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。

1And I have turned, and I see all the oppressions that are done under the sun, and lo, the tear of the oppressed, and they have no comforter; and at the hand of their oppressors [is] power, and they have no comforter.

2And I am praising the dead who have already died above the living who are yet alive.

3And better than both of them [is] he who hath not yet been, in that he hath not seen the evil work that hath been done under the sun.

4And I have seen all the labour, and all the benefit of the work, because for it a man is the envy of his neighbour. Even this [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.

5The fool is clasping his hands, and eating his own flesh:

6'Better [is] a handful [with] quietness, than two handfuls [with] labour and vexation of spirit.'

7And I have turned, and I see a vain thing under the sun:

8There is one, and there is not a second; even son or brother he hath not, and there is no end to all his labour! His eye also is not satisfied with riches, and [he saith not], 'For whom am I labouring and bereaving my soul of good?' This also is vanity, it is a sad travail.

9The two [are] better than the one, in that they have a good reward by their labour.

10For if they fall, the one raiseth up his companion, but woe to the one who falleth and there is not a second to raise him up!

11Also, if two lie down, then they have heat, but how hath one heat?

12And if the one strengthen himself, the two stand against him; and the threefold cord is not hastily broken.

13Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who hath not known to be warned any more.

14For from a house of prisoners he hath come out to reign, for even in his own kingdom he hath been poor.

15I have seen all the living, who are walking under the sun, with the second youth who doth stand in his place;

16there is no end to all the people, to all who were before them; also, the latter rejoice not in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.