Ecclesiastes

1我又转念，见日光之下所行的一切欺压。看哪，受欺压的流泪，且无人安慰；欺压他们的有势力，也无人安慰他们。

2因此，我赞叹那早已死的死人，胜过那还活着的活人。

3并且我以为那未曾生的，就是未见过日光之下恶事的，比这两等人更强。

4我又见人为一切的劳碌和各样灵巧的工作就被邻舍嫉妒。这也是虚空，也是捕风。

5愚昧人抱着手，吃自己的肉。

6满了一把，得享安静，强如满了两把，劳碌捕风。

7我又转念，见日光之下有一件虚空的事：

8有人孤单无二，无子无兄，竟劳碌不息，眼目也不以钱财为足。他说：「我劳劳碌碌，刻苦自己，不享福乐，到底是为谁呢？」这也是虚空，是极重的劳苦。

9两个人总比一个人好，因为二人劳碌同得美好的果效。

10若是跌倒，这人可以扶起他的同伴；若是孤身跌倒，没有别人扶起他来，这人就有祸了。

11再者，二人同睡就都暖和，一人独睡怎能暖和呢？

12有人攻胜孤身一人，若有二人便能敌挡他；三股合成的绳子不容易折断。

13贫穷而有智慧的少年人胜过年老不肯纳谏的愚昧王。

14这人是从监牢中出来作王，在他国中，生来原是贫穷的。

15我见日光之下一切行动的活人都随从那第二位，就是起来代替老王的少年人。

16他所治理的众人就是他的百姓，多得无数；在他后来的人尚且不喜悦他。这真是虚空，也是捕风。

The Evil of Oppression

1Again I looked, and I considered all the oppression taking place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; the power lay in the hands of their oppressors, and there was no comforter.

2So I admired the dead, who had already died, above the living, who are still alive.

3But better than both is he who has not yet existed, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.

4I saw that all labor and success spring from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

5The fool folds his handsand consumes his own flesh.

6Better one handful with tranquilitythan two handfuls with toil and pursuit of the wind.

7Again, I saw futility under the sun.

8There is a man all alone, without even a son or brother. And though there is no end to his labor, his eyes are still not content with his wealth: “For whom do I toil and bereave my soul of enjoyment?” This too is futile—a miserable task.

9Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.

10For if one falls down, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to help him up!

11Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone?

12And though one may be overpowered, two can resist. Moreover, a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

The Futility of Power

13Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take a warning.

14For the youth has come from the prison to the kingship, though he was born poor in his own kingdom.

15I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed this second one, the youth who succeeded the king.

16There is no limit to all the people who were before them. Yet the successor will not be celebrated by those who come even later. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.