1 I said in my heart, I will give you joy for a test; so take your pleasure--but it was to no purpose.
2 Of laughing I said, It is foolish; and of joy--What use is it?
3 I made a search with my heart to give pleasure to my flesh with wine, still guiding my heart with wisdom, and to go after foolish things, so that I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under the heavens all the days of their life.
4 I undertook great works, building myself houses and planting vine-gardens.
5 I made myself gardens and fruit gardens, planting in them fruit-trees of all sorts.
6 I made pools to give water for the woods with their young trees.
7 I got men-servants and women-servants, and they gave birth to sons and daughters in my house. I had great wealth of herds and flocks, more than all who were in Jerusalem before me.
8 I got together silver and gold and the wealth of kings and of countries. I got makers of song, male and female; and the delights of the sons of men--girls of all sorts to be my brides.
9 And I became great; increasing more than all who had been before me in Jerusalem, and my wisdom was still with me.
10 And nothing which was desired by my eyes did I keep from them; I did not keep any joy from my heart, because my heart took pleasure in all my work, and this was my reward.
11 Then I saw all the works which my hands had made, and everything I had been working to do; and I saw that all was to no purpose and desire for wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
12 And I went again in search of wisdom and of foolish ways. What may the man do who comes after the king? The thing which he has done before.
13 Then I saw that wisdom is better than foolish ways--as the light is better than the dark.
14 The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the foolish man goes walking in the dark; but still I saw that the same event comes to them all.
15 Then said I in my heart: As it comes to the foolish man, so will it come to me; so why have I been wise overmuch? Then I said in my heart: This again is to no purpose.
16 Of the wise man, as of the foolish man, there is no memory for ever, seeing that those who now are will have gone from memory in the days to come. See how death comes to the wise as to the foolish!
17 So I was hating life, because everything under the sun was evil to me: all is to no purpose and desire for wind.
18 Hate had I for all my work which I had done, because the man who comes after me will have its fruits.
19 And who is to say if that man will be wise or foolish? But he will have power over all my work which I have done and in which I have been wise under the sun. This again is to no purpose.
20 So my mind was turned to grief for all the trouble I had taken and all my wisdom under the sun.
21 Because there is a man whose work has been done with wisdom, with knowledge, and with an expert hand; but one who has done nothing for it will have it for his heritage. This again is to no purpose and a great evil.
22 What does a man get for all his work, and for the weight of care with which he has done his work under the sun?
23 All his days are sorrow, and his work is full of grief. Even in the night his heart has no rest. This again is to no purpose.
24 There is nothing better for a man than taking meat and drink, and having delight in his work. This again I saw was from the hand of God.
25 Who may take food or have pleasure without him?
26 To the man with whom he is pleased, God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the work of getting goods together and storing up wealth, to give to him in whom God has pleasure. This again is to no purpose and desire for wind.
1 我自己心里说： "来吧， 我用享乐试试你， 让你看看有什么好处。"想不到， 这也是虚空。
2 对嬉笑， 我说： "那是狂妄"； 对享乐， 我说： "这有什么作用呢？"
3 我心里筹思， 怎样用酒使我的身体畅快， 又保持愚昧， 但我的内心仍由智慧引导； 直到我看明世人， 在诸天之下一生有限的年日中所行的， 对他们有益的是什么。
4 我大事发展： 为自己建造房屋， 栽种葡萄园，
5 修造园囿， 在园中栽种各类果树，
6 挖造水池， 用来浇灌培植树木的林园。
7 我买了仆婢， 也有生在家中的奴仆； 又拥有大群牛羊， 胜过任何比我先在耶路撒冷的人所拥有的。
8 我又为自己积蓄金银， 以及列王和各省的财宝。我又为自己招募男女歌手， 收纳许多妃嫔， 是世人所以为乐的。
9 于是我就日渐昌大， 超过任何比我先在耶路撒冷的人； 我的智慧仍然与我同在。
10 我眼中所求的， 我都不禁止； 我心所喜欢的， 我都没抑制。我的心因我的一切劳碌而快乐， 这就是我从一切劳碌中所得的分。
11 然后， 我省察我手所作的一切， 和我劳碌所成就的， 想不到一切都是虚空， 都是捕风， 在日光之下毫无益处。
12 我转过来观察智慧、狂妄和愚昧。王的继承人还能作什么呢？只不过作先前作过的罢了。
13 于是我看出智慧胜过愚昧， 如同光明胜过黑暗一样。
14 智慧人的眼目明亮， 愚昧人却走在黑暗中。我也知道同一的命运要临到这两种人身上。
15 我自己心里说： "临到愚昧人身上的， 也必临到我身上； 那么， 我为什么要更有智慧呢？"于是我心里说： "这也是虚空。"
16 因为智慧人和愚昧人一样， 没有人永远记念他们， 在未来的日子里， 都会被人遗忘。可叹智慧人跟愚昧人一样， 终必死亡。
17 因此我恨恶生命， 因为在日光之下所发生的事， 都使我厌烦。一切都是虚空， 都是捕风。
18 我恨恶我的一切劳碌， 就是我在日光之下的劳碌， 因为我不得不把劳碌的成果留给后人。
19 那人将来是智是愚， 有谁晓得呢？可是他竟要掌管一切我劳碌得来的， 就是我在日光之下用智慧得来的。这又是虚空。
20 于是我转念， 对日光之下我所劳碌的一切， 心感绝望；
21 因为人用智慧、知识和技能所劳碌得来的， 却必须留给未曾劳碌的人为分。这也是虚空， 是极大的憾事。
22 人的一切劳碌和操心， 就是他在日光之下所劳碌的， 对自己有什么益处呢？
23 其实终其一生， 他的担子既痛苦又烦恼， 在夜间也不能安心。这也是虚空。
24 人最好是吃喝， 在自己的劳碌中自得其乐； 我看这也是出于 神的手。
25 离开了他（"他"按照《马索拉抄本》应作"我"； 现参照《七十士译本》翻译）， 谁能有吃的呢？谁能享乐呢？
26 神把智慧、知识和喜乐赐给他所喜悦的人， 却使罪人作收集和积聚的差事， 把所得的归给 神所喜悦的人。这也是虚空， 也是捕风。