传道书 4
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
鬥爭勞碌都是虛空
4 我又看見日光之下所發生一切欺壓的事：受欺壓的流淚，卻無人安慰他們；欺壓他們的，手裡握著權柄，因此無人安慰受欺壓的。 2 我讚歎那已死的人，勝過那還活著的人。 3 那還沒生下來的，就是還沒看過日光之下所行的惡事的，比這兩種人更有福。
4 我看見各樣的勞碌和各樣精巧的工作，都是出於人與人彼此的競爭。這也是虛空，也是捕風。 5 愚昧人抱著手，吃自己的肉。 6 一掌盛滿安寧，勝過兩手抓滿勞碌捕風。
7 我又看到日光之下有一件虛空的事。 8 有人孤單無依，沒有兒子，沒有兄弟，仍勞碌不休，眼目也不以自己的財富為足。他問：“我勞勞碌碌，刻薄自己不去享受，是為誰呢？”
這也是虛空，是勞苦的擔子。
9 二人勝過一人，因為他們一起的勞碌有美好的酬報。 10 如果一個跌倒，另一個可以把他的同伴扶起來。但一人孤身跌倒，沒有別人把他扶起來，他就悲慘了。 11 還有，二人同睡，就都暖和；一人獨睡，怎能暖和呢？ 12 有人能制伏孤身一人，如果有二人就擋得住他。三股合成的繩子，不容易扯斷。
13 貧窮但有智慧的年輕人，勝過年老不再納諫的愚昧王。 14 雖然他是從監獄出來，在自己的國中，又是出身貧寒，卻起來作王。 15 我看見所有在日光之下行走的活人，都隨從那取代老王的年輕人（“那取代老王的年輕人”或譯：“那取代他的第二位年輕人”）。 16 所有的人民，就是他所統治的人民，多得無數；然而後來的人卻不喜歡他。這實在也是虛空，也是捕風。
Ecclesiastes 4
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 4
The Victor and the Tyrant. 1 Then I contemplated all the acts of oppression that are committed under the sun:
I saw the tears of the oppressed,
with no one present to comfort them.
Power was wielded by their oppressors,
and no one was there to comfort them.
2 As a result, I regarded the dead as fortunate,
because they had already died
and thus were happier than the living
who were still alive.
3 But happier than both of these
is the one yet unborn
who has not witnessed the evil deeds
that are done under the sun.
Concurrence of Toil and Envy.[a] 4 Then I came to realize that all toil and skill in work derive from one person’s envy of another. This also is vanity and a chase after the wind.
5 The fool folds his arms
and consumes his own flesh.[b]
6 Better is one handful with peace of mind
than two handfuls with toil
and a chase after the wind.
Union Builds Strength. 7 Again I observed vanity under the sun:
8 There was a solitary individual,
without a friend, with neither a son nor a brother.
Yet there was no end to his toil,
and wealth did not satisfy his greed.
“For whom am I toiling,” he asked,
“and depriving myself of pleasures?”
This also is vanity
and a worthless task.
9 Two are better than one:
they earn a far greater reward for their toil.
10 And if one should fall,
his companion will help him up.
How pathetic is the man who is alone and falls
and has no one to assist him to his feet.
11 In the same way, if two sleep together, they keep warm,
but how can one who sleeps by himself keep warm?
12 And where a single man can be overcome,
two together will be able to resist.
A cord with three strands is not easily broken.
13 Deception of Political Regimes.[c] Better is a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who will no longer take advice. 14 One can emerge from prison to be crowned as a king, even though he was born in poverty in that kingdom.
15 And I observed all those who live and move under the sun willingly give their support to that young man who succeeded the king.[d] 16 There was a mass of people beyond counting over whom he reigned. And yet those who succeed him will not venerate his memory. This also is vanity and a chase after the wind.
17 The Religious Illusion. Be circumspect when you visit the house of God. Drawing near to listen is far better than the offering of a sacrifice by fools, for fools do not know how to avoid doing wrong.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 4:4 Certainly labor and success would merit our praise if the desire to possess would not introduce the poison of jealousy therein. Observe how the two sayings in verses 5-6 are contradictory; the first was undoubtedly inserted later on by a scrupulous scribe.
- Ecclesiastes 4:5 Consumes his own flesh: i.e., refuses to work, thus going hungry and bringing on ill health (see Eccl 10:18; Prov 6:6-11; 24:30-34).
- Ecclesiastes 4:13 A government becomes entrenched in solitude, and it must be stripped of power through sedition. The history of Israel gives us nothing but too many examples of the terrible temptations of power.
- Ecclesiastes 4:15 Even a ruler is scarcely remembered after he has died.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
