967 英翻中 (667) The Ecclesiastes (十七) 傳道書(十七) 17/01/2025

967 英翻中 (667)             The Ecclesiastes (十七)                傳道書(十七)                         17/01/2025                                                                                                                                                                                     

        Today is better than yesterday (v. 10). When life is difficult and we are impatient for change, it is easy to long for “the good old days” when things were better. When the foundation was laid for the second temple, the old men wept for “the good old days” and the young men sang because the work had begun (Ezra 3:12–13). It has been said that “the good old days” are the combination of a bad memory and a good imagination, and often this is true.                                                                                                 Yesterday is past and cannot be changed, and tomorrow may not come, so make the most of today. “Carpe diem!” wrote the Roman poet Horace. “Seize the day!” This does not mean we shouldn’t learn from the past or prepare for the future, because both are important. It means that we must live today in the will of God and not be paralyzed by yesterday or hypnotized by tomorrow. The Victorian essayist Hilaire Belloc wrote, “While you are dreaming of the future or regretting the past, the present, which is all you have, slips from you and is gone.” 

Wisdom Helps Us See Life Clearly (7:11–18)                                                                                      One of the marks of maturity is the ability to look at life in perspective and not get out of balance. When you have God’s wisdom, you will be able to accept and deal with the changing experiences of life.                    Wealth (vv. 11–12).Wisdom is better than a generous inheritance. Money can lose its value, or be stolen, but true wisdom keeps its value and cannot be lost, unless we become fools and abandon it deliberately. The person who has wealth but lacks wisdom will only waste his fortune, but the person who has wisdom will know how to get and use wealth. We should be grateful for the rich treasure of wisdom we have inherited from the past, and we should be ashamed of ourselves that we too often ignore it or disobey it. Wisdom is like a “shelter” to those who obey it; it gives greater protection than money.                                                                                                                                                                       Providence (v. 13). The rustic preacher who said to his people, “Learn to cooperate with the inevitable!” knew the meaning of this verse. The Living Bible paraphrases it, “See the way God does things and fall into line. Don’t fight the facts of nature.” This is not a summons to slavish fatalism; like Ecclesiastes 1:15, it is a sensible invitation to a life yielded to the will of God. If God makes something crooked, He is able to make it straight; and perhaps He will ask us to work with Him to get the job done. But if He wants it to stay crooked, we had better not argue with Him. We don’t fully understand all the works of God (11:5), but we do know that “He hath made everything beautiful in its time” (3:11). This includes the things we may think are twisted and ugly.                                                                                  While I don’t agree with all of his theology, I do appreciate the “Serenity Prayer” written in 1934 by Reinhold Niebuhr. A version of it is used around the world by people in various support groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, and it fits the lesson Solomon teaches in verse 13:

           O God, give us                                                                                                                                               Serenity to accept what cannot be changed,                                                                                                 Courage to change what should be changed,                                                                                                 And wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. 

           Adversity and prosperity (v. 14). Wisdom gives us perspective so that we aren’t discouraged when times are difficult or arrogant when things are going well. It takes a good deal of spirituality to be able to accept prosperity as well as adversity, for often prosperity does greater damage (Phil. 4:10–13). Job reminded his wife of this truth when she told him to curse God and die: “What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil [trouble]?” (2:10). Earlier, Job had said, “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (1:21).                                             God balances our lives by giving us enough blessings to keep us happy and enough burdens to keep us humble. If all we had were blessings in our hands, we would fall right over, so the Lord balances the blessings in our hands with burdens on our backs. That helps to keep us steady, and as we yield to Him, He can even turn the burdens into blessings.                                                                                     Why does God constitute our lives in this way? The answer is simple: to keep us from thinking we know it all and that we can manage our lives by ourselves. “Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future” (v. 14 niv). Just about the time we think we have an explanation for things, God changes the situation, and we have to throw out our formula. This is where Job’s friends went wrong: they tried to use an old road map to guide Job on a brand-new journey, and the map didn’t fit. No matter how much experience we have in the Christian life, or how many books we read, we must still walk by faith.                                                                                                                                                      Righteousness and sin (vv. 15–18). If there is one problem in life that demands a mature perspective, it is “Why do the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper?” The good die young, while the wicked seem to enjoy long lives, and this seems contrary to the justice of God and the Word of God. Didn’t God tell the people that the obedient would live long (Ex. 20:12; Deut. 4:40) and the disobedient would perish? (Deut. 4:25–26; Ps. 55:23).                                                                                                                Two facts must be noted. Yes, God did promise to bless Israel in their land if they obeyed His law, but He has not given those same promises to believers today under the new covenant. Francis Bacon (1561–1626) wrote, “Prosperity is the blessing of the Old Testament; adversity is the blessing of the New.” Our Lord’s opening words in the Sermon on the Mount were not “Blessed are the rich in substance” but “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matt. 5:3; and see Luke 6:20).                                                      Second, the wicked appear to prosper only if you take the short view of things. This was the lesson Asaph recorded in Psalm 73 and that Paul reinforced in Romans 8:18 and 2 Corinthians 4:16–18. “They have their reward” (Matt. 6:2, 5, 16), and that reward is all they will ever get. They may gain the whole world, but they lose their own souls. This is the fate of all who follow their example and sacrifice the eternal for the temporal.                                                                                                                                      Verses 16–18 have been misunderstood by those who say that Solomon was teaching “moderation” in everyday life: don’t be too righteous, but don’t be too great a sinner. “Play it safe!” say these cautious philosophers, but this is not what Solomon wrote.                                                                            In the Hebrew text, the verbs in verse 16 carry the idea of reflexive action. Solomon said to the people, “Don’t claim to be righteous and don’t claim to be wise.” In other words, he was warning them against self-righteousness and the pride that comes when we think we have “arrived” and know it all. Solomon made it clear in verse 20 that there are no righteous people, so he cannot be referring to true righteousness. He was condemning the self-righteousness of the hypocrite and the false wisdom of the proud, and he warned that these sins led to destruction and death.                                                                          Verse 18 balances the warning: we should take hold of true righteousness and should not withdraw from true wisdom, and the way to do it is to walk in the fear of God. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov. 9:10), and Jesus Christ is to the believer “wisdom and righteousness” (1 Cor. 1: 30), so God’s people need not “manufacture” these blessings themselves. 

