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受虐流涕无人慰藉

我又转念,见日光之下所行的一切欺压。看哪,受欺压的流泪,且无人安慰;欺压他们的有势力,也无人安慰他们。 因此,我赞叹那早已死的死人,胜过那还活着的活人。 并且我以为那未曾生的,就是未见过日光之下恶事的,比这两等人更强。

我又见人为一切的劳碌和各样灵巧的工作,就被邻舍嫉妒。这也是虚空,也是捕风。 愚昧人抱着手,吃自己的肉。 满了一把得享安静,强如满了两把劳碌捕风。

我又转念,见日光之下有一件虚空的事。 有人孤单无二,无子无兄,竟劳碌不息,眼目也不以钱财为足。他说:“我劳劳碌碌,刻苦自己,不享福乐,到底是为谁呢?”这也是虚空,是极重的劳苦。 两个人总比一个人好,因为二人劳碌同得美好的果效。 10 若是跌倒,这人可以扶起他的同伴;若是孤身跌倒,没有别人扶起他来,这人就有祸了! 11 再者,二人同睡就都暖和,一人独睡怎能暖和呢? 12 有人攻胜孤身一人,若有二人便能抵挡他,三股合成的绳子不容易折断。

幼而智胜于老而愚

13 贫穷而有智慧的少年人,胜过年老不肯纳谏的愚昧王。 14 这人是从监牢中出来做王,在他国中,生来原是贫穷的。 15 我见日光之下一切行动的活人都随从那第二位,就是起来代替老王的少年人。 16 他所治理的众人,就是他的百姓,多得无数,在他后来的人尚且不喜悦他。这真是虚空,也是捕风。

Oppression, Toil, Friendlessness

Again I looked and saw all the oppression(A) that was taking place under the sun:

I saw the tears of the oppressed—
    and they have no comforter;
power was on the side of their oppressors—
    and they have no comforter.(B)
And I declared that the dead,(C)
    who had already died,
are happier than the living,
    who are still alive.(D)
But better than both
    is the one who has never been born,(E)
who has not seen the evil
    that is done under the sun.(F)

And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.(G)

Fools fold their hands(H)
    and ruin themselves.
Better one handful with tranquillity
    than two handfuls with toil(I)
    and chasing after the wind.

Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:

There was a man all alone;
    he had neither son nor brother.
There was no end to his toil,
    yet his eyes were not content(J) with his wealth.
“For whom am I toiling,” he asked,
    “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?”
This too is meaningless—
    a miserable business!

Two are better than one,
    because they have a good return for their labor:
10 If either of them falls down,
    one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
    and has no one to help them up.
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
    But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
    two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Advancement Is Meaningless

13 Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning. 14 The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. 15 I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor. 16 There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Again, I observed all the acts of oppression being done under the sun.(A) Look at the tears of those who are oppressed; they have no one to comfort them. Power is with those who oppress them; they have no one to comfort them. So I commended the dead,(B) who have already died, more than the living, who are still alive. But better than either of them is the one who has not yet existed,(C) who has not seen the evil activity that is done under the sun.

The Loneliness of Wealth

I saw that all labor and all skillful work is due to one person’s jealousy of another.(D) This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.[a](E)

The fool folds his arms(F)
and consumes his own flesh.(G)
Better one handful with rest
than two handfuls with effort and a pursuit of the wind.(H)

Again, I saw futility under the sun: There is a person without a companion,[b] without even a son or brother, and though there is no end to all his struggles, his eyes are still not content with riches.(I) “Who am I struggling for,” he asks, “and depriving myself of good things?” This too is futile and a miserable task.

Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. 10 For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up. 11 Also, if two lie down together, they can keep warm; but how can one person alone keep warm?(J) 12 And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.

13 Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer pays attention to warnings.(K) 14 For he came from prison to be king,(L) even though he was born poor in his kingdom. 15 I saw all the living, who move about under the sun, follow[c] a second youth who succeeds him. 16 There is no limit to all the people who were before them, yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.(M)

Footnotes

  1. 4:4 Or a feeding on wind, or an affliction of spirit; also in vv. 6,16
  2. 4:8 Lit person, but there is not a second,
  3. 4:15 Lit with