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。

1 I said in my heart, `Pray, come, I try thee with mirth, and look thou on gladness;` and lo, even it [is] vanity.2 Of laughter I said, `Foolish!` and of mirth, `What [is] this it is doing?`3 I have sought in my heart to draw out with wine my appetite, (and my heart leading in wisdom), and to take hold on folly till that I see where [is] this -- the good to the sons of man of that which they do under the heavens, the number of the days of their lives.4 I made great my works, I builded for me houses, I planted for me vineyards.5 I made for me gardens and paradises, and I planted in them trees of every fruit.6 I made for me pools of water, to water from them a forest shooting forth trees.7 I got men-servants, and maid-servants, and sons of the house were to me; also, I had much substance -- herd and flock -- above all who had been before me in Jerusalem.8 I gathered for me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces. I prepared for me men-singers and women-singers, and the luxuries of the sons of man -- a wife and wives.9 And I became great, and increased above every one who had been before me in Jerusalem; also, my wisdom stood with me.10 And all that mine eyes asked I kept not back from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labour, and this hath been my portion, from all my labour,11 and I have looked on all my works that my hands have done, and on the labour that I have laboured to do, and lo, the whole [is] vanity and vexation of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun!12 And I turned to see wisdom, and madness, and folly, but what [is] the man who cometh after the king? that which [is] already -- they have done it!13 And I saw that there is an advantage to wisdom above folly, like the advantage of the light above the darkness.14 The wise! -- his eyes [are] in his head, and the fool in darkness is walking, and I also knew that one event happeneth with them all;15 and I said in my heart, `As it happeneth with the fool, it happeneth also with me, and why am I then more wise?` And I spake in my heart, that also this [is] vanity:16 That there is no remembrance to the wise -- with the fool -- to the age, for that which [is] already, [in] the days that are coming is all forgotten, and how dieth the wise? with the fool!17 And I have hated life, for sad to me [is] the work that hath been done under the sun, for the whole [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.18 And I have hated all my labour that I labour at under the sun, because I leave it to a man who is after me.19 And who knoweth whether he is wise or foolish? yet he doth rule over all my labour that I have laboured at, and that I have done wisely under the sun! this also [is] vanity.20 And I turned round to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour that I laboured at under the sun.21 For there is a man whose labour [is] in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity, and to a man who hath not laboured therein he giveth it -- his portion! Even this [is] vanity and a great evil.22 For what hath been to a man by all his labour, and by the thought of his heart that he laboured at under the sun?23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail sadness; even at night his heart hath not lain down; this also [is] vanity.24 There is nothing good in a man who eateth, and hath drunk, and hath shewn his soul good in his labour. This also I have seen that it [is] from the hand of God.25 For who eateth and who hasteth out more than I?26 For to a man who [is] good before Him, He hath given wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; and to a sinner He hath given travail, to gather and to heap up, to give to the good before God. Even this [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.