今日读经

一点愚昧败坏智慧

¹死苍蝇使做香的膏油发出臭气；这样，一点愚昧也能败坏智慧和尊荣。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并且愚昧人行路显出无知，对众人说，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.

掌权者与高位上的愚昧人

⁴掌权者的心若向你发怒，不要离开你的本位，因为柔和能免大过。If the ruler’s temper flares against you, do not abandon your post, for calmness lays great offenses to rest.

⁵我见日光之下有一件祸患，似乎出于掌权的错误，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我见过仆人骑马，王子像仆人在地上步行。I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves.

做事的危险与智慧的益处

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

⁹凿开（或译：挪移）石头的，必受损伤；劈开木头的，必遭危险。The one who quarries stones may be injured by them, and he who splits logs endangers himself.

¹⁰铁器钝了，若不将刃磨快，就必多费气力；但得智慧指教，便有益处。If the axe is dull and the blade unsharpened, more strength must be exerted, but skill produces success.

¹¹未行法术以先，蛇若咬人，后行法术也是无益。If the snake bites before it is charmed, there is no profit for the charmer.

愚昧人的口

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

¹³他口中的言语起头是愚昧；他话的末尾是奸恶的狂妄。The beginning of his talk is folly, and the end of his speech is evil madness.

¹⁴愚昧人多有言语，人却不知将来有什么事；他身后的事谁能告诉他呢？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，他的劳碌使自己困乏，因为连进城的路，他也不知道。The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city.

邦国的祸与福

¹⁶邦国啊，你的王若是孩童，你的群臣早晨宴乐，你就有祸了！Woe to you, O land whose king is a youth, and whose princes feast in the morning.

¹⁷邦国啊，你的王若是贵胄之子，你的群臣按时吃喝，为要补力，不为酒醉，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因人懒惰，房顶塌下；因人手懒，房屋滴漏。Through laziness the roof caves in, and in the hands of the idle, the house leaks.

¹⁹设摆筵席是为喜笑。酒能使人快活；钱能叫万事应心。A feast is prepared for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything.

²⁰你不可咒诅君王，也不可心怀此念；在你卧房也不可咒诅富户。因为空中的鸟必传扬这声音，有翅膀的也必述说这事。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.

将粮食撒在水面

¹当将你的粮食撒在水面，因为日久必能得着。Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again.

²你要分给七人，或分给八人，因为你不知道将来有什么灾祸临到地上。Divide your portion among seven, or even eight, for you do not know what disaster may befall the land.

³云若满了雨，就必倾倒在地上。树若向南倒，或向北倒，树倒在何处，就存在何处。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看风的，必不撒种；望云的，必不收割。He who watches the wind will fail to sow, and he who observes the clouds will fail to reap.

⁵风从何道来，骨头在怀孕妇人的胎中如何长成，你尚且不得知道；这样，行万事之　神的作为，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早晨要撒你的种，晚上也不要歇你的手，因为你不知道哪一样发旺；或是早撒的，或是晚撒的，或是两样都好。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.

少年人当快乐，也要知道神必审问

⁷光本是佳美的，眼见日光也是可悦的。Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.

⁸人活多年，就当快乐多年；然而也当想到黑暗的日子。因为这日子必多，所要来的都是虚空。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，你在幼年时当快乐。在幼年的日子，使你的心欢畅，行你心所愿行的，看你眼所爱看的；却要知道，为这一切的事，　神必审问你。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，你当从心中除掉愁烦，从肉体克去邪恶；因为一生的开端和幼年之时，都是虚空的。So banish sorrow from your heart, and cast off pain from your body, for youth and vigor are fleeting.

趁着年幼记念造你的主

¹你趁着年幼、衰败的日子尚未来到，就是你所说，我毫无喜乐的那些年日未曾临近之先，当记念造你的主。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,”

衰老的图像

²不要等到日头、光明、月亮、星宿变为黑暗，雨后云彩反回，before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is darkened, and the clouds return after the rain,

³看守房屋的发颤，有力的屈身，推磨的稀少就止息，从窗户往外看的都昏暗；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街门关闭，推磨的响声微小，雀鸟一叫，人就起来，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人怕高处，路上有惊慌，杏树开花，蚱蜢成为重担，人所愿的也都废掉；因为人归他永远的家，吊丧的在街上往来。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银链折断，金罐破裂，瓶子在泉旁损坏，水轮在井口破烂，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尘土仍归于地，灵仍归于赐灵的　神。before the dust returns to the ground from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

虚空的虚空

⁸传道者说：“虚空的虚空，凡事都是虚空。”“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher. “Everything is futile!”

传道者的教导

⁹再者，传道者因有智慧，仍将知识教训众人；又默想，又考查，又陈说许多箴言。Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also taught the people knowledge; he pondered, searched out, and arranged many proverbs.

¹⁰传道者专心寻求可喜悦的言语，是凭正直写的诚实话。The Teacher searched to find delightful sayings and to record accurate words of truth.

¹¹智慧人的言语好像刺棍；会中之师的言语又像钉稳的钉子，都是一个牧者所赐的。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我儿，还有一层，你当受劝戒：著书多，没有穷尽；读书多，身体疲倦。And by these, my son, be further warned: There is no end to the making of many books, and much study wearies the body.

总意：敬畏神

¹³这些事都已听见了，总意就是：敬畏　神，谨守他的诫命，这是人所当尽的本分（或译：这是众人的本分）。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因为人所做的事，连一切隐藏的事，无论是善是恶，　神都必审问。For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.

站立得稳，不再作奴仆

¹基督释放了我们，叫我们得以自由。所以要站立得稳，不要再被奴仆的轭挟制。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.

相关经文 ›

靠律法称义就与基督隔绝

²我—保罗告诉你们，若受割礼，基督就与你们无益了。Take notice: I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all.

³我再指着凡受割礼的人确实地说，他是欠着行全律法的债。Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.

⁴你们这要靠律法称义的，是与基督隔绝，从恩典中坠落了。You who are trying to be justified by the law have been severed from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.

⁵我们靠着圣灵，凭着信心，等候所盼望的义。But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the hope of righteousness.

⁶原来在基督耶稣里，受割礼不受割礼全无功效，惟独使人生发仁爱的信心才有功效。For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. What matters is faith expressing itself through love.

谁拦阻你们顺从真理

⁷你们向来跑得好，有谁拦阻你们，叫你们不顺从真理呢？You were running so well. Who has obstructed you from obeying the truth?

⁸这样的劝导不是出于那召你们的。Such persuasion does not come from the One who calls you.

⁹一点面酵能使全团都发起来。A little leaven works through the whole batch of dough.

¹⁰我在主里很信你们必不怀别样的心；但搅扰你们的，无论是谁，必担当他的罪名。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.

相关经文 ›

¹¹弟兄们，我若仍旧传割礼，为什么还受逼迫呢？若是这样，那十字架讨厌的地方就没有了。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恨不得那搅乱你们的人把自己割绝了。As for those who are agitating you, I wish they would proceed to emasculate themselves!

相关经文 ›

用爱心互相服事

¹³弟兄们，你们蒙召是要得自由，只是不可将你们的自由当作放纵情欲的机会，总要用爱心互相服事。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因为全律法都包在“爱人如己”这一句话之内了。The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

相关经文 ›

¹⁵你们要谨慎，若相咬相吞，只怕要彼此消灭了。But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.

相关经文 ›