今日讀經

一點愚昧敗壞智慧

¹死蒼蠅使做香的膏油發出臭氣；這樣，一點愚昧也能敗壞智慧和尊榮。As dead flies bring a stench to the perfumer’s oil, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

²智慧人的心居右；愚昧人的心居左。A wise man’s heart inclines to the right, but the heart of a fool to the left.

³並且愚昧人行路顯出無知，對眾人說，他是愚昧人。Even as the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking, and he shows everyone that he is a fool.

掌權者與高位上的愚昧人

⁴掌權者的心若向你發怒，不要離開你的本位，因為柔和能免大過。If the ruler’s temper flares against you, do not abandon your post, for calmness lays great offenses to rest.

⁵我見日光之下有一件禍患，似乎出於掌權的錯誤，There is an evil I have seen under the sun—an error that proceeds from the ruler:

⁶就是愚昧人立在高位；富足人坐在低位。Folly is appointed to great heights, but the rich sit in lowly positions.

⁷我見過僕人騎馬，王子像僕人在地上步行。I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves.

做事的危險與智慧的益處

⁸挖陷坑的，自己必掉在其中；拆牆垣的，必為蛇所咬。He who digs a pit may fall into it, and he who breaches a wall may be bitten by a snake.

⁹鑿開（或譯：挪移）石頭的，必受損傷；劈開木頭的，必遭危險。The one who quarries stones may be injured by them, and he who splits logs endangers himself.

¹⁰鐵器鈍了，若不將刃磨快，就必多費氣力；但得智慧指教，便有益處。If the axe is dull and the blade unsharpened, more strength must be exerted, but skill produces success.

¹¹未行法術以先，蛇若咬人，後行法術也是無益。If the snake bites before it is charmed, there is no profit for the charmer.

愚昧人的口

¹²智慧人的口說出恩言；愚昧人的嘴吞滅自己。The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool consume him.

¹³他口中的言語起頭是愚昧；他話的末尾是奸惡的狂妄。The beginning of his talk is folly, and the end of his speech is evil madness.

¹⁴愚昧人多有言語，人卻不知將來有甚麼事；他身後的事誰能告訴他呢？Yet the fool multiplies words. No one knows what is coming, and who can tell him what will come after him?

¹⁵凡愚昧人，他的勞碌使自己困乏，因為連進城的路，他也不知道。The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city.

邦國的禍與福

¹⁶邦國啊，你的王若是孩童，你的群臣早晨宴樂，你就有禍了！Woe to you, O land whose king is a youth, and whose princes feast in the morning.

¹⁷邦國啊，你的王若是貴冑之子，你的群臣按時吃喝，為要補力，不為酒醉，你就有福了！Blessed are you, O land whose king is a son of nobles, and whose princes feast at the proper time—for strength and not for drunkenness.

¹⁸因人懶惰，房頂塌下；因人手懶，房屋滴漏。Through laziness the roof caves in, and in the hands of the idle, the house leaks.

¹⁹設擺筵席是為喜笑。酒能使人快活；錢能叫萬事應心。A feast is prepared for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything.

²⁰你不可咒詛君王，也不可心懷此念；在你臥房也不可咒詛富戶。因為空中的鳥必傳揚這聲音，有翅膀的也必述說這事。Do not curse the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich even in your bedroom, for a bird of the air may carry your words, and a winged creature may report your speech.

將糧食撒在水面

¹當將你的糧食撒在水面，因為日久必能得著。Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again.

²你要分給七人，或分給八人，因為你不知道將來有甚麼災禍臨到地上。Divide your portion among seven, or even eight, for you do not know what disaster may befall the land.

³雲若滿了雨，就必傾倒在地上。樹若向南倒，或向北倒，樹倒在何處，就存在何處。If the clouds are full, they will pour out rain upon the earth; whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there it will lie.

⁴看風的，必不撒種；望雲的，必不收割。He who watches the wind will fail to sow, and he who observes the clouds will fail to reap.

⁵風從何道來，骨頭在懷孕婦人的胎中如何長成，你尚且不得知道；這樣，行萬事之　神的作為，你更不得知道。As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the bones are formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.

⁶早晨要撒你的種，晚上也不要歇你的手，因為你不知道哪一樣發旺；或是早撒的，或是晚撒的，或是兩樣都好。Sow your seed in the morning, and do not rest your hands in the evening, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or if both will equally prosper.

少年人當快樂，也要知道神必審問

⁷光本是佳美的，眼見日光也是可悅的。Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.

⁸人活多年，就當快樂多年；然而也當想到黑暗的日子。因為這日子必多，所要來的都是虛空。So if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all. But let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything to come is futile.

⁹少年人哪，你在幼年時當快樂。在幼年的日子，使你的心歡暢，行你心所願行的，看你眼所愛看的；卻要知道，為這一切的事，　神必審問你。Rejoice, O young man, while you are young, and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and in the sight of your eyes, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment.