Wisdom Helps Us Face Life Stronger (7:19–29)                                                                            “Wisdom makes one wise man more powerful than ten rulers in a city” (v. 19 niv). The wise person fears the Lord and therefore does not fear anyone or anything else (Ps. 112). He walks with the Lord and has the adequacy necessary to face the challenges of life, including war (see 9:13–18).                                  What are some of the problems in life that we must face and overcome?                                                    Sin (v. 20, and note 1 Kings 8:46). We are all guilty of both sins of omission (“doeth good”) and sins of commission (“sinneth not”). If we walk in the fear of God and follow His wisdom, we will be able to detect and defeat the wicked one when he comes to tempt us. Wisdom will guide us and guard us in our daily walk.                                                                                                                                         What people say about us (vv. 21–22). The wise person pays no attention to the gossip of the day because he has more important matters which to attend. Charles Spurgeon told his pastoral students that the minister ought to have one blind eye and one deaf ear. “You cannot stop people’s tongues,” he said, “and therefore the best thing to do is to stop your own ears and never mind what is spoken. There is a world of idle chitchat abroad, and he who takes note of it will have enough to do” (Lectures to My Students; Marshall, Morgan, and Scott reprint edition, 1965, 321). Of course, if we are honest, we may have to confess that we have done our share of talking about others! (See Ps. 38 and Matt. 7:1–3.)                       Our inability to grasp the meaning of all that God is doing in this world (vv. 23–25; and see 3:11; 8:17). Even Solomon with all his God-given wisdom could not understand all that exists, how God manages it, and what purposes He has in mind. He searched for the “reason [scheme] of things” but found no final answers to all his questions. However, the wise man knows that he does not know, and this is what helps to make him wise!                                                                                                                   The sinfulness of humanity in general (vv. 26–29). Solomon began with the sinful woman, the prostitute who traps men and leads them to death (v. 26; and see Prov. 2:16–19; 5:3–6; 6:24–26; 7:5–27). Solomon himself had been snared by many foreign women who enticed him away from the Lord and into the worship of heathen gods (1 Kings 11:3–8). The way to escape this evil woman is to fear God and seek to please Him.                                                                                                                               Solomon concluded that the whole human race was bound by sin and one man in a thousand was wise— and not one woman! (The number 1,000 is significant in the light of 1 Kings 11:3.) We must not think that Solomon rated women as less intelligent than men, because this is not the case. He spoke highly of women in Proverbs (12:4; 14:1; 18:22; 19:14; 31:10ff.), Ecclesiastes (9:9), and certainly in the Song of Solomon. In the book of Proverbs, Solomon even pictured God’s wisdom as a beautiful woman (1:20ff.; 8:1ff.; 9:1ff.). But keep in mind that women in that day had neither the freedom nor the status that they have today, and it would be unusual for a woman to have learning equal to that of a man. It was considered a judgment of God for women to rule over the land (Isa. 3:12; but remember Miriam and Deborah, two women who had great leadership ability).                                                                                    God made man (Adam) upright, but Adam disobeyed God and fell, and now all men are sinners who seek out many clever inventions. Created in the image of God, man has the ability to understand and harness the forces God put into nature, but he doesn’t always use this ability in constructive ways. Each forward step in science seems to open up a Pandora’s box of new problems for the world, until we now find ourselves with the problems of polluted air and water and depleted natural resources. And besides that, man has used his abilities to devise alluring forms of sin that are destroying individuals and nations.                                                                                                                                                                        Yes, there are many snares and temptations in this evil world, but the person with godly wisdom will have the power to overcome. Solomon has proved his point: wisdom can make our lives better and clearer and stronger. We may not fully understand all that God is doing, but we will have enough wisdom to live for the good of others and the glory of God.

966 英翻中 (666) The Ecclesiastes (十六) 傳道書(十六) 16/01/2025

966 英翻中 (666)             The Ecclesiastes (十六)                傳道書(十六)                16/01/2025

CHAPTER EIGHT             Ecclesiastes 7              HOW TO BE BETTER OFF                                      第八章                                傳道書 7                      如何過得更好

Where ignorance is bliss, ’tis folly to be wise.” Thomas Gray wrote those oft-quoted words in his poem “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College.” He pictured the students on the playing field and in the classroom, enjoying life because they were innocent of what lay ahead.                                                  當無知是福時，智慧卻是愚蠢的。湯瑪斯‧格雷(Thomas Gray)在他的詩《伊頓公學遠景頌》中寫下了這些經句，常被引用。他想像學生在操場上，和教室裡享受生活，因為他們對未來的事一無所知。

                  Alas, regardless of their doom,            唉，不管他們的命運如何，                                                          The little victims play!                        小受害者們還是在玩！                                                                  No sense have they of ills to come,     他們對未來的災難毫無感覺，                                                      Nor care beyond today.                        也不關心今天之後的事。

         His conclusion was logical: at that stage in life, it is better to be ignorant and happy, because there will be plenty of time later to experience the sorrows that knowledge may bring.                                               他的結論是合乎邏輯的：在人生的那個階段，最好是無知而快樂，因為以後有充足的時間去體驗知識可能帶來的悲傷。 

                   Yet ah! why should they know their fate?       然而啊！他們為什麼要知道自己的命運？                       Since sorrow never comes too late,                 因為悲傷來得太晚，                                                           And happiness too swiftly flies.                      幸福來得太快。                                                                   Thought would destroy their paradise.             思想會摧毀他們的天堂。                                                 No more; where ignorance is bliss,                  不再;無知是福，                                                                 ’Tis folly to be wise.                                         智慧卻是愚蠢。

          Solomon had come to a similar conclusion when he argued in 1:12–18 that wisdom did not make life worth living. “For in much wisdom is much grief,” he wrote in 1:18, “and he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow.”                                                                                                                             所羅門在 1 章 12-18 節中指出，智慧並不能使生活變得有價值，他也得出了類似的結論。他在 1 章 18 節中寫道：“智慧多，憂愁也多；增加知識的，也增加憂愁。”                                               But then the king took a second look at the problem and modified his views. In Ecclesiastes 7 and 8, he discussed the importance of wisdom in life (“wisdom” is found fourteen times in these two chapters); and he answered the question asked in 6:12, “For who knoweth what is good for man in this life?” The Preacher concluded that, though wisdom can’t explain all of life’s mysteries, it can make at least three positive contributions to our lives.                                                                                                         但隨後國王重新審視了這個問題並改變了他的觀點。在傳道書第7章和第8章中，他討論了生活中智慧的重要性（「智慧」在這兩章中出現了十四次）；他回答了 6 章 12 節中提出的問題：“誰知道人今生有何益處呢？”傳道者的結論是，雖然智慧不能解釋生命的所有奧秘，但它至少可以對我們的生活做出三項積極的貢獻。

