Ecclesiastes 8
1599 Geneva Bible
8 2 To obey Princes and Magistrates. 17 The works of God pass man’s knowledge.
1 Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? the wisdom of a man doth make his face [a]to shine: and [b]the strength of his face shall be changed.
2 I advertise thee to take heed to the [c]mouth of the king, and to the word of the oath of God.
3 [d]Haste not to go forth of his sight: stand not in an evil thing: for he will do whatsoever pleaseth him.
4 Where the word of the King is, there is power, and who shall say unto him, What doest thou?
5 He that keepeth the commandment, shall know none evil thing, and the heart of the wise shall know the [e]time, and judgment.
6 For to every purpose there is a time and judgment, because the [f]misery of man is great upon him.
7 For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?
8 Man is not Lord [g]over the spirit to retain the spirit: neither hath he power in the day of death, nor deliverance in the battle, neither shall wickedness deliver the possessors thereof.
9 All this have I seen, and have given mine heart to every work which is wrought under the sun, and I saw a time that man ruleth over man to his own [h]hurt.
10 And likewise I saw the wicked buried, and [i]they returned, and they that came from the holy [j]place, were yet forgotten in the city, where they had done right: this also is vanity.
11 Because sentence against an evil work is not [k]executed speedily, therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to do evil.
12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and God prolongeth his days, yet I know that it shall be well with them that fear the Lord, and do reverence before him.
13 But it shall not be well to the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days: he shall be like a shadow, because he feareth not before God.
14 There is a vanity, which is done upon the earth, that there be righteous men to whom it cometh according to the [l]work of the wicked: and there be wicked men to whom it cometh according to the work of the just: I thought also that this is vanity.
15 And I praised joy, for there is no goodness to man under the sun, save [m]to eat and to drink and to rejoice: for this is adjoined to his labor the days of his life that God hath given him under the sun.
16 When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to behold the business that is done on earth, that neither day nor night the eyes of man take sleep,
17 Then I beheld the whole work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is wrought under the sun: for the which man laboreth to seek it, and cannot find it: yea, and though the wise man think to know it, he cannot find it.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 8:1 That is, doth get him favor and prosperity.
- Ecclesiastes 8:1 Whereas before he was proud and arrogant, he shall become humble and meek.
- Ecclesiastes 8:2 That is, that thou obey the king and keep the oath that thou hast made for the same cause.
- Ecclesiastes 8:3 Withdraw not thyself lightly from the obedience of thy prince.
- Ecclesiastes 8:5 That is, when time is to obey, and how far he should obey.
- Ecclesiastes 8:6 Man of himself is miserable, and therefore ought to do nothing to increase the same, but to work all things by wisdom and counsel.
- Ecclesiastes 8:8 Man hath no power to save his own life, and therefore must not rashly cast himself into danger.
- Ecclesiastes 8:9 As cometh ofttimes to tyrants and wicked rulers.
- Ecclesiastes 8:10 That is, others as wicked as they.
- Ecclesiastes 8:10 They that feared God and worshipped him according as he had appointed.
- Ecclesiastes 8:11 Where justice is delayed, there sin reigneth.
- Ecclesiastes 8:14 Which are punished as though they were wicked, as Eccl. 7:17.
- Ecclesiastes 8:15 Read Eccl. 3:22.
传道书 8
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
智慧人懂得判斷時機
8 誰像智慧人，誰知道事情的解釋呢？人的智慧使他容光煥發，使他臉上的戾氣轉消。
2 我勸你，因為你指著 神起了誓，你就要遵守王的命令。 3 不要輕率離開王的面前，也不要參與惡事，因為王可以隨己意作任何事。 4 既然王的話有權柄，誰敢問他：“你在作甚麼？”
5 遵守命令的，必不遭受災禍；智慧人的心，曉得時機，懂得判斷。 6 各樣事務成就，都有合宜的時機和定局，儘管人的災禍重壓在自己身上。 7 他不曉得未來的事，將來要發生甚麼，誰能告訴他呢？ 8 沒有人能支配風（“風”或譯：“生命”），把它留住；沒有人能控制死期；戰爭之時，沒有人能免役；邪惡救不了行邪惡的人。
敬畏 神終得福樂
9 我看見了這一切，又專心查究在日光之下所發生的一切事。有這樣的一個時候：有人管轄別人，叫他受害。 10 然後我看見惡人得以埋葬，他們生前在聖地往來，而在他們這樣行的城中，竟被人遺忘。這也是虛空！（全節或譯：“然後我看見惡人得以埋葬，他們生前在聖地往來，並且在他們這樣行的城中，受人稱讚。這也是虛空！”或“然後我看見惡人得以埋葬，歸入墳墓；行正直的人卻與聖地隔離，在城中被人遺忘。這也是虛空！”）
11 對惡行已判定的刑罰遲遲沒有執行，世人的心就充滿行惡的意圖。 12 罪人既然作惡百次，還享長壽，那麼我知道敬畏 神的人，就是在他面前存敬畏的心的，必享福樂。 13 惡人卻沒有福樂，也得不到長壽；他好像影子的短暫，因為他在 神面前不存敬畏的心。
14 在世上有一件虛空的事，就是義人照惡人所行的受報應，惡人照義人所行的得報償。我說，這也是虛空。 15 於是我稱頌快樂，因為人在日光之下最好是吃喝快樂。這是人在日光之下， 神賜給他一生的年日裡，從自己勞碌中所得的享受。
16 我專心認識智慧，察看世上的勞碌─有人晝夜不眠─ 17 於是我看見了 神的一切作為，知道在日光之下所發生的事，人不能查明；儘管人勞碌尋查，總是查不出來；即使智慧人以為知道了，還是查不出來。
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
