传道书 12
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
12 年轻时要记住你的创造主，不要等到衰老的岁月来临时才哀叹：“我的日子毫无乐趣。” 2 那时，太阳、月亮、星星都暗淡无光，雨后乌云再现； 3 守卫家园的手脚颤抖，强壮的身躯变得弯腰驼背；牙齿稀少，无法咀嚼；视力衰退，看不清楚； 4 耳朵发背，听不到推磨声；小鸟一叫，人就起来；歌声沙哑，不再美妙； 5 惧怕高处，走路战战兢兢；头发白如银杏，精力枯竭，欲望荡然无存；人都走向永远的归宿，吊丧的人往来于街上； 6 银链断裂，金碗摔坏，泉旁的瓶子破碎，井口的轮子朽烂。 7 那时尘土必归于尘土，灵也要归回赐灵的上帝。 8 传道者说：“虚空的虚空，一切都是虚空。” 9 传道者不但有智慧，还把知识传授给众人。他经过细心推敲和研究之后，编写了许多警世的箴言。 10 传道者费尽心思寻找金玉良言，所写的都是正直诚实的道理。 11 智者的言语好像赶牛的刺棍，他们收集的箴言像钉稳的钉子一样牢靠，都是一位牧者所赐的。 12 我亲爱的儿子，还有一件事，你要听我的忠告：著书多，没有穷尽；读书多，身体疲劳。
13 以上所说的，总而言之，就是要敬畏上帝，遵守祂的诫命，这是人的本分。 14 因为人一切的行为，无论善恶，包括一切隐秘事，上帝都必审问。
Ecclesiastes 12
New Living Translation
12 Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” 2 Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky. 3 Remember him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before your shoulders—the strong men—stoop. Remember him before your teeth—your few remaining servants—stop grinding; and before your eyes—the women looking through the windows—see dimly.
4 Remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint.
5 Remember him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires sexual desire. Remember him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral.
6 Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. 7 For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.
Concluding Thoughts about the Teacher
8 “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless.”
9 Keep this in mind: The Teacher was considered wise, and he taught the people everything he knew. He listened carefully to many proverbs, studying and classifying them. 10 The Teacher sought to find just the right words to express truths clearly.[a]
11 The words of the wise are like cattle prods—painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd[b] drives the sheep.
12 But, my child,[c] let me give you some further advice: Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out.
13 That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. 14 God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.
Ecclesiastes 12
1599 Geneva Bible
12 1 To think on God in youth, and not to defer till age. 7 The soul returneth to God. 11 Wisdom is the gift of God, and consisteth in fearing him and keeping his commandments.
1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years approach, wherein thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them:
2 While the sun is not dark, nor the light, nor the moon, nor the stars, nor the [a]clouds return after the rain.
3 When the [b]keepers of the house shall tremble, and the [c]strong men shall bow themselves, and the [d]grinders shall cease, because they are few, and they wax dark that [e]look out by the windows:
4 And the [f]doors shall be shut without by the base sound of the [g]grinding, and he shall rise up at the voice of the [h]bird: and all the [i]daughters of singing shall be abased:
5 Also they shall be afraid of the [j]high thing, and fear shall be in the [k]way, and the almond tree shall [l]flourish, and the [m]grasshopper shall be a burden, and concupiscence shall be driven away: for man goeth to the house of his age, and the mourners go about in the street.
6 While the [n]silver cord is not lengthened, nor the golden [o]ewer broken, nor the [p]pitcher broken at the [q]well, nor the [r]wheel broken at the [s]cistern,
7 And dust return to the earth as it was, and the [t]spirit return to God that gave it.
8 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, all is vanity.
9 And the more wise the Preacher was, the more he taught the people knowledge, and caused them to hear, and searched forth, and prepared many parables.
10 The Preacher sought to find out pleasant words, and an upright writing, even the words of truth.
11 The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails [u]fastened by the masters of the assemblies, which are given by one [v]pastor.
12 And of other things beside these, my son, take thou heed: for there is none end in making many [w]books, and much reading is a weariness of the flesh.
13 Let us hear the end of all: fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God will bring every work unto judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or evil.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 12:2 Before thou come to a continual misery: for when the clouds remain after the rain, man’s grief is increased.
- Ecclesiastes 12:3 The hands, which keep the body.
- Ecclesiastes 12:3 The legs.
- Ecclesiastes 12:3 The teeth.
- Ecclesiastes 12:3 The eyes.
- Ecclesiastes 12:4 The lips, or mouth.
- Ecclesiastes 12:4 When the jaws, shall scarce open, and not be able to chew anymore.
- Ecclesiastes 12:4 He shall not be able to sleep.
- Ecclesiastes 12:4 That is, the wind pipes, or the ears shall be deaf and not able to hear singing.
- Ecclesiastes 12:5 To climb high because of their weakness, or they stoop down, as though they were afraid, lest anything should hit them.
- Ecclesiastes 12:5 They shall tremble as they go, as though they were afraid.
- Ecclesiastes 12:5 Their head shall be as white as the blossoms of an almond tree.
- Ecclesiastes 12:5 They shall be able to bear nothing.
- Ecclesiastes 12:6 Meaning, the marrow of the backbone and the sinews.
- Ecclesiastes 12:6 The little skin that covereth the brain, which is in color like gold.
- Ecclesiastes 12:6 That is, the veins.
- Ecclesiastes 12:6 Meaning, the liver.
- Ecclesiastes 12:6 Which is the head.
- Ecclesiastes 12:6 That is, the heart, out of which the head draweth the powers of life.
- Ecclesiastes 12:7 The soul incontinently goeth either to joy or torment, and sleepeth not as the wicked imagine.
- Ecclesiastes 12:11 Which are well applied by the ministers, whom he calleth masters.
- Ecclesiastes 12:11 That is, by God.
- Ecclesiastes 12:12 These things cannot be comprehended in books or learned by study, but God must instruct thine heart that thou mayest only know that wisdom is the true felicity, and the way thereunto is to fear God.
Chinese Contemporary Bible Copyright © 1979, 2005, 2007, 2011 by Biblica® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
