ทุกสิ่งล้วนอนิจจัง
1ถ้อยคำของปัญญาจารย์1:1 หรือผู้นำของชุมชนเช่นเดียวกับข้อ 2 และ 12 กษัตริย์ในเยรูซาเล็ม เชื้อสายดาวิด
2ปัญญาจารย์กล่าวว่า
“อนิจจัง! อนิจจัง!
อนิจจังแท้ๆ!
ทุกสิ่งล้วนอนิจจัง”
3มนุษย์ได้ประโยชน์อะไรจากการงานทั้งสิ้น
ที่เขาตรากตรำภายใต้ดวงอาทิตย์?
4คนรุ่นหนึ่งผ่านมาแล้วอีกรุ่นหนึ่งผ่านไป
แต่โลกยังคงอยู่ตลอดกาล
5ดวงอาทิตย์ขึ้นแล้วก็ลับไป
และรีบวนมาขึ้นที่เดิมอีก
6ลมพัดไปทางใต้แล้ว
กลับมาทางเหนือ
มันพัดวนไปเวียนมา
เป็นวัฏจักร
7แม่น้ำไหลลงสู่ทะเล
แต่ทะเลก็ไม่เคยอิ่ม
และน้ำกลับไปสู่แม่น้ำอีกครั้ง
แล้วไหลลงสู่มหาสมุทรอยู่ร่ำไป
8ทุกสิ่งทุกอย่างอ่อนระโหย
เกินที่จะบรรยาย
ไม่ว่าเห็นสักเท่าไร เราก็ไม่อิ่ม
ไม่ว่าได้ยินสักแค่ไหน เราก็ไม่จุใจ
9อะไรที่เกิดขึ้นแล้วก็เกิดขึ้นอีก
สิ่งที่ทำไปแล้วก็ทำกันอีก
ไม่มีอะไรใหม่ภายใต้ดวงอาทิตย์
10อะไรบ้างที่เราจะบอกได้ว่า
“ดูเถิด นี่เป็นสิ่งใหม่”
เพราะมันมีมาตั้งนานแล้ว
มีมาตั้งแต่ก่อนยุคสมัยของเรา
11ไม่มีการระลึกถึงคนรุ่นก่อน
และแม้แต่คนรุ่นที่กำลังจะเกิดมา
คนรุ่นต่อจากเขา
ก็ยังไม่ระลึกถึงพวกเขา
สติปัญญาอนิจจัง
12ข้าพเจ้าปัญญาจารย์ เป็นกษัตริย์ปกครองอิสราเอลอยู่ในเยรูซาเล็ม 13ได้ทุ่มเทศึกษาและใช้สติปัญญาใคร่ครวญทุกสิ่งที่ทำกันใต้ฟ้าสวรรค์ พระเจ้าทรงวางภาระหนักแก่มนุษย์จริงๆ! 14ข้าพเจ้าได้เห็นทุกสิ่งซึ่งทำกันภายใต้ดวงอาทิตย์ ล้วนแต่อนิจจังเหมือนวิ่งไล่ตามลม
15สิ่งที่คดงอก็ทำให้เหยียดตรงไม่ได้
สิ่งที่ขาดอยู่ก็นับไม่ได้
16ข้าพเจ้ารำพึงว่า “ดูเถิด เรามีสติปัญญามากกว่ากษัตริย์องค์ก่อนๆ ที่ครองเยรูซาเล็ม เราเข้าถึงสติปัญญาและความรู้” 17แล้วข้าพเจ้าก็ทุ่มเทสุดตัวที่จะเข้าใจสติปัญญา ความบ้าคลั่ง และความโฉดเขลาด้วย แต่ได้เรียนรู้ว่านี่ก็วิ่งไล่ตามลมเช่นกัน
18เพราะยิ่งฉลาดมากก็ยิ่งโศกเศร้ามาก
ยิ่งรู้ก็ยิ่งทุกข์โศก
1Cuvintele oratorului1-2, 12 Ebr.: qohelet, termen cu sens nesigur. Gr.: ekklesiastes, termen care arată înspre o persoană care vorbește în fața unei adunări (gr.: ekklesia; ebr.: qahal); sau conducător al adunării., fiul lui David, rege la Ierusalim.
Deșertăciunea existenței
2O, deșertăciune a deșertăciunilor! zice oratorul.
O, deșertăciune a deșertăciunilor! Totul este deșertăciune!
3Ce câștig are omul din toată osteneala
pe care o depune sub soare?
4O generație trece și apoi altă generație vine,
dar pământul rămâne mereu în picioare.
5Soarele răsare și apune,
grăbindu‑se apoi înspre locul de unde va răsări iar.
6Vântul se îndreaptă spre sud
și se întoarce spre nord.
Vântul se întoarce din nou, umblă
și revine la circuitul său.
7Toate râurile curg spre mare,
fără să o umple însă;
râurile se întorc de unde au plecat,
doar ca să pornească iarăși de acolo.
8Toate lucrurile sunt obositoare,
cum nu se poate spune,
dar ochiul nu se satură să privească,
așa cum nici urechea nu se satură să asculte.
9Ce a fost va mai fi,
iar ce s‑a făcut se va mai face.
Nu este nimic nou sub soare!
10Este vreun lucru despre care cineva poate zice:
„Vezi lucrul acesta? Este nou!“?
Totuși, el exista demult,
încă din veacurile dinaintea noastră.
11Nu a rămas nicio amintire despre oamenii de demult,11 Textul sugerează că poate fi vorba și despre lucrurile sau evenimentele de la început.
tot așa cum nici cei ce vor urma
nu se vor mai păstra în amintirea
celor ce vor veni după ei.
Deșertăciunea înțelepciunii
12Eu, oratorul, am fost rege peste Israel la Ierusalim. 13Mi‑am îndemnat inima să caute și să cerceteze înțelepciunea cu privire la tot ce este înfăptuit sub ceruri. Aceasta este o muncă obositoare, pe care Dumnezeu o dă fiilor omului ca să se îndeletnicească cu ea. 14Am observat toate lucrările care se fac sub soare și iată că toate sunt deșertăciune și goană după vânt.
15Ce a fost îndoit odată nu mai poate fi îndreptat,
iar ce lipsește nu poate fi numărat.
16I‑am vorbit inimii mele, zicând: „Iată că mi‑am mărit și mi‑am sporit înțelepciunea mai mult decât toți cei care au fost la Ierusalim înaintea mea. Inima mea a văzut multă înțelepciune și cunoștință.“ 17Mi‑am îndemnat inima să cunosc înțelepciunea și să cunosc nebunia și prostia, dar mi‑am dat seama că și aceasta este goană după vânt.
18Căci unde este multă înțelepciune, este și multă supărare
și cu cât este mai multă cunoștință,
cu atât este mai multă mâhnire.
