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智慧人懂得判斷時機

誰像智慧人,誰知道事情的解釋呢?人的智慧使他容光煥發,使他臉上的戾氣轉消。

我勸你,因為你指著 神起了誓,你就要遵守王的命令。 不要輕率離開王的面前,也不要參與惡事,因為王可以隨己意作任何事。 既然王的話有權柄,誰敢問他:“你在作甚麼?”

遵守命令的,必不遭受災禍;智慧人的心,曉得時機,懂得判斷。 各樣事務成就,都有合宜的時機和定局,儘管人的災禍重壓在自己身上。 他不曉得未來的事,將來要發生甚麼,誰能告訴他呢? 沒有人能支配風(“風”或譯:“生命”),把它留住;沒有人能控制死期;戰爭之時,沒有人能免役;邪惡救不了行邪惡的人。

敬畏 神終得福樂

我看見了這一切,又專心查究在日光之下所發生的一切事。有這樣的一個時候:有人管轄別人,叫他受害。 10 然後我看見惡人得以埋葬,他們生前在聖地往來,而在他們這樣行的城中,竟被人遺忘。這也是虛空!(全節或譯:“然後我看見惡人得以埋葬,他們生前在聖地往來,並且在他們這樣行的城中,受人稱讚。這也是虛空!”或“然後我看見惡人得以埋葬,歸入墳墓;行正直的人卻與聖地隔離,在城中被人遺忘。這也是虛空!”)

11 對惡行已判定的刑罰遲遲沒有執行,世人的心就充滿行惡的意圖。 12 罪人既然作惡百次,還享長壽,那麼我知道敬畏 神的人,就是在他面前存敬畏的心的,必享福樂。 13 惡人卻沒有福樂,也得不到長壽;他好像影子的短暫,因為他在 神面前不存敬畏的心。

14 在世上有一件虛空的事,就是義人照惡人所行的受報應,惡人照義人所行的得報償。我說,這也是虛空。 15 於是我稱頌快樂,因為人在日光之下最好是吃喝快樂。這是人在日光之下, 神賜給他一生的年日裡,從自己勞碌中所得的享受。

16 我專心認識智慧,察看世上的勞碌─有人晝夜不眠─ 17 於是我看見了 神的一切作為,知道在日光之下所發生的事,人不能查明;儘管人勞碌尋查,總是查不出來;即使智慧人以為知道了,還是查不出來。

Who is like the wise?
    Who knows the explanation of things?
A person’s wisdom brightens their face
    and changes its hard appearance.

Obey the King

Obey the king’s command, I say, because you took an oath before God. Do not be in a hurry to leave the king’s presence.(A) Do not stand up for a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases. Since a king’s word is supreme, who can say to him, “What are you doing?(B)

Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm,
    and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure.
For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter,(C)
    though a person may be weighed down by misery.

Since no one knows the future,
    who can tell someone else what is to come?
As no one has power over the wind to contain it,
    so[a] no one has power over the time of their death.
As no one is discharged in time of war,
    so wickedness will not release those who practice it.

All this I saw, as I applied my mind to everything done under the sun. There is a time when a man lords it over others to his own[b] hurt. 10 Then too, I saw the wicked buried(D)—those who used to come and go from the holy place and receive praise[c] in the city where they did this. This too is meaningless.

11 When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong. 12 Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better(E) with those who fear God,(F) who are reverent before him.(G) 13 Yet because the wicked do not fear God,(H) it will not go well with them, and their days(I) will not lengthen like a shadow.

14 There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve.(J) This too, I say, is meaningless.(K) 15 So I commend the enjoyment of life(L), because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink(M) and be glad.(N) Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.

16 When I applied my mind to know wisdom(O) and to observe the labor that is done on earth(P)—people getting no sleep day or night— 17 then I saw all that God has done.(Q) No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it.(R)

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 8:8 Or over the human spirit to retain it, / and so
  2. Ecclesiastes 8:9 Or to their
  3. Ecclesiastes 8:10 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (Aquila); most Hebrew manuscripts and are forgotten

Obey Authorities for God’s Sake

Who is like a wise man?
And who knows the interpretation of a thing?
(A)A man’s wisdom makes his face shine,
And (B)the [a]sternness of his face is changed.

Obey Authorities for God’s Sake

I say, “Keep the king’s commandment (C)for the sake of your oath to God. (D)Do not be hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand for an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him.”

Where the word of a king is, there is power;
And (E)who may say to him, “What are you doing?”
He who keeps his command will experience nothing harmful;
And a wise man’s heart [b]discerns both time and judgment,
Because (F)for every matter there is a time and judgment,
Though the misery of man [c]increases greatly.
(G)For he does not know what will happen;
So who can tell him when it will occur?
(H)No one has power over the spirit to retain the spirit,
And no one has power in the day of death.
There is (I)no release from that war,
And wickedness will not deliver those who are given to it.

All this I have seen, and applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun: There is a time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt.

Death Comes to All

10 Then I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of holiness, and they were (J)forgotten[d] in the city where they had so done. This also is vanity. 11 (K)Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. 12 (L)Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that (M)it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him. 13 But it will not be well with the wicked; nor will he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he does not fear before God.

14 There is a vanity which occurs on earth, that there are just men to whom it (N)happens according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the (O)righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

15 (P)So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labor all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.

16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that is done on earth, even though one sees no sleep day or night, 17 then I saw all the work of God, that (Q)a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. For though a man labors to discover it, yet he will not find it; moreover, though a wise man attempts to know it, he will not be able to find it.

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 8:1 Lit. strength
  2. Ecclesiastes 8:5 Lit. knows
  3. Ecclesiastes 8:6 is great upon him
  4. Ecclesiastes 8:10 Some Heb. mss., LXX, Vg. praised

Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.

I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.

Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.

Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment.

Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.

For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?

There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.

All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.

10 And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity.

11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:

13 But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.

14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.

15 Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.

16 When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:)

17 Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea farther; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.