传道书 7
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
智者的选择
7 美名优于美好的膏油，
死亡的日子胜过诞生的日子。
2 往服丧之家，比往宴乐之家还好，
因为死是人人的结局，
活人要把这事放在心上。
3 忧愁胜于嬉笑，
因为面带愁容，能使内心得着好处。
4 智慧人的心在服丧之家，
愚昧人的心在欢乐之家。
5 听智慧人的斥责，
胜过听愚昧人的歌唱。
6 愚昧人的笑声，
就像锅底下荆棘的爆声一样。
这也是虚空。
7 勒索会使智慧人变为愚妄，
贿赂能败坏人心。
8 事情的结局胜于开端，
存心忍耐的，胜过居心骄傲的。
9 你心里不要轻易动怒，
因为恼怒留在愚昧人的胸怀中。
10 你不要说：“为甚么从前的日子胜过现在的呢？”
你这样问，不是出于智慧。
11 智慧与产业都是好的，
对得见天日的人是有益的。
12 因为受智慧的庇护，如同受银子的庇护。
唯有智慧能保全智慧人的生命，这就是知识的益处。
体察 神的心意行事
13 要观察 神的作为，
因为他所屈曲的，
谁能弄直呢？
14 在亨通的日子，应当享福；
遭遇患难的时候，就当省察。
神使这两样并存，
为了叫人查不出未来的事。
15 在我虚空的日子里，我见过这两件事：有义人行义反而灭亡，有恶人行恶倒享长寿。 16 不要过分公义，也不要太过有智慧，何必自取灭亡呢？ 17 不要过分作恶，也不要作愚昧人，何必时候未到就死？ 18 持守这个是好的，那个也不要放松，因为敬畏 神的人，都必避免这两个极端。
19 智慧使智慧人比城中十个官长更有能力。 20 世上实在没有一个行善而不犯罪的义人。 21 人所说的一切话，都不要放在心上，因你可能听见仆人咒骂你。 22 其实你心里明白，自己也曾多次咒骂别人。
23 这一切我都用智慧试验过。我说：“我要得智慧”，智慧却远离我。 24 那离得远又极深奥的，谁能找到呢？ 25 我转念，一心去了解、考察并寻觅智慧和事理，又要知道愚蒙是邪恶的，狂妄是愚昧的。 26 我发现一个比死亡更恶毒的妇人，她有如罗网，心如陷阱，手如锁炼。蒙 神喜悦的人得以摆脱她，罪人却被她缠住。
27 传道者说：“看哪！我发现了这件事，我一再揣摩，要找出事情的道理。 28 我的心仍在寻觅，却还找不到，就是在一千个男人中，我找到一个正直人，但在所有的女人中，连一个也找不到。 29 我所明白的，只有这件事： 神造人原是正直的，他们却找出许多巧计。”
传道书 7
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
7 美好的名声胜过珍贵的膏油，
人死之日胜过出生之时。
2 探望丧家胜过参加宴席，
因为死亡是每个人的结局，
活着的人要把这事铭记在心。
3 哀伤胜过欢笑，
因为哀伤磨炼人的心灵。
4 智者的心思考生死大事，
愚人的心只顾作乐。
5 听智者的责备，
胜过听愚人的颂歌。
6 愚人的笑声像锅底下烧荆棘的劈啪声。
这也是虚空。
7 欺压使智者变愚昧，
贿赂败坏人心。
8 事情的结局胜过事情的开端；
恒久忍耐胜过心骄气傲。
9 不要轻易发怒，
因为愚人心怀怒气。
10 不要问为什么过去比现在好，
因为这样问不明智。
11 智慧如同产业一样美好，
有益于得见日光的世人。
12 智慧如同金钱，
是一种保障，
能保全智者的生命。
这就是知识的好处。
13 你应当思想上帝的作为，
因为上帝弄弯的，
谁能使它变直呢？
14 顺境时要快乐，
逆境时要思想：
两者都是上帝的安排，
好叫人不能预知将来。
15 在我虚空的一生中，我见过义人行义，反而灭亡；恶人行恶，却享长寿。 16 为人不要过分正直，也不要过于聪明，何必自取毁灭呢？ 17 不要过分邪恶，也不要做愚人，何必时候未到就死呢？ 18 最好是持守这个教训也不放松那个教训，因为敬畏上帝的人必避免两个极端。 19 智慧使一个智者比城里十个官长更有能力。 20 诚然，在地上无法找到一个一生行善、从未犯罪的义人。 21 你不要斤斤计较别人所说的每一句话，免得听见你的仆人咒诅你， 22 因为你心里知道自己也曾多次咒诅别人。 23 我用智慧试验过这一切。我说：“我要做智者”，谁知智慧却离我甚远。 24 智慧如此遥不可及、深不可测，谁能找得到呢？ 25 我用心去认识、探究、追寻智慧和事物的原委，并去认识邪恶带来的愚昧和无知带来的狂妄。 26 我发现有的妇人比死亡更苦毒，她是个陷阱，心如网罗，手像锁链。敬畏上帝的人避开她，罪人却被她俘虏。 27-28 传道者说：“看啊，我事事反复探索，要查明万事之理，却没有寻获。但我发现在一千个男子中还可以找到一位正直人，在众女子中却未找到一位。 29 我只发现一件事，上帝造的人本来正直，人却找出各种诡计。”
Ecclesiastes 7
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition
A Disillusioned View of Life
7 A good name is better than precious ointment,
and the day of death, than the day of birth.
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning
than to go to the house of feasting;
for this is the end of everyone,
and the living will lay it to heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter,
for by sadness of countenance the heart is made glad.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning;
but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise
than to hear the song of fools.
6 For like the crackling of thorns under a pot,
so is the laughter of fools;
this also is vanity.
7 Surely oppression makes the wise foolish,
and a bribe corrupts the heart.
8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning;
the patient in spirit are better than the proud in spirit.
9 Do not be quick to anger,
for anger lodges in the bosom of fools.
10 Do not say, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’
For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.
11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance,
an advantage to those who see the sun.
12 For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money,
and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to the one who possesses it.
13 Consider the work of God;
who can make straight what he has made crooked?
14 On the day of prosperity be joyful, and on the day of adversity consider; God has made the one as well as the other, so that mortals may not find out anything that will come after them.
The Riddles of Life
15 In my vain life I have seen everything; there are righteous people who perish in their righteousness, and there are wicked people who prolong their life in their evildoing. 16 Do not be too righteous, and do not act too wise; why should you destroy yourself? 17 Do not be too wicked, and do not be a fool; why should you die before your time? 18 It is good that you should take hold of the one, without letting go of the other; for the one who fears God shall succeed with both.
19 Wisdom gives strength to the wise more than ten rulers that are in a city.
20 Surely there is no one on earth so righteous as to do good without ever sinning.
21 Do not give heed to everything that people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you; 22 your heart knows that many times you have yourself cursed others.
23 All this I have tested by wisdom; I said, ‘I will be wise’, but it was far from me. 24 That which is, is far off, and deep, very deep; who can find it out? 25 I turned my mind to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the sum of things, and to know that wickedness is folly and that foolishness is madness. 26 I found more bitter than death the woman who is a trap, whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are fetters; one who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her. 27 See, this is what I found, says the Teacher,[a] adding one thing to another to find the sum, 28 which my mind has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found. 29 See, this alone I found, that God made human beings straightforward, but they have devised many schemes.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 7:27 Qoheleth, traditionally rendered Preacher
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
Chinese Contemporary Bible Copyright © 1979, 2005, 2007, 2011 by Biblica® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 2004 by World Bible Translation Center
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.