Ecclesiastes 7
1 A [good] name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
名誉强如美好的膏油；人死的日子胜过人生的日子。
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: in that that is the end of all men, and the living taketh it to heart.
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。
3 Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
忧愁强如喜笑； 因为面带愁容，终必使心喜乐。
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools in the house of mirth.
智慧人的心在遭丧之家； 愚昧人的心在快乐之家。
5 It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise, than to hear the song of fools.
听智慧人的责备， 强如听愚昧人的歌唱。
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
愚昧人的笑声， 好像锅下烧荆棘的爆声； 这也是虚空。
7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad, and a gift destroyeth the heart.
勒索使智慧人变为愚妄； 贿赂能败坏人的慧心。
8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; better is a patient spirit than a proud spirit.
事情的终局强如事情的起头； 存心忍耐的，胜过居心骄傲的。
9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be vexed; for vexation resteth in the bosom of fools.
你不要心里急躁恼怒， 因为恼怒存在愚昧人的怀中。
10 Say not, How is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.
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。
11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, and profitable to them that see the sun.
智慧和产业并好， 而且见天日的人得智慧更为有益。
12 For wisdom is a defence [as] money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, [that] wisdom maketh them that possess it to live.
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。
13 Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked?
你要察看 神的作为； 因 神使为曲的，谁能变为直呢？
14 In the day of prosperity enjoy good, and in the day of adversity consider: God hath also set the one beside the other, to the end that man should find out nothing [of what shall be] after him.
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。
15 All [this] have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous [man] that perisheth by his righteousness, and there is a wicked [man] that prolongeth [his days] by his wickedness.
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。
16 Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
不要行义过分，也不要过于自逞智慧，何必自取败亡呢？
17 Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
不要行恶过分，也不要为人愚昧，何必不到期而死呢？
18 It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God cometh forth from them all.
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。
19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty [men] that are in a city.
智慧使有智慧的人比城中十个官长更有能力。
20 Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.
时常行善而不犯罪的义人，世上实在没有。
21 Also give not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.
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。
22 For also thine own heart knoweth that oftentimes thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
因为你心里知道，自己也曾屡次咒诅别人。
23 All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
我曾用智慧试验这一切事；我说，要得智慧，智慧却离我远。
24 Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will find it out?
万事之理，离我甚远，而且最深，谁能测透呢？
25 I turned, I and my heart, to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and reason, and to know wickedness to be folly, and foolishness to be madness;
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。
26 and I found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is nets and snares, [and] whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.
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。
27 See this which I have found, saith the Preacher, [searching] one by one to find out the reason;
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。
28 which my soul yet seeketh, and I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found, but a woman among all those have I not found.
29 Only see this which I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.
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。
