Add parallel Print Page Options

以下是传道者,就是在耶路撒冷作王、大卫的儿子所说的话。

万事令人厌倦都是虚空

传道者说:虚空的虚空。

虚空的虚空,一切都是虚空。

人的一切劳碌,就是他在日光之下的劳碌,

对自己有甚么益处呢?

一代过去,一代又来,

地却永远存在。

太阳升起,太阳落下,

匆忙回到它上升之处。

风向南刮,又往北转,

循环周行,旋转不息。

江河向海里流,海却不满溢;

江河之水归回本源,循环流转。

万事都令人厌倦,

人说,说不尽;

眼看,看不饱;

耳听,听不足。

已有的事必再有,

作过的事必再作;

日光之下并无新事。

10 有甚么事人可以说:

“看啊!这是新的”?

其实,很久之前已经有了,

在我们之前早就有了。

11 以前的事,无人记念;

将来的事,后来的人也不追忆。

智慧知识都是虚空

12 那时,我传道者在耶路撒冷作以色列的王。 13 我曾用智慧专心寻求查究天下所发生的一切事;原来 神给予世人的,是劳苦的担子,叫他们为此烦恼。 14 我看过日光之下所发生的一切事,不料,一切都是虚空,都是捕风。 15 弯曲的,不能弄直;缺少的,不能数算。 16 我自己心里说:“我得了极大的智慧,胜过所有在我以前统治耶路撒冷的人;我见识了许多智慧与知识。” 17 我又专心究察智慧和知识,狂妄和愚昧,才知道这也是捕风。 18 因为多有智慧,就多有烦恼;加增知识,就加增痛苦。

万事虚空

以下是在耶路撒冷做王的大卫之子——传道者的话。

传道者说:虚空的虚空,
虚空的虚空,一切都是虚空。
人在日光之下的一切劳碌有什么益处呢?
一代过去,一代又来,
大地却永远长存。
太阳升起,太阳落下,
匆忙回到升起之地。
风吹向南,又转向北,
循环不息,周而复始。
江河涌流入海,海却不会满溢;
江河从何处流出,又返回何处。
万事令人厌烦,人述说不尽。
眼看,看不饱;
耳听,听不够。
以往发生的事,将来还会发生;
先前做过的事,将来也必再做。
日光之下,根本没有新事。
10 人可以指着哪件事说:
“看啊,这是新事”?
所谓的新事在我们以前早就有了。
11 过去的事无人记得,
将来的事后人也不记得。

智慧之虚空

12 我传道者曾在耶路撒冷做以色列的王。 13 我专心用智慧去研究、探索天下各样的事,发现上帝给世人的是极重的苦工。 14 我观察一切日光之下所做的事,看啊,都是虚空,好像捕风。 15 弯曲的不能变直,缺少的无法补足[a] 16 我心里想:“我获得极大的智慧,远超过以前统治耶路撒冷的人。我拥有丰富的智慧和知识。” 17 我又专心察明智慧和知识、狂妄和愚昧,却发现这也是捕风。 18 因为智慧越高,愁烦越多;知识越多,痛苦越深。

Footnotes

  1. 1:15 补足”希伯来文是“数算”。

All Is Vanity

The words of (A)the Preacher,[a] the son of David, (B)king in Jerusalem.

(C)Vanity[b] of vanities, says (D)the Preacher,
    (E)vanity of vanities! (F)All is vanity.
(G)What (H)does man gain by all the toil
    at which he toils under the sun?
A generation goes, and a generation comes,
    but (I)the earth remains forever.
(J)The sun rises, and the sun goes down,
    and hastens[c] to the place where it rises.
(K)The wind blows to the south
    and goes around to the north;
around and around goes the wind,
    and on its circuits the wind returns.
All (L)streams run to the sea,
    but the sea is not full;
to the place where the streams flow,
    there they flow again.
All things are full of weariness;
    a man cannot utter it;
(M)the eye is not satisfied with seeing,
    nor the ear filled with hearing.
(N)What has been is what will be,
    and what has been done is what will be done,
    and there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there a thing of which it is said,
    “See, this is new”?
It has been (O)already
    in the ages before us.
11 There is no (P)remembrance of former things,[d]
    nor will there be any remembrance
of later things[e] yet to be
    among those who come after.

The Vanity of Wisdom

12 I (Q)the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I (R)applied my heart[f] to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy (S)business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is (T)vanity[g] and a striving after wind.[h]

15 (U)What is crooked cannot be made straight,
    and what is lacking cannot be counted.

16 I said in my heart, “I have acquired great (V)wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I (W)applied my heart to know wisdom and to know (X)madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but (Y)a striving after wind.

18 For (Z)in much wisdom is much vexation,
    and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 1:1 Or Convener, or Collector; Hebrew Qoheleth (so throughout Ecclesiastes)
  2. Ecclesiastes 1:2 The Hebrew term hebel, translated vanity or vain, refers concretely to a “mist,” “vapor,” or “mere breath,” and metaphorically to something that is fleeting or elusive (with different nuances depending on the context). It appears five times in this verse and in 29 other verses in Ecclesiastes
  3. Ecclesiastes 1:5 Or and returns panting
  4. Ecclesiastes 1:11 Or former people
  5. Ecclesiastes 1:11 Or later people
  6. Ecclesiastes 1:13 The Hebrew term denotes the center of one's inner life, including mind, will, and emotions
  7. Ecclesiastes 1:14 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)
  8. Ecclesiastes 1:14 Or a feeding on wind; compare Hosea 12:1 (also in Ecclesiastes 1:17; 2:11, 17, 26; 4:4, 6, 16; 6:9)