| 訓道篇 |
Ecclesiastes |
| 1事事有時節，天下任何事皆有定時： |
1There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens. |
| 2生有時，死有時，栽種有時，拔除栽種的亦有時； |
2A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant. |
| 3殺戮有時，治療有時，拆毀有時，建築有時； |
3A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and a time to build. |
| 4哭有時，笑有時，哀悼有時，舞蹈有時； |
4A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. |
| 5拋石有時，堆石有時；擁抱有時，戒避擁抱亦有時； |
5A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them; a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces. |
| 6尋找有時，遺失有時；保存有時，捨棄有時； |
6A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away. |
| 7撕裂有時，縫綴有時；緘默有時，言談有時， |
7A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to be silent, and a time to speak. |
| 8愛慕有時，憎恨有時；作戰有時，和睦有時。 |
8A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. |
| 9工作的人，從勞苦中得了什麼利益？ |
9What advantage has the worker from his toil? |
| 10我觀察了天主交予人類所應從事的事務，得知： |
10I have considered the task which God has appointed for men to be busied about. |
| 11天主所行的一切事宜，都很適時，並賜給人認識時事的經歷，但人仍不能明瞭，天主自始至終所做的工作。 |
11He has made everything appropriate to its time, and has put the timeless into their hearts, without men's ever discovering, from beginning to end, the work which God has done. |
| 12於是我明瞭：人類的幸福，只有在此生歡樂享受； |
12I recognized that there is nothing better than to be glad and to do well during life. |
| 13但人人有吃有喝，享受自己一切勞苦之所得，也是天主的恩賜。 |
13For every man, moreover, to eat and drink and enjoy the fruit of all his labor is a gift of God. |
| 14我知道：凡天主所行的事，永恒不變，無一可增，無一可減。天主這樣作，是為叫人敬畏他。 |
14I recognized that whatever God does will endure forever; there is no adding to it, or taking from it. Thus has God done that he may be revered. |
| 15現今所有的，早已有過；將來所有的，先前已有過；因為天主必追尋已往的事。 |
15 What now is has already been; what is to be, already is; and God restores what would otherwise be displaced. |
| 16我在太陽下還看見：正義之處有不義，公平之處有不平。 |
16And still under the sun in the judgment place I saw wickedness, and in the seat of justice, iniquity. |
| 17我心裡想天主必要審判義人和惡人，因為各種事情和行為，在天主那裡都有其定時。 |
17And I said to myself, both the just and the wicked God will judge, since there is a time for every affair and on every work a judgment. |
| 18我想，天主藉此是為使世人認清自己是誰，看清自己與走獸無異。 |
18I said to myself: As for the children of men, it is God's way of testing them and of showing that they are in themselves like beasts. |
| 19的確，世人的命運，同走獸的命運，都是一樣：前者怎樣死，後者也怎樣死；氣息都一樣，人並不優於走獸：因為都是虛無。 |
19For the lot of man and of beast is one lot; the one dies as well as the other. Both have the same life-breath, and man has no advantage over the beast; but all is vanity. |
| 20都同歸於一處；既都出於塵土，也都歸於塵土。 |
20Both go to the same place; both were made from the dust, and to the dust they both return. |
| 21人的氣息是否向上高升，走獸的氣息是否下降地下，有誰知道？ |
21Who knows if the life-breath of the children of men goes upward and the life-breath of beasts goes earthward? |
| 22因此，我看出：人最好還是享受自己勞苦之所得，因為這是他的命運；有誰能領他去看自己身後的事呢？ |
22And I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to rejoice in his work; for this is his lot. Who will let him see what is to come after him? |
