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鬥爭勞碌都是虛空

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。 我讚歎那已死的人,勝過那還活著的人。 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。

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。 愚昧人抱著手,吃自己的肉。 一掌盛滿安寧,勝過兩手抓滿勞碌捕風。

我又看到日光之下有一件虛空的事。 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。

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。

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 labour and all skilful 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

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.