Add parallel Print Page Options

智慧人懂得判断时机

谁像智慧人,谁知道事情的解释呢?人的智慧使他容光焕发,使他脸上的戾气转消。

我劝你,因为你指着 神起了誓,你就要遵守王的命令。 不要轻率离开王的面前,也不要参与恶事,因为王可以随己意作任何事。 既然王的话有权柄,谁敢问他:“你在作甚么?”

遵守命令的,必不遭受灾祸;智慧人的心,晓得时机,懂得判断。 各样事务成就,都有合宜的时机和定局,尽管人的灾祸重压在自己身上。 他不晓得未来的事,将来要发生甚么,谁能告诉他呢? 没有人能支配风(“风”或译:“生命”),把它留住;没有人能控制死期;战争之时,没有人能免役;邪恶救不了行邪恶的人。

敬畏 神终得福乐

我看见了这一切,又专心查究在日光之下所发生的一切事。有这样的一个时候:有人管辖别人,叫他受害。 10 然后我看见恶人得以埋葬,他们生前在圣地往来,而在他们这样行的城中,竟被人遗忘。这也是虚空!(全节或译:“然后我看见恶人得以埋葬,他们生前在圣地往来,并且在他们这样行的城中,受人称赞。这也是虚空!”或“然后我看见恶人得以埋葬,归入坟墓;行正直的人却与圣地隔离,在城中被人遗忘。这也是虚空!”)

11 对恶行已判定的刑罚迟迟没有执行,世人的心就充满行恶的意图。 12 罪人既然作恶百次,还享长寿,那么我知道敬畏 神的人,就是在他面前存敬畏的心的,必享福乐。 13 恶人却没有福乐,也得不到长寿;他好象影子的短暂,因为他在 神面前不存敬畏的心。

14 在世上有一件虚空的事,就是义人照恶人所行的受报应,恶人照义人所行的得报偿。我说,这也是虚空。 15 于是我称颂快乐,因为人在日光之下最好是吃喝快乐。这是人在日光之下, 神赐给他一生的年日里,从自己劳碌中所得的享受。

16 我专心认识智慧,察看世上的劳碌─有人昼夜不眠─ 17 于是我看见了 神的一切作为,知道在日光之下所发生的事,人不能查明;尽管人劳碌寻查,总是查不出来;即使智慧人以为知道了,还是查不出来。

谁像有智慧的人呢?
谁知道事情的原委呢?
智慧能使人容光焕发,
使冷酷的面孔柔和。

我劝你遵守王的命令,因为你曾在上帝面前这样发誓。 不要在王面前鲁莽行事,也不要参与恶行,因为王可以随意行事。 况且,王的命令至高无上,谁敢质问他呢? 遵从王命的必免遭祸患,因为智者心里懂得做事的时机和方法。 尽管人面临重重困难,但做任何事都有时机和方法。 无人知道未来的事,谁能告诉人将来的事呢? 无人能掌管生命[a],留住生命,也无人能掌管死期。无人能免于这场争战,邪恶也救不了作恶者。 这一切我都见过了,我用心思考日光之下的一切事。有时人欺压人、伤害人。 10 我看见恶人生前出入圣所,死后安葬,还在他们作恶的城中受到称赞,这也是虚空。 11 对犯罪者的刑罚不迅速执行,世人便尽情作恶。 12 虽然罪人作恶多端仍得长寿,我却认为敬畏上帝的人必亨通。 13 然而,恶人得不到祝福,他们必像幻影一样不能长久,因为他们不敬畏上帝。 14 世上有一件虚空的事,就是义人遭受了恶人当受的报应,恶人却享受了义人该享的福乐。我认为这也是虚空。 15 因此,我便赞赏享乐,因为在日光之下没有什么比吃喝快乐更好。这是人在上帝所赐的年日里,从劳碌中当得的享受。 16 我全心去寻求智慧,观察世上所发生的事,甚至昼夜不眠, 17 思想上帝所做的一切,便知道人无法理解日光之下所发生的事。尽管人努力不懈地去寻找,也不能明白;即使智者自以为明白,他其实仍不能参透。

Footnotes

  1. 8:8 生命”也可译作“风”或“气息”。

Who is like the wise?
    Who knows the explanation of things?
A person’s wisdom brightens their face
    and changes its hard appearance.

Obey the King

Obey the king’s command, I say, because you took an oath before God. Do not be in a hurry to leave the king’s presence.(A) Do not stand up for a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases. Since a king’s word is supreme, who can say to him, “What are you doing?(B)

Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm,
    and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure.
For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter,(C)
    though a person may be weighed down by misery.

Since no one knows the future,
    who can tell someone else what is to come?
As no one has power over the wind to contain it,
    so[a] no one has power over the time of their death.
As no one is discharged in time of war,
    so wickedness will not release those who practice it.

All this I saw, as I applied my mind to everything done under the sun. There is a time when a man lords it over others to his own[b] hurt. 10 Then too, I saw the wicked buried(D)—those who used to come and go from the holy place and receive praise[c] in the city where they did this. This too is meaningless.

11 When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong. 12 Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better(E) with those who fear God,(F) who are reverent before him.(G) 13 Yet because the wicked do not fear God,(H) it will not go well with them, and their days(I) will not lengthen like a shadow.

14 There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve.(J) This too, I say, is meaningless.(K) 15 So I commend the enjoyment of life(L), because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink(M) and be glad.(N) Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.

16 When I applied my mind to know wisdom(O) and to observe the labor that is done on earth(P)—people getting no sleep day or night— 17 then I saw all that God has done.(Q) No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it.(R)

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 8:8 Or over the human spirit to retain it, / and so
  2. Ecclesiastes 8:9 Or to their
  3. Ecclesiastes 8:10 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (Aquila); most Hebrew manuscripts and are forgotten

Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.

I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.

Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.

Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment.

Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.

For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?

There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.

All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.

10 And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity.

11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:

13 But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.

14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.

15 Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.

16 When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:)

17 Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea farther; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.