传道书 1
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
1 以下是傳道者，就是在耶路撒冷作王、大衛的兒子所說的話。
萬事令人厭倦都是虛空
2 傳道者說：虛空的虛空。
虛空的虛空，一切都是虛空。
3 人的一切勞碌，就是他在日光之下的勞碌，
對自己有甚麼益處呢？
4 一代過去，一代又來，
地卻永遠存在。
5 太陽升起，太陽落下，
匆忙回到它上升之處。
6 風向南颳，又往北轉，
循環周行，旋轉不息。
7 江河向海裡流，海卻不滿溢；
江河之水歸回本源，循環流轉。
8 萬事都令人厭倦，
人說，說不盡；
眼看，看不飽；
耳聽，聽不足。
9 已有的事必再有，
作過的事必再作；
日光之下並無新事。
10 有甚麼事人可以說：
“看啊！這是新的”？
其實，很久之前已經有了，
在我們之前早就有了。
11 以前的事，無人記念；
將來的事，後來的人也不追憶。
智慧知識都是虛空
12 那時，我傳道者在耶路撒冷作以色列的王。 13 我曾用智慧專心尋求查究天下所發生的一切事；原來 神給予世人的，是勞苦的擔子，叫他們為此煩惱。 14 我看過日光之下所發生的一切事，不料，一切都是虛空，都是捕風。 15 彎曲的，不能弄直；缺少的，不能數算。 16 我自己心裡說：“我得了極大的智慧，勝過所有在我以前統治耶路撒冷的人；我見識了許多智慧與知識。” 17 我又專心究察智慧和知識，狂妄和愚昧，才知道這也是捕風。 18 因為多有智慧，就多有煩惱；加增知識，就加增痛苦。
Ecclesiastes 1
Easy-to-Read Version
1 These are the words from the Teacher, a son of David and king of Jerusalem.
2 Everything is so meaningless. The Teacher says that it is all a waste of time![a] 3 Do people really gain anything from all the hard work they do in this life[b]?
Things Never Change
4 People live and people die, but the earth continues forever. 5 The sun rises and the sun goes down, and then it hurries to rise again in the same place.
6 The wind blows to the south, and the wind blows to the north. The wind blows around and around. Then it turns and blows back to the place it began.
7 All rivers flow again and again to the same place. They all flow to the sea, but the sea never becomes full.
8 Words cannot fully explain things,[c] but people continue speaking.[d] Words come again and again to our ears, but our ears don’t become full. And our eyes don’t become full of what we see.
Nothing Is New
9 All things continue the way they have been since the beginning. The same things will be done that have always been done. There is nothing new in this life.
10 Someone might say, “Look, this is new,” but that thing has always been here. It was here before we were.
11 People don’t remember what happened long ago. In the future, they will not remember what is happening now. And later, other people will not remember what the people before them did.
Does Wisdom Bring Happiness?
12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 I decided to study and to use my wisdom to learn about everything that is done in this life. I learned that it is a very hard thing that God has given us to do. 14 I looked at everything done on earth, and I saw that it is all a waste of time. It is like trying to catch the wind.[e] 15 If something is crooked, you cannot say it is straight. And if something is missing, you cannot say it is there.
16 I said to myself, “I am very wise. I am wiser than all the kings who ruled Jerusalem before me. I know what wisdom and knowledge really are.”
17 I decided to learn how wisdom and knowledge are better than thinking foolish thoughts. But I learned that trying to become wise is like trying to catch the wind. 18 With much wisdom comes frustration. The one who gains more wisdom also gains more sorrow.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 1:2 meaningless … a waste of time The Hebrew word means “vapor or breath” or “something that is useless, meaningless, empty, wrong, or a waste of time.”
- Ecclesiastes 1:3 in this life Literally, “under the sun.” Also in verses 9, 13.
- Ecclesiastes 1:8 Words cannot fully explain things Literally, “All words are weak.”
- Ecclesiastes 1:8 but people continue speaking The Hebrew could also be translated, “People cannot speak.”
- Ecclesiastes 1:14 trying to catch the wind Or “It is very troubling to the spirit.” The word for “troubling” can also mean “craving,” and the word for “spirit” can also mean “wind.” Also in verse 17.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International