Wisdom Can Make Life Better (7:1–10)                                                                                                 智慧可以使生活更美好（7:1-10）                                                                                                       “Better” is a key word in this chapter; Solomon used it at least eleven times. His listeners must have been shocked when they heard Solomon describe the “better things” that come to the life of the person who follows God’s wisdom.                                                                                                                           「更好」是本章的關鍵字。所羅門至少使用過十一次。當他的聽眾聽到所羅門描述遵循上帝智慧的人的生活中會出現「更好的事情」時，他們一定感到震驚.                                                                  Sorrow is better than laughter (vv. 1–4). If given the choice, most people would rather go to a birthday party than to a funeral, but Solomon advised against it. Why? Because sorrow can do more good for the heart than laughter can. (The word heart is used four times in these verses.) Solomon was certainly not a morose man with a gloomy lifestyle. After all, it was King Solomon who wrote Proverbs 15:13, 15; 17:22—and the Song of Solomon! Laughter can be like medicine that heals the broken heart, but sorrow can be like nourishing food that strengthens the inner person. It takes both for a balanced life, but few people realize this. There is “a time to laugh” (Eccl. 3:4).                                                                 憂愁勝過歡笑（1-4節）。如果可以選擇，大多數人寧願去參加生日聚會，也不願參加葬禮，但所羅門建議不要這樣做。為什麼？因為悲傷比笑對心臟更有好處。 （「心」這個字在這幾節經文中出現了四次。）所羅門當然不是一個生活方式陰鬱的悶悶不樂的人。畢竟，箴言 15 章 13 節、15 節是所羅門王寫的； 17:22－還有所羅門之歌！笑聲可以像良藥一樣治癒受傷的心靈，而悲傷則可以像滋養食物一樣增強內心的力量。平衡的生活需要兩者，但很少人意識到這一點。 「有笑的時候」（傳 3:4）。                                                                                                                 Let’s begin with Solomon’s bizarre statement that the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth (v. 1). This generalization must not be divorced from his opening statement that a person’s good reputation (name) is like a fragrant perfume. (There is a play on words here: “name” is shem in the Hebrew and “ointment” is shemen.) He used the same image in 10:1 and also in Song of Solomon 1:3.             讓我們從所羅門奇怪的說法開始，他說人死的日子比出生的日子好（1節）。這種概括不能脫離他的開場白：一個人的好名聲（名字）就像一個芬芳的香水。 （這裡有一個文字遊戲：“名字”在希伯來語中是“shem”，“香膏”是“shemen”。）他在《雅歌》10:1 和《雅歌》1:3 中使用了相同的圖像。                                                                                                                                                       Solomon was not contrasting birth and death, nor was he suggesting that it is better to die than to be born, because you can’t die unless you have been born. He was contrasting two significant days in human experience: the day a person receives his or her name and the day when that name shows up in the obituary column. The life lived between those two events will determine whether that name leaves behind a lovely fragrance or a foul stench. “His name really stinks!” is an uncouth statement, but it gets the point across.                                                                                                                                                       所羅門並沒有對比出生和死亡，也沒有暗示死亡比出生好，因為除非你出生，否則你不會死。他對比了人類經驗中兩個重要的日子：一個人收到他或她的名字的那一天，以及該名字出現在訃聞欄中的那一天。這兩件事之間的生活將決定這個名字是否留下可愛的香味或惡臭。 “他的名字真臭！”這是一個粗俗的說法，但它表達了要點。                                                                              If a person dies with a good name, his or her reputation is sealed and the family need not worry. In that sense, the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth. The life is over and the reputation is settled. (Solomon assumed that there were no hidden scandals.) “Every man has three names,” says an ancient adage; “one his father and mother gave him, one others call him, and one he acquires himself.”                                                                                                                                                                若一個人死的時候名聲好，他的名譽就被封印了，家人就不用擔心了。從這個意義上說，一個人死亡的日子比一個人出生的日子好。人生已盡，名聲已定。 （所羅門認為不存在隱藏的掃描達爾。）有句古老的格言說：「每個人都有三個名字」；「每個人都有三個名字」。 “一個是他的父母給他的，一個別人這樣稱呼他，一個是他自己獲得的。”                                                          “The memory of the just is blessed, but the name of the wicked shall rot” (Prov. 10:7; and see Prov. 22:1). Mary of Bethany anointed the Lord Jesus with expensive perfume and its fragrance filled the house. Jesus told her that her name would be honored throughout the world, and it is. On the other hand, Judas sold the Lord Jesus into the hands of the enemy; and his name is generally despised (Mark 14:1–11). When Judas was born, he was given the good name “Judah,” which means “praise.” It belonged to the royal tribe in Israel. By the time Judas died, he had turned that honorable name into something shameful.                                                                                                                                            「義人的名譽必蒙福，惡人的名必朽壞」（箴 10:7；參考箴 22:1）。伯大尼的馬利亞用名貴的香膏膏主耶穌，香氣充滿了房子。耶穌告訴她，全世界都會尊崇她的名字，事實確實如此。另一方面，猶大卻把主耶穌賣到了仇敵手裡，他把主耶穌賣給了仇敵。他的名字普遍被輕視（可 14：1-11）。當猶大出生時，他被賦予了“猶大”這個好名字，意思是“讚美”。它屬於以色列的皇家部落。當猶大去世時，他已經把這個光榮的名字變成了可恥的東西。                                        In verses 2–4, Solomon advised the people to look death in the face and learn from it. He did not say that we should be preoccupied with death, because that could be abnormal. But there is a danger that we might try to avoid confrontations with the reality of death and, as a result, not take life as seriously as we should. “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Ps. 90:12).                                                                                                                                                            在 2-4 節中，所羅門建議人們正視死亡並從中學習。他並沒有說我們應該全神貫注於死亡，因為那可能是不正常的。但存在的危險是，我們可能會試圖避免面對死亡的現實，從而不認真看待生命。 「求你教導我們數算自己的日子，好使我們的心靈獲得智慧」（詩 90:12）。             The Preacher is not presenting us with an either/or situation; he is asking for balance. The Hebrew word for “laughter” in verse 3 can mean “the laughter of derision or scorn.” While there is a place for healthy humor in life, we must beware of the frivolous laughter that is often found in “the house of mirth” (v. 4). When people jest about death, for example, it is usually evidence that they are afraid of it and not prepared to meet it. They are running away.                                                                                            傳道者並沒有向我們呈現非此即彼的情況；而是在向我們展示一個非此即彼的情況。他要求平衡。第 3 節中的希伯來語「笑聲」的意思是「嘲笑或蔑視的笑聲」。雖然生活中存在著健康的幽默，但我們必須提防「歡樂屋」中經常出現的輕浮的笑聲（4節）。例如，當人們拿死亡開玩笑時，通常表示他們害怕死亡，並且沒有準備好面對它。他們正在逃跑。                                        The late Dr. Ernest Becker wrote in his Pulitzer Prize-winning book The Denial of Death, “… the idea of death, the fear of it, haunts the human animal like nothing else; it is a mainspring of human activity— activity designed largely to avoid the fatality of death, to overcome it by denying in some way that it is the final destiny for man” (Free Press, 1975, ix). King Solomon knew this truth centuries ago!                                                                                                                                                                        已故的歐斯特‧貝克爾(Ernest Becker) 博士在其普立茲獎的著作《否認死亡》中寫道：「…死亡的觀念和對死亡的恐懼，像其他動物一樣困擾著人類；它是人類活動的主要動力——這種活動主要是為了避免死亡的宿命，透過以某種方式否認死亡是人類的最終命運來克服死亡」（Free Press，1975，ix）。所羅門王幾個世紀前就知道這個真理！                                                            Rebuke is better than praise (vv. 5–6). King Solomon compared the praise of fools to the burning thorns in a campfire: you hear a lot of noise, but you don’t get much lasting good. (Again, Solomon used a play on words. In the Hebrew, “song” is shir, “pot” is sir, and “thorns” is sirim.) If we allow it, a wise person’s rebuke will accomplish far more in our lives than will the flattery of fools. Solomon may have learned this truth from his father (Ps. 141:5), and he certainly emphasized it when he wrote the book of Proverbs (10:17; 12:1; 15:5; 17:10; 25:12; 27:5, 17; 29:1, 15).                                          責備勝於讚美（5-6節）。所羅門王將愚人的讚美比喻為篝火中燃燒的荊棘：你聽到很多噪音，但你卻得不到多少持久的好處。 （所羅門再次使用了文字遊戲。在希伯來語中，“歌”是“shir”，“鍋”是“先生”，“荊棘”是“西里姆”。）如果我們允許，智者的責備將在我們的生活中取得更大的成就勝過愚人的阿諛奉承。所羅門可能從他父親那裡學到了這個真理（詩篇141:5），他在寫《箴言》時也確實強調了這一點（10:17；12:1；15:5；17:10；25:12 ； 27:5, 17; 29:1, 15)。                                                                                                                                                       British literary giant Samuel Johnson was at the home of the famous actor David Garrick, and a “celebrated lady” persisted in showering Johnson with compliments. “Spare me, I beseech you, dear madam!” he replied; but as his biographer Boswell put it, “She still laid it on.” Finally Johnson silenced her by saying, “Dearest lady, consider with yourself what your flattery is worth, before you bestow it so freely.”                                                                                                                                                                    英國文學巨匠(沙姆爾·約翰遜)在著名演員大衛·加里克的家中，一位“名媛”堅持對約翰遜大加讚美。 “饒了我吧，我求求你了，親愛的女士！”他回答說：但正如他的傳記作者博斯韋爾所說，“她仍然戴著它。”最後，約翰遜讓她閉嘴了，他說：“最親愛的女士，在你如此隨意地奉承你之前，先想想你的奉承到底值多少錢。”                                                                                                      The “long haul” is better than the shortcut (vv. 7–9). Beware of “easy” routes; they often become expensive detours that are difficult and painful. In 1976, my wife and I were driving through Scotland, and a friend mapped out a “faster” route from Balmoral Castle to Inverness. It turned out to be a hazardous one-lane road that the local people called “The Devil’s Elbow,” and en route we met a bus and a cement truck! “Watch and pray” was our verse for that day.                                                                    「長程」比捷徑好（7-9節）。謹防「容易」的路線；它們常常成為昂貴、困難和痛苦的彎路。 1976 年，我和妻子開車穿越蘇格蘭，一位朋友繪製了一條從巴爾莫勒爾堡到因弗內斯的「更快」路線。原來這是一條被當地人稱為「魔鬼肘」的危險單車道路，途中我們遇到了一輛巴士和一輛水泥車！ 「警醒禱告」是我們當天的詩句。                                                                              Bribery appears to be a quick way to get things done (v. 7), but it only turns a wise man into a fool and encourages the corruption already in the human heart. Far better that we wait patiently and humbly for God to work out His will than that we get angry and demand our own way (v. 8; see also Prov. 14:17; 16:32; James 1:19.)                                                                                                                                    賄賂似乎是一種快速完成任務的方法（第7節），但它只會使智者變成愚人，並助長人心中已經存在的腐敗。我們耐心而謙卑地等待神實現祂的旨意，遠比我們生氣並要求我們自己的方式要好得多（第8節；另見箴言14:17；16:32；雅各書1:19。）                                                                    “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning” applies when we are living according to God’s wisdom. The beginning of sin leads to a terrible end—death (James 1:13–15), but if God is at the beginning of what we do, He will see to it that we reach the ending successfully (Phil. 1:6; Heb. 12:2). The Christian believer can claim Romans 8:28 because he knows that God is at work in the world, accomplishing His purposes.                                                                                                                                   當我們按照上帝的智慧生活時，「就適用了事情的結束比事情的開始要好。」罪的開始會導致可怕的結局 — 死亡（雅各書 1:13-15），但如果上帝是我們所做事的開始，祂就會確保我們成功地到達結局（腓 1:6；來12: 2）。基督教信徒可以引用《羅馬書》8:28，因為他知道上帝在世界上工作，實現祂的目的。                                                                                                      An            Arab proverb says, “Watch your beginnings.” Good beginnings will usually mean good endings. The Prodigal Son started with happiness and wealth, but ended with suffering and poverty (Luke 15:11–24). Joseph began as a slave but ended up a sovereign! God always saves “the best wine” until the last (John 2:10), but Satan starts with his “best” and then leads the sinner into suffering and perhaps even death.                                                                                                                                                                     阿拉伯諺語說：“注意你的開始。”好的開始通常意味著好的結局。浪子以幸福和財富開始，但以痛苦和貧窮結束（路加福音15：11-24）。約瑟一開始是奴隸，但最後卻成為了君主！上帝總是把「最好的酒」留到最後（約翰福音2:10），但撒旦卻從他的「最好的酒」開始，然後帶領罪人陷入痛苦，甚至死亡。                                                                                                                        

