1A good name is better than a good ointment, And the day of [one's] death is better than the day of one's birth.
1名譽強如美好的的膏油；人死的日子勝過人生的日子。
2It is better to go to a house of mourning Than to go to a house of feasting, Because that is the end of every man, And the living takes [it] to heart.
2往遭喪的家去，強如往宴樂的家去；因為死是眾人的結局，活人也必將這事放在心上。
3Sorrow is better than laughter, For when a face is sad a heart may be happy.
3憂愁強如喜笑；因為面帶愁容，終必使心喜樂。
4The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, While the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.
4智慧人的心在遭喪之家；愚昧人的心在快樂之家。
5It is better to listen to the rebuke of a wise man Than for one to listen to the song of fools.
5聽智慧人的責備，強如聽愚昧人的歌唱。
6For as the crackling of thorn bushes under a pot, So is the laughter of the fool; And this too is futility.
6愚昧人的笑聲，好像鍋下燒荊棘的爆聲；這也是虛空。
7For oppression makes a wise man mad, And a bribe corrupts the heart.
7勒索使智慧人變為愚妄；賄賂能敗壞人的慧心。
8The end of a matter is better than its beginning; Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit.
8事情的終局強如事情的起頭；存心忍耐的，勝過居心驕傲的。
9Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, For anger resides in the bosom of fools.
9你不要心裡急躁惱怒，因為惱怒存在愚昧人的懷中。
10Do not say, 'Why is it that the former days were better than these?' For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this.
10不要說：先前的日子強過如今的日子，是甚麼緣故呢？你這樣問，不是出於智慧。
11Wisdom along with an inheritance is good And an advantage to those who see the sun.
11智慧和產業並好，而且見天日的人得智慧更為有益。
12For wisdom is protection [just as] money is protection, But the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors.
12因為智慧護庇人，好像銀錢護庇人一樣。惟獨智慧能保全智慧人的生命。這就是知識的益處。
13Consider the work of God, For who is able to straighten what He has bent?
13你要察看神的作為；因 神使為曲的，誰能變為直呢？
14In the day of prosperity be happy, But in the day of adversity consider-- God has made the one as well as the other So that man will not discover anything [that will be] after him.
14遇亨通的日子你當喜樂；遭患難的日子你當思想；因為神使這兩樣並列，為的是叫人查不出身後有甚麼事。
15I have seen everything during my lifetime of futility; there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness and there is a wicked man who prolongs [his life] in his wickedness.
15有義人行義，反致滅亡；有惡人行惡，倒享長壽。這都是我在虛度之日中所見過的。
16Do not be excessively righteous and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself?
16不要行義過分，也不要過於自逞智慧，何必自取敗亡呢？
17Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?
17不要行惡過分，也不要為人愚昧，何必不到期而死呢？
18It is good that you grasp one thing and also not let go of the other; for the one who fears God comes forth with both of them.
18你持守這個為美，那個也不要鬆手；因為敬畏神的人，必從這兩樣出來。
19Wisdom strengthens a wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.
19智慧使有智慧的人比城中十個官長更有能力。
20Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who [continually] does good and who never sins.
20時常行善而不犯罪的義人，世上實在沒有。
21Also, do not take seriously all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your servant cursing you.
21人所說的一切話，你不要放在心上，恐怕聽見你的僕人咒詛你。
22For you also have realized that you likewise have many times cursed others.
22因為你心裡知道，自己也曾屢次咒詛別人。
23I tested all this with wisdom, [and] I said, 'I will be wise,' but it was far from me.
23我曾用智慧試驗這一切事；我說，要得智慧，智慧卻離我遠。
24What has been is remote and exceedingly mysterious. Who can discover it?
24萬事之理，離我甚遠，而且最深，誰能測透呢？
25I directed my mind to know, to investigate and to seek wisdom and an explanation, and to know the evil of folly and the foolishness of madness.
25我轉念，一心要知道，要考察，要尋求智慧和萬事的理由；又要知道邪惡為愚昧，愚昧為狂妄。
26And I discovered more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are chains. One who is pleasing to God will escape from her, but the sinner will be captured by her.
26我得知有等婦人比死還苦：他的心是網羅，手是鎖鍊。凡蒙神喜悅的人必能躲避他；有罪的人卻被他纏住了。
27'Behold, I have discovered this,' says the Preacher, '[adding] one thing to another to find an explanation,
27傳道者說：看哪，一千男子中，我找到一個正直人，但眾女子中，沒有找到一個。我將這事一一比較，要尋求其理，我心仍要尋找，卻未曾找到。
28which I am still seeking but have not found. I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a woman among all these.
28a
29'Behold, I have found only this, that God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices.'
29我所找到的只有一件，就是神造人原是正直，但他們尋出許多巧計。