| 訓道篇 | Ecclesiastes |
|---|
| 1我看見在太陽下，另有一種不幸，重壓在人身上： | 1There is another evil which I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily upon man: |
| 2有一人，天主賜他富裕、錢財、光榮；凡他心中所願意的，一件也不缺；但天主沒有讓他享用這一切，卻讓外人享用了：這也是空虛，是一件很悲慘的事。 | 2there is the man to whom God gives riches and property and honor, so that he lacks none of all the things he craves; yet God does not grant him power to partake of them, but a stranger devours them. This is vanity and a dire plague. |
| 3一人生有百子，活了很大歲數，他年紀雖高，卻沒有隨心享受福樂，且未得安葬，照我看來，他還不如流產的胎兒。 | 3 Should a man have a hundred children and live many years, no matter to what great age, still if he has not the full benefit of his goods, or if he is deprived of burial, of this man I proclaim that the child born dead is more fortunate than he. |
| 4流產的胎兒徒然而來，悄然而去，他的名字也湮沒無聞； | 4Though it came in vain and goes into darkness and its name is enveloped in darkness; |
| 5他沒有見過天日，也沒有任何知覺，但他總比那人更享安寧。 | 5though it has not seen or known the sun, yet the dead child is at rest rather than such a man. |
| 6那人即便活了兩千歲，如未享受福樂，他們二人豈不是同歸一處？ | 6 Should he live twice a thousand years and not enjoy his goods, do not both go to the same place? |
| 7人的一切勞碌都是為了口腹，但他的慾望卻總不知滿足。 | 7 All man's toil is for his mouth, yet his desire is not fulfilled. |
| 8智者較愚者究有什麼利益？知道如何與人往來的窮人，能得什麼好處？ | 8For what advantage has the wise man over the fool, or what advantage has the poor man in knowing how to conduct himself in life? |
| 9眼看見過的總勝過心所想望的：這也是空虛，也是追風。 | 9 "What the eyes see is better than what the desires wander after." This also is vanity and a chase after wind. |
| 10已往所有的，都已有名可稱；人為何物，都已知道；人決不能與強於自己的抗辯。 | 10 Whatever is, was long ago given its name, and the nature of man is known, and that he cannot contend in judgment with one who is stronger than he. |
| 11說話多，必多空談：這對人能有什麼益處？ | 11For though there are many sayings that multiply vanity, what profit is there for a man? |
| 12在空虛，消逝如影的人生少數歲月內，有誰知道什麼事對人有益？又有誰能給人指示，他身後在太陽下要發生什麼事？ | 12For who knows what is good for a man in life, the limited days of his vain life (which God has made like a shadow)? Because-who is there to tell a man what will come after him under the sun? |