965 英翻中 (665) The Ecclesiastes (十五) 傳道書(十五) 15/01/2025

965 英翻中 (665)          The Ecclesiastes (十五)                      傳道書(十五)                15/01/2025

        Among the Jews at that time, a stillborn child was not always given a name. That way, it would not be remembered. It was felt that this would encourage the parents to get over their sorrow much faster. “It [the child] comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded” (v. 4 niv). In my pastoral ministry, broken-hearted parents and grandparents have sometimes asked, “Why did God even permit this child to be conceived if it wasn’t going to live?” Solomon asked, “Why did God permit this man to have wealth and a big family if the man couldn’t enjoy it?”                                          在當時的猶太人中，死產的孩子並不總是有名字。這樣就不會被記得了。人們認為這會鼓勵父母更快地擺脫悲傷。 「它〔孩子〕來時毫無意義，它在黑暗中離去，它的名字也被籠罩在黑暗中」（4節 新國際版）。在我的教牧事工中，傷心的父母和祖父母有時會問：“如果這個孩子無法存活，為什麼上帝還要允許他受孕呢？”  所羅門問道：“如果這個人無法享受財富和大家庭，為什麼上帝允許他擁有財富和大家庭？”                                                                                                  Some would argue that existence is better than nonexistence and a difficult life better than no life at all. Solomon might agree with them, for “a living dog is better than a dead lion” (9:4). But the problem Solomon faced was not whether existence is better than nonexistence, but whether there is any purpose behind the whole seemingly unbalanced scheme of things. As he examined life “under the sun,” he could find no reason why a person should be given riches and yet be deprived of the power to enjoy them.                                                                                                                                                                      有些人會說，活總比死強，困難的生活也比沒有生活的好。所羅門可能會同意他們的觀點，因為「活狗勝過死獅子」（9:4）。但所羅門面臨的問題不是存在是否比不存在更好，而是整個看似不平衡的事物背後，是否有任何目的。當他審視「日光之下」的生活時，他找不到任何理由，為什麼一個人應該被給予財富，但卻被剝奪享受財富的權力。                                                    The ability to enjoy life comes from within. It is a matter of character and not circumstances. “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content,” Paul wrote to the Philippians (4:11). The Greek word autarkes, translated “content,” carries the idea of “self-contained, adequate, needing nothing from the outside.” Paul carried within all the resources needed for facing life courageously and triumphing over difficulties. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13 nkjv).            享受生活的能力來自於內心。這是性格問題，不是環境問題。保羅在給腓立比人的信中寫道：「我學會了，無論在什麼光景中，都能知足」（4:11）。希臘文  “autarkes”，翻譯為        “滿足”，帶有 “自給自足、充足、不需要任何外界事物” 的意思。保羅擁有勇敢面對生活和克服困難所需的一切資源。 「靠著那加給我力量的基督，我凡事都能做」（腓 4:13 NKJV）。                  The 2,000-year-old man and the stillborn baby both ended up in the same place—the grave. Once again, the Preacher confronted his listeners with the certainty of death and the futility of life without God. He was preparing them for “the conclusion of the matter” when he would wrap up the sermon and encourage them to trust God (11:9—12:14).                                                                                                          2000多歲的老人和死嬰最後都埋葬在 — 墳墓。傳道者再一次向聽眾展示了死亡的必然性和沒有上帝的生命的徒勞性。當他結束講道並鼓勵他們相信上帝時，他正在為「事情的結局」做準備（11:9—12:14）。

