Ecclesiastes 6 – NIRV & CCBT

New International Reader’s Version

Ecclesiastes 6:1-12

1I’ve seen another evil thing on this earth. And it’s a heavy load on human beings. 2God gives some people wealth, possessions and honor. They have everything their hearts desire. But God doesn’t let them enjoy those things. Instead, strangers enjoy them. This doesn’t have any meaning. It’s a very evil thing.

3A man might have a hundred children. He might live a long time. But suppose he can’t enjoy his wealth. And suppose he isn’t buried in the proper way. Then it doesn’t matter how long he lives. I’m telling you that a baby that is born dead is better off than that man is. 4That kind of birth doesn’t have any meaning. The baby dies in darkness and leaves this world. And in darkness it is forgotten. 5It didn’t even see the sun. It didn’t know anything at all. But it has more rest than that man does. 6And that’s true even if he lives for 2,000 years but doesn’t get to enjoy his wealth. All people die and go to the grave, don’t they?

7People eat up everything they work to get.

But they are never satisfied.

8What advantage do wise people have

over those who are foolish?

What do poor people gain

by knowing how to act toward others?

9Being satisfied with what you have

is better than always wanting more.

That doesn’t have any meaning either.

It’s like chasing the wind.

10God has already planned what now exists.

He has already decided what a human being is.

No one can argue with someone

who is stronger.

11The more words people use,

the less meaning there is.

And that doesn’t help anyone.

12Who knows what’s good for a person? They live for only a few meaningless days. They pass through life like a shadow. Who can tell them what will happen on earth after they are gone?

Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)

傳道書 6:1-12

1我看見日光之下有一件可悲的事,重重地壓在人身上: 2上帝賜給人財富和尊榮,叫他擁有所渴望的一切,卻使他無法享用,倒讓別人享用。這是虛空,是極大的悲哀。 3人若有一百個兒子,並且長壽,但心中卻從未得到滿足,死後又不得安葬。唉!這樣的人還不如流產的胎兒。 4這胎兒在虛空中來,在黑暗中去,名字隱沒在黑暗中, 5沒有見過天日,一無所知,然而這胎兒比那人更享安息。 6就算那人活了千年,又活千年,卻不能享受福樂,又如何呢?世人最終豈不都同歸一處嗎? 7人人為口腹勞碌,卻永不滿足。 8那麼,智者比愚人有什麼優勢呢?貧窮人即使懂得如何處世,又有什麼益處呢? 9滿足於眼前所有的,勝過心中貪想的。這也是虛空,如同捕風。 10一切存在的事物都已有了名字,人的本質也被識透了;人無法與比他更強的較量。 11其實話越多,越虛空,這對人又有什麼益處? 12人生短暫虛空,如影飛逝,有誰知道什麼對人有益?誰能告訴人死後日光之下會發生什麼事?