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少壮时宜念造化之主

12 你趁着年幼,衰败的日子尚未来到,就是你所说“我毫无喜乐”的那些年日未曾临近之先,当记念造你的主。 不要等到日头、光明、月亮、星宿变为黑暗,雨后云彩返回。 看守房屋的发颤,有力的屈身,推磨的稀少就止息,从窗户往外看的都昏暗。 街门关闭,推磨的响声微小,雀鸟一叫人就起来,歌唱的女子也都衰微。 人怕高处,路上有惊慌,杏树开花,蚱蜢成为重担,人所愿的也都废掉。因为人归他永远的家,吊丧的在街上往来。 银链折断,金罐破裂,瓶子在泉旁损坏,水轮在井口破烂, 尘土仍归于地,灵仍归于赐灵的神。 传道者说:虚空的虚空,凡事都是虚空。

传道者多方训众

再者,传道者因有智慧,仍将知识教训众人,又默想,又考查,又陈说许多箴言。 10 传道者专心寻求可喜悦的言语,是凭正直写的诚实话。

11 智慧人的言语好像刺棍,会中之师的言语又像钉稳的钉子,都是一个牧者所赐的。 12 我儿,还有一层你当受劝诫:著书多,没有穷尽;读书多,身体疲倦。

敬畏神谨守诫命为人当尽之分

13 这些事都已听见了,总意就是敬畏神,谨守他的诫命,这是人所当尽的本分[a] 14 因为人所做的事,连一切隐藏的事,无论是善是恶,神都必审问。

Footnotes

  1. 传道书 12:13 或作:这是众人的本分。

Seek God in Early Life

12 Remember(A) now your Creator in the days of your youth,
Before the [a]difficult days come,
And the years draw near (B)when you say,
“I have no pleasure in them”:
While the sun and the light,
The moon and the stars,
Are not darkened,
And the clouds do not return after the rain;
In the day when the keepers of the house tremble,
And the strong men bow down;
When the grinders cease because they are few,
And those that look through the windows grow dim;
When the doors are shut in the streets,
And the sound of grinding is low;
When one rises up at the sound of a bird,
And all (C)the daughters of music are brought low.
Also they are afraid of height,
And of terrors in the way;
When the almond tree blossoms,
The grasshopper is a burden,
And desire fails.
For man goes to (D)his eternal home,
And (E)the mourners go about the streets.

Remember your Creator before the silver cord is [b]loosed,
Or the golden bowl is broken,
Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain,
Or the wheel broken at the well.
(F)Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,
(G)And the spirit will return to God (H)who gave it.

“Vanity(I) of vanities,” says the Preacher,
“All is vanity.”

The Whole Duty of Man

And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered and sought out and (J)set[c] in order many proverbs. 10 The Preacher sought to find [d]acceptable words; and what was written was upright—words of truth. 11 The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of [e]scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd. 12 And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and (K)much study is wearisome to the flesh.

13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:

(L)Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.
14 For (M)God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 12:1 Lit. evil
  2. Ecclesiastes 12:6 So with Qr., Tg.; Kt. removed; LXX, Vg. broken
  3. Ecclesiastes 12:9 arranged
  4. Ecclesiastes 12:10 Lit. delightful
  5. Ecclesiastes 12:11 Lit. masters of assemblies

The Problems of Old Age

12 Remember your ·Creator [or health]
    ·while you are young [L in the days of your youth],
before the days of ·trouble [evil] come
    and the years when you say,
    “I find no ·pleasure [delight] in them.”
When you get old,
    the light from the sun, moon, and stars will grow dark,
    and the rain clouds ·will never seem to go away [L return after the rain].
At that time ·your arms [L the guards of the house] will shake
    and ·your legs [L the landowners] will ·become weak [bend].
·Your teeth will fall out so you cannot chew [L The grinders cease because they are few; C women who grind grain],
    and ·your eyes will not see clearly [L those who look through the windows grow dim; C another group of women].
·Your ears will be deaf to the noise [L The doors are shut] in the streets,
    and ·you will barely hear the millstone grinding grain [L the sound of grinding decreases].
·You’ll wake up when a bird starts singing [L One rises at the sound of a bird],
    ·but you will barely hear singing [L and the daughters of song are brought low].
·You [L They] will fear high places
    and ·will be afraid to go for a walk [L the terrors of the street].
·Your hair will become white like the flowers on an almond tree [L The almond tree blossoms].
    ·You will limp along like a grasshopper when you walk [L The grasshopper drags itself along].
    Your ·appetite [or sexual desire] will be gone.
Then ·you will [L people] go to ·your [L their] everlasting home [C the grave],
    and ·people will go to your funeral [L mourners walk around in the street].

Soon ·your life will snap like a silver chain [L the silver thread will be snapped]
    ·or break like a golden bowl [L and the golden bowl will be crushed].
·You will be like a broken pitcher at a spring [L The jar will be broken by the well],
    ·or a broken wheel at a well [L and the wheel crushed by the cistern; C metaphors of death].
·You will turn back into the dust of the earth again [L The dust will return to the earth as it was],
    ·but your [L and the] spirit will return to God who gave it [3:21; Gen. 2:7; 3:19].

Everything is useless [1:2]!
The ·Teacher [or Preacher; L Assembler; 1:1] says that everything is useless [1:2].

Conclusion: Honor God

The ·Teacher [or Preacher; L Assembler; 1:1] was ·wise [a wise man/sage] and taught the people ·what he knew [L knowledge]. He ·very carefully thought about [L heard], ·studied [investigated], and set in order many ·wise teachings [L proverbs]. 10 The ·Teacher [or Preacher; L Assembler; 1:1] ·looked for just the right words [L sought to find words of delight] and to write what is ·dependable [honest] and true.

11 Words from wise people are like ·sharp sticks used to guide animals [goads]. They are like nails that have been driven in firmly. Altogether they are wise teachings that come from ·one Shepherd [or a shepherd]. 12 So be ·careful [warned], my son. ·People are always writing [There is no end to the making of many] books, and too much study ·will make you tired [wearies the body].

13 Now, the end of the matter; everything has been heard:
·Honor [Fear] God [Prov. 1:7] and obey his commands,
    because this is ·all people must do [L the whole duty of humanity].
14 God will ·judge everything [L bring every deed into judgment],
    even ·what is done in secret [every hidden thing],
the good and the evil.