Labor Without Satisfaction (6:7–9)                                                                                                           勞動卻得不到滿足 (6:7-9)                                                                                                                  Solomon had spoken about the rich man; now he discusses the situation of the poor man. Rich and poor alike labor to stay alive. We must either produce food or earn money to buy it. The rich man can let his money work for him, but the poor man has to use his muscles if he and his family are going to eat. But even after all this labor, the appetite of neither one is fully satisfied.                                                                   羅門曾談到財主；現在他討論有關這個窮人的處境。富人和窮人都一樣為了生存而勞動。我們必須要么生產食物，要么賺錢購買食物。富人可以讓他的錢為他工作，但窮人如果他和他的家人要吃飯，就必須動用他的肌肉。但即使付出了這麼多的努力，兩個人的胃口都沒有完全滿足。                                                                                                                                                                       Why does a person eat? So that he can add years to his life. But what good is it for me to add years to my life if I don’t add life to my years? I’m like the birds that I watch in the backyard. They spend all their waking hours either looking for food or escaping from enemies. (We have cats in our neighborhood.) These birds are not really living; they are only existing. Yet they are fulfilling the purposes for which the Creator made them—and they even sing about it!                                                          人為什麼要吃飯？這樣他就可以多活幾年。但如果我不為我的歲月增添生命，那我再延長歲月又有什麼好處呢？就像我在後院觀察的鳥兒一樣。牠們醒著的所有時間要么用來尋找食物，要么用來躲避敵人 — 我們家附近有貓。這些鳥不是真正的活鳥；它們是真正的鳥。它們只是存在。然而，牠們正在實現造物主創造它們的目的 — 它們甚至為此歌唱！                                          Solomon is not suggesting that it’s wrong either to work or to eat. Many people enjoy doing both. But if life consists only in working and eating, then we are being controlled by our appetites, and that almost puts us on the same level as animals. As far as nature is concerned, self-preservation may be the first law of life, but we who are made in the image of God must live for something higher (John 12:20–28). In the new creation (2 Cor. 5:17), self-preservation may well be the first law of death (Mark 8:34–38).                                                                                                                                                                         所羅門並不是說工作或吃飯都是錯的。許多人都喜歡兩者兼具。但如果生活只包括工作和飲食，那麼我們就被食慾所控制，這幾乎使我們與動物處於同一水平。就自然而言，自我保護可能是生命的第一法則，但我們這些按照上帝形象創造的人，必須為更高的目標而活（約 12：20-28）。在新的創造中（林後  5:17），自我保護很可能是死亡的首要法則（可 8:34-38）。                 Both questions in verse 8 are answered by “None!” If all you do is live to satisfy your appetite, then the wise man has no advantage over the fool, nor does the poor man have any advantage trying to better his situation and learning to get along with the rich. Solomon is not belittling either education or self-improvement. He is only saying that these things of themselves cannot make life richer. We must have something greater for which to live.                                                                                                               第 8 節中的兩個問題的答案都是“沒有！”  如果你活著只是為了滿足自己的胃口，那麼智者比愚者沒有任何優勢，窮人努力改善自己的處境並學習與富人相處也沒有任何優勢。所羅門並沒有貶低教育或自我完善。他只是說這些東西本身並不能讓生活變得更豐富。我們必須有更偉大的目標來生活。                                                                                                                                                 A century ago, when the United States was starting to experience prosperity and expansion, the American naturalist Henry David Thoreau warned that men were devising “improved means to unimproved ends.” He should see our world today. We can send messages around the world in seconds, but do we have anything significant to say? We can transmit pictures even from the moon, but our TV screens are stained with violence, sex, cheap advertising, and even cheaper entertainment.                                 一個世紀前，當美國開始經歷繁榮和擴張時，美國博物學家亨利·大衛·梭羅警告說，人們正在設計「改進的手段來達到未改進的目的」。他應該看看我們今天的世界。我們可以在幾秒鐘內向世界各地發送訊息，但我們有什麼重要的話要說嗎？我們甚至可以從月球傳輸圖片，但我們的電視螢幕充斥著暴力、性、廉價廣告，甚至廉價娛樂。                                                                    Verse 9 is Solomon’s version of the familiar saying, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” This proverb has been around for a long time. The Greek biographer Plutarch (46–120) wrote, “He is a fool who lets slip a bird in the hand for a bird in the bush.” Solomon is saying, “It’s better to have little and really enjoy it than to dream about much and never attain it.” Dreams have a way of becoming nightmares if we don’t come to grips with reality.                                                                                                第 9 節是所羅門對這句熟悉的諺語的版本：“一鳥在手，勝過二鳥在林。”這句諺語流傳已久。希臘傳記作家普魯塔克（Plutarch，46-120）寫道：“他是個傻瓜，把手中的鳥當作叢林中的鳥。”  所羅門說：“擁有很少卻真正享受它，比夢想很多卻永遠無法實現要好。”  如果我們不正視現實，夢想就會變成惡夢。                                                                                                                            Is Solomon telling us that it’s wrong to dream great dreams or have a burning ambition to accomplish something in life? Of course not, but we must take care that our ambition is motivated by the glory of God and not the praise of men. We must want to serve others and not promote ourselves. If we think our achievements will automatically bring satisfaction, we are wrong. True satisfaction comes when we do the will of God from the heart (Eph. 6:6). “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work” (John 4:34 nasb).                                                                              所羅門是否在告訴我們，" 夢想偉大的夢想或擁有實現人生目標的強烈野心是錯誤的？當然不是，但我們必須注意，我們的野心是出於神的榮耀，而不是人的讚美。我們必須願意為他人服務，而不是推銷自己。如果我們認為我們的成就會自動帶來滿足感，那我們就錯了。當我們從心裡遵行神的旨意時，真正的滿足就會到來（弗 6:6）。耶穌說：「我的食物就是遵行差我來者的旨意，完成祂的工」（約翰福音 4:34 新美國標準版）。                                                                      Yes, in the will of God there can be riches with enjoyment and labor with satisfaction. But we must accept His plan for our lives, receive His gifts gratefully, and enjoy each day as He enables us. “Thou wilt show me the path of life. In thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16:11).                                                                                                                                          是的，在上帝的旨意中，可以有豐富的享受，也可以有勞苦的滿足。但我們必須接受祂對我們生命的計劃，感恩地接受祂的禮物，並享受祂所賜給我們的每一天。 「祢會告訴我生命的道路。在祢面前充滿喜樂；祢右手有永遠的福樂」（詩 16:11）。                                                           

964 英翻中 (664) The Ecclesiastes (十四) 傳道書(十四) 14/01/2025

964 英翻中 (664)           The Ecclesiastes (十四)                傳道書(十四)                      14/01/2025