¹⁰所以，你當從心中除掉愁煩，從肉體克去邪惡；因為一生的開端和幼年之時，都是虛空的。So banish sorrow from your heart, and cast off pain from your body, for youth and vigor are fleeting.

趁著年幼記念造你的主

¹你趁著年幼、衰敗的日子尚未來到，就是你所說，我毫無喜樂的那些年日未曾臨近之先，當記念造你的主。Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of adversity come and the years approach of which you will say, “I find no pleasure in them,”

衰老的圖像

²不要等到日頭、光明、月亮、星宿變為黑暗，雨後雲彩反回，before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is darkened, and the clouds return after the rain,

³看守房屋的發顫，有力的屈身，推磨的稀少就止息，從窗戶往外看的都昏暗；on the day the keepers of the house tremble and the strong men stoop, when those grinding cease because they are few and those watching through windows see dimly,

⁴街門關閉，推磨的響聲微小，雀鳥一叫，人就起來，唱歌的女子也都衰微。when the doors to the street are shut and the sound of the mill fades away, when one rises at the sound of a bird and all the daughters of song grow faint,

⁵人怕高處，路上有驚慌，杏樹開花，蚱蜢成為重擔，人所願的也都廢掉；因為人歸他永遠的家，弔喪的在街上往來。when men fear the heights and dangers of the road, when the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper loses its spring, and the caper berry shrivels—for then man goes to his eternal home and mourners walk the streets.

⁶銀鍊折斷，金罐破裂，瓶子在泉旁損壞，水輪在井口破爛，Remember Him before the silver cord is snapped and the golden bowl is crushed, before the pitcher is shattered at the spring and the wheel is broken at the well,

⁷塵土仍歸於地，靈仍歸於賜靈的　神。before the dust returns to the ground from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

虛空的虛空

⁸傳道者說：「虛空的虛空，凡事都是虛空。」“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher. “Everything is futile!”

傳道者的教導

⁹再者，傳道者因有智慧，仍將知識教訓眾人；又默想，又考查，又陳說許多箴言。Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also taught the people knowledge; he pondered, searched out, and arranged many proverbs.

¹⁰傳道者專心尋求可喜悅的言語，是憑正直寫的誠實話。The Teacher searched to find delightful sayings and to record accurate words of truth.

¹¹智慧人的言語好像刺棍；會中之師的言語又像釘穩的釘子，都是一個牧者所賜的。The words of the wise are like goads, and the anthologies of the masters are like firmly embedded nails driven by a single Shepherd.

¹²我兒，還有一層，你當受勸戒：著書多，沒有窮盡；讀書多，身體疲倦。And by these, my son, be further warned: There is no end to the making of many books, and much study wearies the body.

總意：敬畏神

¹³這些事都已聽見了，總意就是：敬畏　神，謹守他的誡命，這是人所當盡的本分（或譯：這是眾人的本分）。When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man.

¹⁴因為人所做的事，連一切隱藏的事，無論是善是惡，　神都必審問。For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.

站立得穩，不再作奴僕

¹基督釋放了我們，叫我們得以自由。所以要站立得穩，不要再被奴僕的軛挾制。It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery.

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靠律法稱義就與基督隔絕

²我－保羅告訴你們，若受割禮，基督就與你們無益了。Take notice: I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all.

³我再指著凡受割禮的人確實地說，他是欠著行全律法的債。Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.

⁴你們這要靠律法稱義的，是與基督隔絕，從恩典中墜落了。You who are trying to be justified by the law have been severed from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.

⁵我們靠著聖靈，憑著信心，等候所盼望的義。But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the hope of righteousness.

⁶原來在基督耶穌裡，受割禮不受割禮全無功效，惟獨使人生發仁愛的信心才有功效。For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. What matters is faith expressing itself through love.

誰攔阻你們順從真理

⁷你們向來跑得好，有誰攔阻你們，叫你們不順從真理呢？You were running so well. Who has obstructed you from obeying the truth?

⁸這樣的勸導不是出於那召你們的。Such persuasion does not come from the One who calls you.

⁹一點麵酵能使全團都發起來。A little leaven works through the whole batch of dough.

¹⁰我在主裡很信你們必不懷別樣的心；但攪擾你們的，無論是誰，必擔當他的罪名。I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is troubling you will bear the judgment, whoever he may be.

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¹¹弟兄們，我若仍舊傳割禮，為甚麼還受逼迫呢？若是這樣，那十字架討厭的地方就沒有了。Now, brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished.

¹²恨不得那攪亂你們的人把自己割絕了。As for those who are agitating you, I wish they would proceed to emasculate themselves!

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用愛心互相服事

¹³弟兄們，你們蒙召是要得自由，只是不可將你們的自由當作放縱情慾的機會，總要用愛心互相服事。For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love.

¹⁴因為全律法都包在「愛人如己」這一句話之內了。The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

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¹⁵你們要謹慎，若相咬相吞，只怕要彼此消滅了。But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.

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