传道书 7
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
智者的選擇
7 美名優於美好的膏油，
死亡的日子勝過誕生的日子。
2 往服喪之家，比往宴樂之家還好，
因為死是人人的結局，
活人要把這事放在心上。
3 憂愁勝於嬉笑，
因為面帶愁容，能使內心得著好處。
4 智慧人的心在服喪之家，
愚昧人的心在歡樂之家。
5 聽智慧人的斥責，
勝過聽愚昧人的歌唱。
6 愚昧人的笑聲，
就像鍋底下荊棘的爆聲一樣。
這也是虛空。
7 勒索會使智慧人變為愚妄，
賄賂能敗壞人心。
8 事情的結局勝於開端，
存心忍耐的，勝過居心驕傲的。
9 你心裡不要輕易動怒，
因為惱怒留在愚昧人的胸懷中。
10 你不要說：“為甚麼從前的日子勝過現在的呢？”
你這樣問，不是出於智慧。
11 智慧與產業都是好的，
對得見天日的人是有益的。
12 因為受智慧的庇護，如同受銀子的庇護。
唯有智慧能保全智慧人的生命，這就是知識的益處。
體察 神的心意行事
13 要觀察 神的作為，
因為他所屈曲的，
誰能弄直呢？
14 在亨通的日子，應當享福；
遭遇患難的時候，就當省察。
神使這兩樣並存，
為了叫人查不出未來的事。
15 在我虛空的日子裡，我見過這兩件事：有義人行義反而滅亡，有惡人行惡倒享長壽。 16 不要過分公義，也不要太過有智慧，何必自取滅亡呢？ 17 不要過分作惡，也不要作愚昧人，何必時候未到就死？ 18 持守這個是好的，那個也不要放鬆，因為敬畏 神的人，都必避免這兩個極端。
19 智慧使智慧人比城中十個官長更有能力。 20 世上實在沒有一個行善而不犯罪的義人。 21 人所說的一切話，都不要放在心上，因你可能聽見僕人咒罵你。 22 其實你心裡明白，自己也曾多次咒罵別人。
23 這一切我都用智慧試驗過。我說：“我要得智慧”，智慧卻遠離我。 24 那離得遠又極深奧的，誰能找到呢？ 25 我轉念，一心去了解、考察並尋覓智慧和事理，又要知道愚蒙是邪惡的，狂妄是愚昧的。 26 我發現一個比死亡更惡毒的婦人，她有如羅網，心如陷阱，手如鎖鍊。蒙 神喜悅的人得以擺脫她，罪人卻被她纏住。
27 傳道者說：“看哪！我發現了這件事，我一再揣摩，要找出事情的道理。 28 我的心仍在尋覓，卻還找不到，就是在一千個男人中，我找到一個正直人，但在所有的女人中，連一個也找不到。 29 我所明白的，只有這件事： 神造人原是正直的，他們卻找出許多巧計。”
Ecclesiastes 7
King James Version
7 A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
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 for a man to hear the song of fools.
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.
7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart.
8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
10 Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.
11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.
12 For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.
13 Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?
14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.
15 All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.
16 Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself ?
17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
18 It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.
19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.
20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
21 Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee:
22 For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
23 All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
24 That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out?
25 I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:
26 And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.
27 Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:
28 Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.
29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
Ecclesiastes 7
New Catholic Bible
Search for Human Equilibrium
How To Discover?
Chapter 7
Laughter and Anguish[a]
1 A good name is better than precious ointment,
and the day of death than the day of birth.[b]
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning
than to the house of feasting.
For that is the end of every man;
let the living take it to heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter,
because a sad countenance may conceal a joyful heart.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
but the heart of fools is in the house of gaiety.
5 It is better to pay heed to the rebuke of the wise
than to listen to the songs of fools.
6 For like the crackling of thorns under a pot,
so is the laughter of fools.
This also is vanity.
7 Oppression can make a wise man foolish
and a bribe corrupts the heart.
The Refuge of Wisdom[c]
8 Better is the end of anything than its beginning;
better are the patient in spirit than the proud in spirit.
9 Do not become easily angered,
for anger lodges in the heart of fools.
10 Do not assert that the past was better than the present,
for such a statement is not a sign of wisdom.