Questions Without Answers (6:10–12)                                                                                                      Thus far, Solomon has said that life is a dead-end street for two kinds of people: those who have riches but no enjoyment and those who labor but have no satisfaction. But he has tried to point out that true happiness is not the automatic result of making a good living; it is the blessed by-product of making a good life. If you devote your life only to the pursuit of happiness, you will be miserable; however, if you devote your life to doing God’s will, you will find happiness as well.                                                           The British essayist and poet Joseph Addison (1672–1718) wrote, “The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, someone to love, and something to hope for.” Addison probably didn’t have Christianity in mind when he wrote that, but we have all three in Jesus Christ!                 The Preacher was not finished. He knew that life was also a dead-end street for a third kind of person—the person who required answers to all of life’s questions. Solomon was not condemning honest inquiry, because Ecclesiastes is the record of his own investigation into the meaning of life. Rather, Solomon was saying, “There are some questions about life that nobody can answer. But our ignorance must not be used as an excuse for skepticism or unbelief. Instead, our ignorance should encourage us to have faith in God. After all, we don’t live on explanations; we live on promises.”                     It’s been my experience in pastoral ministry that most explanations don’t solve personal problems or make people feel better. When the physician explains an X-ray to a patient, his explanation doesn’t bring healing, although it is certainly an essential step toward recovery. Suffering Job kept arguing with God and demanding an explanation for his plight. God never did answer his questions, because knowledge in the mind does not guarantee healing for the heart. That comes only when we put faith in the promises of God.                                                                                                                                               Without going into great detail, in verses 10–12 Solomon touches on five questions that people often ask.                                                                                                                                                                 Since “what’s going to be is going to be,” why bother to make decisions? Isn’t it all predestined anyway? “Whatever exists has already been named, and what man is has been known” (v. 10a niv). To the Jewish mind, giving a name to something is the same as fixing its character and stating what the thing really is. During the time of creation, God named the things that He made, and nobody changed those designations. “Light” is “light” and not “darkness”; “day” is “day” and not “night.” (See Isa. 5:20.)                                                                                                                                                                        Our name is “man”—Adam, “from the earth” (Gen. 2:7). Nobody can change that: we came from the earth and we will return to the earth (Gen. 3:19). “Man” by any other name would still be “man,” made from the dust and eventually returning to the dust.                                                                                        The fact that God has named everything does not mean that our world is a prison and we have no freedom to act. Certainly God can accomplish His divine purposes with or without our cooperation, but He invites us to work with Him. We cooperate with God as we accept the “names” He has given to things: sin is sin; obedience is obedience; truth is truth. If we alter these names, we move into a world of illusion and lose touch with reality. This is where many people are living today.                                                  We are free to decide and choose our world, but we are not free to change the consequences. If we choose a world of illusion, we start living on substitutes, and there can be no satisfaction in a world of substitutes. “And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent” (John 17:3 nasb). “And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:20 nasb).                                                                  Why disagree with God? We can’t oppose Him and win, can we? “…neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he” (v. 10b). The word translated “contend” also means “dispute.” Solomon seems to say, “It just doesn’t pay to argue with God or to fight God. This is the way life is, so just accept it and let God have His way. You can’t win, and even if you think you win, you ultimately lose.”                        But this is a negative view of the will of God. It gives the impression that God’s will is a difficult and painful thing that should be avoided at all cost. Jesus said that God’s will was the food that nourished and satisfied Him (John 4:32–34). It was meat, not medicine. The will of God comes from the heart of God and is an expression of the love of God. (See Ps. 33:11.) What God wills for us is best for us, because He knows far more about us than we do.                                                                                               Why would anyone want to have his or her “own way” just for the privilege of exercising “freedom”? Insisting on having our own way isn’t freedom at all; it’s the worst kind of bondage. In fact, the most terrible judgment we could experience in this life would be to have God “give us up” and let us have our own way (Rom. 1:24, 26, 28).                                                                                                                    God is free to act as He sees best. He is not a prisoner of His attributes, His creation, or His eternal purposes. You and I may not understand how God exercises His freedom, but it isn’t necessary for us to know all. Our greatest freedom comes when we are lovingly lost in the will of God. Our Father in heaven doesn’t feel threatened when we question Him, debate with Him, or even wrestle with Him, so long as we love His will and want to please Him.                                                                                                What do we accomplish with all these words? Does talking about it solve the problem? (v. 11). In fact, there are times when it seems like the more we discuss a subject, the less we really understand it. Words don’t always bring light; sometimes they produce clouds and even darkness. “The more the words, the less the meaning”(v. 11 niv). But this is where we need the Word of God and the wisdom He alone can give us. If some discussions appear useless and produce “vanity,” there are other times when conversation leads us closer to the truth and to the Lord.                                                                                       Who knows what is good for us? (v. 12). God does! And wise is the person who takes time to listen to what God has to say. Yes, life may seem to be fleeting and illusive, like a soap bubble (“vain”) or a shadow, but “he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:17 nkjv).                                             Does anybody know what’s coming next? (v. 12b). In spite of what the astrologers, prophets, and fortunetellers claim, nobody knows the future except God. It is futile to speculate. God gives us enough information to encourage us, but He does not cater to idle curiosity. One thing is sure: death is coming, and we had better make the best use of our present opportunities. That is one of the major themes in Ecclesiastes.                                                                                                                                                           Solomon has discussed two of his arguments that life is not worth living: the monotony of life (3:1—5:9) and the futility of wealth (5:10—6:12). He has discovered that life “under the sun” can indeed be monotonous and empty, but it need not be if we include God in our lives. Life is God’s gift to us, and we must accept what He gives us and enjoy it while we can (3:12–15, 22; 5:18–20).                                           Solomon will next take up his third argument, the vanity of man’s wisdom (7:1—8:17), and discuss whether or not wisdom can make life any better. Though wisdom can’t explain all the problems or answer all the questions, it is still a valuable ally on the journey of life.

963 英翻中 (663) The Ecclesiastes (十三) 傳道書(十三) 14/01/2025

963 英翻中 (663)               The Ecclesiastes (十三)                     傳道書(十三)                  14/01/2025

CHAPTER SEVEN   Ecclesiastes 6   IS LIFE A DEAD-END STREET?                                                    第七章                       傳道書        6   人生是一條死路嗎？                                                                        It’s interesting to read the different expressions people use to picture futility. Solomon compared the futility of life to a soap bubble (“vanity of vanities”) and to “chasing after the wind.” I have read statements like “As futile as watering a post,” “As futile as plowing the rocks,” “As futile as singing songs to a dead horse” (or “singing twice to a deaf man”), and “As futile as pounding water with a mortar” (or “carrying water in a sieve”).                                                                                                      閱讀人們用來描繪徒勞的不同表達方式是很有趣的。所羅門將人生的徒勞比喻為肥皂泡（「虛空的虛空」）和「捕風」。我讀過這樣的說法：「就像給柱子澆水一樣徒勞」、「就像犁石一樣徒勞」、「就像給死馬唱歌一樣徒勞」（或「給聾子唱兩遍」）、「就像給聾子唱兩次」一樣徒勞無功。就像用研缽搗水一樣」（或「用篩子挑水」）。                                                                    In his poem “The Task,” the hymn writer William Cowper (“There Is a Fountain”) pictured futility this way:                                                                                                                                                                讚美詩作家威廉·考珀（William Cowper）（《有一個噴泉》）在他的詩《任務》中這樣描繪了徒勞：                                                                                                                                                                                    The toil of dropping buckets into empty wells,                                                                                             把水桶扔進空井的辛勞，                                                                                                                          and growing old in drawing nothing up.                                                                                                         在什麼也打不上來的過程中變老。

          If Cowper were alive today, he might look at our “automobile society” and write,                                      如果考珀今天還活著，他可能會看看我們的「汽車社會」並寫道：

                                                          As futile as blind men driving cars                                                                                                                就像盲人在擁擠的死胡同裡開車                                                                                                               down crowded dead-end streets.                                                                                                                   一樣徒勞無功。

