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喜乐福祉亦属虚空

我心里说:“来吧,我以喜乐试试你,你好享福。”谁知,这也是虚空。 我指喜笑说:“这是狂妄”,论喜乐说:“有何功效呢?” 我心里察究如何用酒使我肉体舒畅,我心却仍以智慧引导我;又如何持住愚昧,等我看明世人,在天下一生当行何事为美。

房舍田园仍属虚空

我为自己动大工程,建造房屋,栽种葡萄园, 修造园囿,在其中栽种各样果木树, 挖造水池,用以浇灌嫩小的树木。 我买了仆婢,也有生在家中的仆婢;又有许多牛群羊群,胜过以前在耶路撒冷众人所有的。 我又为自己积蓄金银和君王的财宝,并各省的财宝;又得唱歌的男女和世人所喜爱的物,并许多的妃嫔。 这样,我就日见昌盛,胜过以前在耶路撒冷的众人。我的智慧仍然存留。 10 凡我眼所求的,我没有留下不给它的;我心所乐的,我没有禁止不享受的。因我的心为我一切所劳碌的快乐,这就是我从劳碌中所得的份。 11 后来我察看我手所经营的一切事和我劳碌所成的功,谁知都是虚空,都是捕风,在日光之下毫无益处。

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我心里想:“来吧,不如尽情享乐,好好享受!”唉!结果这也是虚空。 我说:“欢笑只不过是一阵狂妄,享乐又有什么用!” 于是,我决意用酒使自己快乐,在体验愚昧的同时仍然保持理智,直到我明白在短暂的人生岁月中做何事才有益。 我大动工程,为自己建造房屋,栽种葡萄园, 开垦花圃园囿,种植各种果树, 开凿池塘,浇灌茂林。 我买了仆婢,又有生在家中的仆婢,拥有的牛羊远超过有史以来耶路撒冷的任何人。 我为自己积聚金银,搜罗列王和各省的奇珍异宝,得到男女歌优及许多妃嫔——都是世人所想望的。 这样,我便财势日增,享誉盛名,超过耶路撒冷历来所有的人。然而,我仍然保持智慧。 10 凡我眼睛爱看的、心里渴慕的,我都随心所欲,尽情享受。我的心从劳碌中得到欢乐,这是我劳碌所得的回报。 11 然而,当我回顾双手辛勤经营的一切成就时,唉,却发现都是虚空,都是捕风;日光之下的一切都毫无益处。

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I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.

I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?

I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.

I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:

I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:

I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:

I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:

I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.

So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.

10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.

11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

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The Vanity of Pleasure(A)

I said (B)in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with (C)mirth; [a]therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely, (D)this also was vanity. I said of laughter—“Madness!”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?” (E)I searched in my heart how [b]to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was (F)good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives.

I made my works great, I built myself (G)houses, and planted myself vineyards. I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made myself water pools from which to [c]water the growing trees of the grove. I acquired male and female servants, and had [d]servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me. (H)I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and [e]musical instruments of all kinds.

(I)So I became great and [f]excelled (J)more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.

10 Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them.
I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure,
For my heart rejoiced in all my labor;
And (K)this was my [g]reward from all my labor.
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done
And on the labor in which I had toiled;
And indeed all was (L)vanity and grasping for the wind.
There was no profit under the sun.

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Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 2:1 gladness
  2. Ecclesiastes 2:3 Lit. to draw my flesh
  3. Ecclesiastes 2:6 irrigate
  4. Ecclesiastes 2:7 Lit. sons of my house
  5. Ecclesiastes 2:8 Exact meaning unknown
  6. Ecclesiastes 2:9 Lit. increased
  7. Ecclesiastes 2:10 Lit. portion