11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance
and an advantage to those who see the sun.
12 Safeguard wisdom as you would a legacy,
and the advantage of knowledge is this:
it bestows life on the one who possesses it.
13 Consider the work of God.
Who can make straight
what God has made crooked?
14 When things are going well, be grateful for your blessings,
and in times of adversity consider this:
God has made both of them,
so that we cannot predict with confidence
what the future holds.
Whoever Wants To Be an Angel Ends Up as a Beast[d]
15 During my span of life I have seen everything:
Righteous people who perish in their uprightness,
and wicked people who grow old in their wickedness.
16 Do not be excessively righteous
or show yourself to be unduly wise.[e]
Why should you destroy yourself?
17 Do not be excessively wicked
or act like a fool.
Why should you die before your time?[f]
18 It would be best for you to hold on to one
and not let go of the other.[g]
For the one who fears God will eventually succeed.
19 Wisdom gives greater strength to the wise man
than ten rulers in a city.
20 There is no one on earth who is so righteous
that he does nothing but good and never sins.[h]
21 If you do not pay attention to all that people say,
you will never hear your servant speaking ill of you.
22 For you know in your heart
that you have often spoken ill of others.
23 All this I have put to the test of wisdom:
I said, “I am determined to be wise,”
but such wisdom was beyond my reach.
24 This state of wisdom is far off and buried very deep.
Who can discover it?
Man and Woman[i]
25 I then turned my thoughts
in the direction of knowledge.
My mind sought to search out and seek wisdom
and the reason why things are as they are,
only to realize that it is foolish to be wicked
and madness to act like a fool.
26 I find more bitter than death
the woman who is a snare:[j]
her heart is a net
and her arms are chains.
One who pleases God escapes her clutches,
but the sinner is captured by her.
27 Behold, this is what I have discovered, says Qoheleth:
As I have added one thing to another in order to draw some conclusion,
28 which my mind has sought repeatedly
but has not yet discovered,
I have found one man out of a thousand,
but a woman among them all I have not found.
29 This alone have I found out:
God made human beings straightforward,
but they often follow devious paths.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 7:1 We must realize that there is no equality between life and death; death will always have the last word. It is useless for us to try to evade this point; a proper equilibrium lies in accepting the human condition such as it is.
- Ecclesiastes 7:1 The day of death [is better] than the day of birth: see 2 Cor 5:1-10; Phil 1:21-23. In verses 2-6, Qoheleth shows how we learn more from times of trial than from times of happiness.
- Ecclesiastes 7:8 Wisdom is a refuge for human beings. The present moment is God’s gift to humans; by living it correctly we get closer to God (see Rom 8:28-29).
- Ecclesiastes 7:15 We should not imagine that by dint of our performance in justice, i.e., in virtue, we could guarantee our future and rejoice at the fall of the wicked. Such a pretense would ordinarily become perverted into pride and severity. Wisdom is the power of life, but no one can possess it; we can only try to live wisely and humbly.
- Ecclesiastes 7:16 Excessively righteous . . . unduly wise: these attitudes are to be avoided, for they lead to self-righteousness and pride.
- Ecclesiastes 7:17 In Old Testament times, the wicked were regarded as certain to undergo an untimely end at the hand of God (see 1 Sam 2:31-34; Ps 55:24; Prov 10:27; Jer 17:11).
- Ecclesiastes 7:18 Hold on to one and not let go of the other: i.e., the words in verses 16-17.
- Ecclesiastes 7:20 For more on the truth set forth in this verse, see Rom 3:9-20 and note; 5:12-21 and note.
- Ecclesiastes 7:25 The wisdom of the time easily set forth its warnings about the seductress in the belief that every woman is by nature a trap for men. Qoheleth recalls these clichés, but one has the impression that he regards them as caricatures; for he knows that man is more complicated, or, better, that he makes things more complicated.
- Ecclesiastes 7:26 The woman who is a snare: this is the seductress about whom men are warned (see Prov 2:16-19; 5:1-14; 6:24-29; 7:1-27), but elsewhere Scripture exalts the virtues of man’s lifetime companion (see Eccl 9:9; Prov 5:15-23; 31:10-31).
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