          Is life a dead-end street? Sometimes it seems to be, especially when we don’t reach our goals or when we reach our goals but don’t feel fulfilled in our achievement. More than one person in the Bible became so discouraged with life that he either wanted to die or wished he had never been born. This includes Moses (Num. 11:15), Elijah (1 Kings 19:4), Job (3:21; 7:15), Jeremiah (8:3; 15:10), and Jonah (4:3). Even the great apostle Paul despaired of life during a particularly tough time in his life (2 Cor. 1:8–11).                                                                                                                                                                   人生是一條死胡同嗎？有時似乎確實如此，尤其是當我們沒有達到目標或達到目標但對成就感到不滿足時。聖經中不只一個人對生活感到灰心喪氣，要麼想死，要麼希望自己從未出生。這包括摩西（民11:15）、以利亞（列王紀上19:4）、約伯（3:21；7:15）、耶利米（8:3；15:10）和約伯拿（4:3）。即使是偉大的使徒保羅，在他一生中特別艱難的時期也對生活感到絕望（哥林多後書 1：8-11）。                                                                                                                             Perhaps the basic problem is that life confronts us with too many mysteries we can’t fathom and too many puzzles we can’t solve. For life to be truly satisfying, it has to make sense. When it doesn’t make sense, we get frustrated. If people can’t see a purpose in life, especially when they go through deep suffering, they start to question God and even wonder if life is worthwhile.                                              也許最根本的問題是，生活讓我們面臨太多我們無法理解的奧秘，太多我們無法解決的難題。為了使生活真正令人滿意，它必須有意義。當它沒有意義時，我們會感到沮喪。如果人們看不到生命的目的，特別是當他們經歷深刻的痛苦時，他們就會開始質疑上帝，甚至懷疑生命是否值得。                                                                                                                                                             In Ecclesiastes 6, Solomon discussed three of life’s mysteries: riches without enjoyment (vv. 1–6), labor without satisfaction (vv. 7–9), and questions without answers (vv. 10–12).                                                 在傳道書第 6 章中，所羅門討論了生命的三個奧秘：沒有享受的財富（1-6 節）、沒有知足的勞苦（7-9 節）和沒有答案的問題（10-12 節）。

Riches Without Enjoyment (6:1–6)                                                                                                          沒有享受到的財富（6:1-6）                                                                                                                       What a seeming tragedy it is to have all the resources for a satisfying life and yet not be able to enjoy them for one reason or another. More than one person has worked hard and looked forward to a comfortable retirement only to have a heart attack and become either an invalid or a statistic. Or perhaps the peace of retirement is shattered by a crisis in the family that begins to drain both money and strength. Why do these things happen?                                                                                                          擁有滿足生活所需的一切資源，卻因為這樣或那樣的原因而無法享受它們，這看起來是多麼悲劇啊。不只一個人努力工作，期待舒適的退休生活，結果卻心臟病發作，要么成為病人，要么成為統計數字。或者，退休後的平靜可能被家庭危機打破，家庭危機開始耗盡金錢和體力。為什麼會發生這些事？                                                                                                                                            Solomon mentioned this subject in 5:19 and hinted at it in 3:13. To him, it was a basic principle that nobody can truly enjoy the gifts of God apart from the God who gives the gifts. To enjoy the gifts without the Giver is idolatry, and this can never satisfy the human heart. Enjoyment without God is merely entertainment, and it doesn’t satisfy. But enjoyment with God is enrichment and it brings true joy and satisfaction.                                                                                                                                                所羅門在5章19節提到這個主題，並在3章13節暗示它。對他來說，一個基本原則是，除了賜下恩賜的上帝之外，沒有人能夠真正享受上帝的恩賜。沒有賜予者而享受禮物就是偶像崇拜，這永遠不能滿足人心。沒有上帝的享受只是娛樂，並不能令人滿意。但與祂同在是一種豐富，祂帶來真正的喜樂和滿足。                                                                                                                        Verse 2 may describe a hypothetical situation, or it might have happened to somebody Solomon knew. The fact that God gave Solomon riches, wealth, and honor (2 Chron. 1:11) made the account even more meaningful to him. How fortunate a person would be to lack nothing, but how miserable if he or she could not enjoy the blessings of life.                                                                                                               第 2 節可能描述了一個假設的情況，或者它可能發生在所羅門認識的某人身上。上帝賜給所羅門財富、財富和榮譽（歷代誌下 1:11），這一事實使這個賬目對他來說更加有意義。一個人一無所有是多麼幸運，但如果不能享受生活的幸福，那是多麼悲慘。                                                     What would prevent this person from enjoying life? Perhaps trouble in the home (Prov. 15:16–17; 17:1), or illness, or even death (Luke 12:20). The person described in verse 2 had no heir, so a stranger acquired the estate and enjoyed it. It all seems so futile.                                                                                       什麼會阻止這個人享受生活？也許是家裡有麻煩（箴 15:16-17；17:1），或是疾病，甚至是死亡（路 12:20）。第 2 節中描述的人沒有繼承人，因此一個陌生人獲得了財產並享有它。這一切看起來都是那麼徒勞無功。                                                                                                                         What is Solomon saying to us? “Enjoy the blessings of God now and thank Him for all of them.” Don’t plan to live—start living now. Be satisfied with what He gives you and use it all for His glory.               所羅門對我們說什麼？ “現在就享受上帝的祝福，並為這一切感謝他。”不要計劃生活－現在就開始生活。對祂所賜給你的一切感到滿意，並用它來榮耀祂。                                                             Verses 3–6 surely deal with a hypothetical case, because nobody lives for two thousand years, and no monogamous marriage is likely to produce a hundred children. (Solomon’s son Rehoboam had eighty-eight children, but he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines—like father, like son. (See 2 Chronicles 11:21.) The Preacher was obviously exaggerating here in order to make his point: No matter how much you possess, if you don’t possess the power to enjoy it, you might just as well never have been born.                                                                                                                                                               第3-6節肯定涉及一個假設的情況，因為沒有人能活兩千歲，而且一夫一妻制的婚姻也不可能生育一百個孩子。 （所羅門的兒子羅波安有八十八個孩子，但他有十八個妻子和六十個妾－有其父必有其子。（參考  歷代誌下 11:21。）傳道者在這裡顯然誇大了他的觀點：不無論你擁有多少，如果你沒有能力享受它，你就不如從未出生過。                                                                             Here is a man with abundant resources and a large family, both of which, to an Old Testament Jew, were marks of God’s special favor. But his family does not love him, for when he died, he was not lamented. That’s the meaning of “he has no burial” (see Jer. 22:18–19). His relatives stayed around him only to use his money (5:11), and they wondered when the old man would die. When he finally did die, his surviving relatives could hardly wait for the reading of the will.                                                                    這是一個擁有豐富資源和一個大家庭的人，對舊約猶太人來說，這兩者都是上帝特別恩待的記號。但他的家人並不愛他，因為當他去世時，沒有人為他哀悼。這就是「他沒有埋葬」的意思（參考   耶利米書 22：18-19）。他的親戚留在他身邊只是為了用他的錢（5:11），他們想知道老人甚麼時候會死。當他最終去世時，他倖存的親屬迫不及待地等待宣讀遺囑。                            The rich man was really poor. For some reason, perhaps sickness, he couldn’t enjoy his money. And he couldn’t enjoy his large family because there was no love in the home. They didn’t even weep when the man died. Solomon’s conclusion was that it were better for this man had he never been born, or that he had been stillborn (see Job 3).                                                                                                                 這位富翁實在太窮了。由於某種原因，也許是疾病，他無法享受他的錢。他無法享受他的大家庭，因為家裡沒有愛。當那個人死時，他們甚至沒有哭泣。所羅門的結論是，這個人最好從未出生，或死產（參考約伯記 3）。                                                                                                             

962 英翻中 (662) The Ecclesiastes (十二) 傳道書(十二) 13/01/2025

962 英翻中 (662)           The Ecclesiastes (十二)                傳道書(十二)                  13/01/2025

