网罗，手是锁链。凡蒙 神喜悦的人必能躲避她；有罪的人却被她缠住了。

wǒ dé zhī yǒu děng fù rén bǐ sǐ hái kǔ ： tā de xīn shì wǎng luó ， shǒu shì suǒ liàn 。 fán méng shén xǐ yuè de rén bì néng duǒ bì tā ； yǒu zuì de rén què bèi tā chán zhù le 。

I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.

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。

chuán dào zhě shuō ：「 kàn nǎ ， yì qiān nán zǐ zhōng ， wǒ zhǎo dào yí gè zhèng zhí rén ， dàn zhòng nǚ zǐ zhōng ， méi yǒu zhǎo dào yí gè 。」 wǒ jiāng zhè shì yī yī bǐ jiào ， yào xún qiú qí lǐ ， wǒ xīn réng yào xún zhǎo ， què wèi céng zhǎo dào 。

“Behold, I have found this,” says the Preacher, “to one another, to find an explanation

which my soul still seeks, but I have not found. I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a woman among all those.

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。

wǒ suǒ zhǎo dào de zhī yǒu yí jiàn ， jiù shì shén zào rén yuán shì zhèng zhí ， dàn tā men xún chū xǔ duō qiǎo jì 。

Behold, I have only found this: that God made mankind upright; but they search for many inventions.”