Ecclesiastes

在耶路撒冷作王、大衛的兒子、傳道者的言語。

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

傳道者說：虛空的虛空，虛空的虛空，凡事都是虛空。

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all {is} vanity.

人一切的勞碌，就是他在日光之下的勞碌，有甚麼益處呢？

What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?

一代過去，一代又來，地卻永遠長存。

{One} generation passeth away, and {another} generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

日頭出來，日頭落下，急歸所出之地。

The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. {hasteth: Heb. panteth}

風往南颳，又向北轉，不住地旋轉，而且返回轉行原道。

The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.

江河都往海裡流，海卻不滿；江河從何處流，仍歸還何處。

All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea {is} not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again. {return...: Heb. return to go}

萬事令人厭煩（或譯：萬物滿有困乏），人不能說盡。眼看，看不飽；耳聽，聽不足。

All things {are} full of labour; man cannot utter {it}: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

已有的事後必再有；已行的事後必再行。日光之下並無新事。

The thing that hath been, it {is that} which shall be; and that which is done {is} that which shall be done: and {there is} no new {thing} under the sun.

豈有一件事人能指著說這是新的？哪知，在我們以前的世代早已有了。

Is there {any} thing whereof it may be said, See, this {is} new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.

已過的世代，無人記念；將來的世代，後來的人也不記念。

{There is} no remembrance of former {things}; neither shall there be {any} remembrance of {things} that are to come with {those} that shall come after.

我傳道者在耶路撒冷作過以色列的王。

I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

我專心用智慧尋求、查究天下所做的一切事，乃知神叫世人所經練的是極重的勞苦。

And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all {things} that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. {to be...: or, to afflict them}

我見日光之下所做的一切事，都是虛空，都是捕風。

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all {is} vanity and vexation of spirit.

彎曲的，不能變直；缺少的，不能足數。

{That which is} crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. {that which is wanting: Heb. defect}

我心裡議論說：我得了大智慧，勝過我以前在耶路撒冷的眾人，而且我心中多經歷智慧和知識的事。

I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all {they} that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. {had...: Heb. had seen much}

我又專心察明智慧、狂妄，和愚昧，乃知這也是捕風。

And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

因為多有智慧，就多有愁煩；加增知識的，就加增憂傷。

For in much wisdom {is} much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.