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
English Standard Version
The Contrast of Wisdom and Folly
7 (A)A good name is better than precious ointment,
and (B)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 all mankind,
and the living will (C)lay it to heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter,
(D)for by sadness of face 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 (E)better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise
than to hear the song of fools.
6 (F)For as the crackling of (G)thorns under a pot,
so is the laughter of the fools;
this also is vanity.[a]
7 Surely (H)oppression drives the wise into madness,
and (I)a bribe corrupts the heart.
8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning,
and (J)the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 (K)Be not quick in your spirit to become angry,
(L)for anger lodges in the heart[b] of fools.
10 Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?”
For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.
11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance,
an advantage to those who (M)see the sun.
12 For the protection of wisdom is like (N)the protection of money,
and the advantage of knowledge is that (O)wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
13 Consider (P)the work of God:
(Q)who can make straight what he has made crooked?
14 (R)In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, (S)so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.
15 In my (T)vain[c] life I have seen everything. There is (U)a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who (V)prolongs his life in his evildoing. 16 Be not overly righteous, and do not (W)make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? 17 Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. (X)Why should you die before your time? 18 It is good that you should take hold of (Y)this, and from (Z)that (AA)withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them.
19 (AB)Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.
20 Surely (AC)there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
21 Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear (AD)your servant cursing you. 22 Your heart knows that (AE)many times you yourself have cursed others.
23 All this I have tested by wisdom. (AF)I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me. 24 That which has been is far off, and (AG)deep, very deep; (AH)who can find it out?
25 (AI)I turned my heart to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness that is madness. 26 And I find something more (AJ)bitter than death: (AK)the woman whose heart is (AL)snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but (AM)the sinner is taken by her. 27 Behold, this is what I found, says (AN)the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things— 28 which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. (AO)One man among a thousand I found, but (AP)a woman among all these I have not found. 29 See, this alone I found, that (AQ)God made man upright, but (AR)they have sought out many schemes.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 7:6 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)
- Ecclesiastes 7:9 Hebrew in the bosom
- Ecclesiastes 7:15 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