Don’t Rob Yourself (5:10–20)                                                                                                                  不要搶奪自己的財產 (5:10-20)                                                                                                                Solomon had already discussed “the futility of wealth” in 2:1–11, and some of those ideas are repeated here. What he did in this section was demolish several of the myths that people hold about wealth. Because they hold to these illusions, they rob themselves of the blessings God has for them.                  所羅門已經在 2:1-11 中討論了“財富的虛無”，這裡重複了其中的一些想法。他在本節中所做的就是推翻人們對財富的幾個神話。因為他們抱持著這些幻想，就剝奪了上帝對他們的祝福。                 Wealth brings satisfaction (v. 10). Some people treat money as though it were a god. They love it, make sacrifices for it, and think that it can do anything. Their minds are filled with thoughts about it; their lives are controlled by getting it and guarding it; and when they have it, they experience a great sense of security. What faith in the Lord does for the Christian, money does for many unbelievers. How often we hear people say, “Well, money may not be the number one thing in life, but it’s way ahead of whatever is number two!”                                                                                                                                       財富帶來滿足（10節）。有些人視金錢如神。他們熱愛它，為它做出犧牲，並認為它可以做任何事。他們的心裡充滿了這樣的想法；他們的生活是透過獲取和守護來控制的；當他們擁有它時，他們會體驗到極大的安全感。信仰主對基督徒的作用，就像金錢對許多非信徒的作用一樣。我們經常聽到人們說：“好吧，金錢可能不是生活中第一件事，但它遠遠領先於第二件事！”                                                                                                                                                                      The person who loves money cannot be satisfied no matter how much is in the bank account—because the human heart was made to be satisfied only by God (3:11). “Take heed and beware of covetousness,” warned Jesus, “for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things which he possesses” (Luke 12:15 nkjv). First the person loves money, and then he loves more money, and the disappointing pursuit has begun that can lead to all sorts of problems. “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Tim. 6:10 nkjv).                                                                                                                 貪愛錢財的人無論銀行存款有多少，都無法得到滿足－因為只有神才能使人心滿足（3:11）。耶穌警告說：「你們要謹慎，防備貪心，因為人的生命不在乎家道豐富」（路加福音 12:15 新欽定版）。首先，這個人愛錢，然後他愛更多的錢，令人失望的追求就開始了，這可能會導致各種各樣的問題。 「因為貪愛金錢是萬惡之根」（提摩太前書 6:10 新欽定版）。                        Money solves every problem (v. 11). There is no escaping the fact that we need a certain amount of money in order to live in this world, but money of itself is not the magic “cure-all” for every problem. In fact, an increase in wealth usually creates new problems that we never even knew existed before. Solomon mentioned one: relatives and friends start showing up and enjoying our hospitality. All we can do is watch them eat up our wealth. Or perhaps it is the tax agent who visits us and decides that we owe the government more money.                                                                                                                  金錢可以解決一切問題（11節）。無可否認，我們需要一定數量的金錢才能生活在這個世界上，但金錢本身並不是解決所有問題的靈丹妙藥。事實上，財富的增加通常會帶來我們以前從未意識到存在的新問題。所羅門提到了其中一件事：親戚和朋友開始出現並享受我們的款待。我們能做的就是看著他們吞噬我們的財富。或者也許是稅務代理人來拜訪我們並決定我們欠政府更多的錢。                                                                                                                                                John Wesley, cofounder of the Methodist Church, told his people, “Make all you can, save all you can, give all you can.” Wesley himself could have been a very wealthy man, but he chose to live simply and give generously.                                                                                                                                               衛理公會的聯合創始人約翰衛斯理告訴他的人民，“盡你所能，盡你所能，節省一切，盡你所能。”韋斯利本人本來可以成為一個非常富有的人，但他選擇了簡單的生活和慷慨的奉獻。             Wealth brings peace of mind (v. 12). The late Joe Louis, world heavyweight boxing champion, used to say, “I don’t like money actually, but it quiets my nerves.” But Solomon said that possessing wealth is no guarantee that your nerves will be calm and your sleep sound. According to him, the common laborer sleeps better than the rich man. The suggestion seems to be that the rich man ate too much and was kept awake all night by an upset stomach. But surely Solomon had something greater in mind than that. The Living Bible expresses verse 12 perfectly: “The man who works hard sleeps well whether he eats little or much, but the rich must worry and suffer insomnia.”                                                     財富帶來心靈的平安（12節）。已故的世界重量級拳擊冠軍喬·路易斯曾經說過：“我實際上不喜歡錢，但它能讓我平靜下來。”但所羅門說，擁有財富並不能保證你的神經平靜、睡眠安穩。據他說，普通勞動者比富人睡得好。看來富翁吃太多，胃不舒服，整夜沒睡。但所羅門的想法肯定比這更偉大。 《活的聖經》完美地表達了第12節：“努力工作的人，無論吃得少還是吃得多，都睡得好；但富有的人卻必須憂慮和失眠。”                                                                                        More than one preacher has mentioned John D. Rockefeller in his sermons as an example of a man whose life was almost ruined by wealth. At the age of fifty-three, Rockefeller was the world’s only billionaire, earning about a million dollars a week. But he was a sick man who lived on crackers and milk and could not sleep because of worry. When he started giving his money away, his health changed radically and he lived to celebrate his ninety-eighth birthday!                                                                              不只一位傳教士在講道中提到約翰·D·洛克菲勒，他是一個幾乎被財富毀掉一生的人的例子。五十三歲的洛克斐勒是全世界唯一的億萬富翁，每週收入約一百萬美元。但他是個病人，靠餅乾和牛奶為生，因為擔心而無法入睡。當他開始捐錢時，他的健康狀況發生了根本性的變化，他活到了九十八歲生日！                                                                                                                          Yes, it’s good to have the things that money can buy, provided you don’t lose the things that money         是的，擁有金錢能買到的東西是件好事，但前提是你不要失去金錢不能買到的東西。                   Wealth provides security (vv. 13–17). The picture here is of two rich men. One hoarded all his wealth and ruined himself by becoming a miser. The other man made some unsound investments and lost his wealth. He was right back where he started from and had no estate to leave to his son. He spent the rest of his days in the darkness of discouragement and defeat, and he did not enjoy life. Like all of us, he brought nothing into the world at birth, and he took nothing out of the world at death (see Job 1:21; Ps. 49:17; 1 Tim. 6:7).                                                                                                                                 財富所提供的保障（13-17節）。這裡的照片是兩個有錢人。一個人囤積了所有的財富，並因成為守財奴而毀了自己。另一個人做了一些不合理的投資並損失了他的財富。他又回到了起點，沒有遺產可以留給兒子。他的餘生都在灰心喪志的黑暗中度過，沒有享受過生活。像我們所有人一樣，他出生時沒有為世界帶來任何東西，死亡時他也沒有從世界上帶走任何東西（參考約伯記 1:21；詩篇 49:17；提前 6:7）。                                                                                                     This account makes us think of our Lord’s parable about the rich fool (Luke 12:13–21). The man thought all his problems were solved when he became rich, but immediately he was faced with providing bigger barns for his wealth. He thought he was safe and secure for years to come, but that night he died! His money provided no security whatsoever.                                                                                 這件事使我們想起主耶穌關於愚昧財主的比喻（路 12：13-21）。這個人以為當他變得富有時，他所有的問題都解決了，但他立即面臨著為他的財富提供更大的穀倉的問題。他以為自己在接下來的幾年都會安全無憂，但那天晚上他就死了！他的錢並不能提供任何安全感。                     Keep in mind that Solomon was advocating neither poverty nor riches, because both have their problems (Prov. 30:7–9). The Preacher was warning his listeners against the love of money and the delusions that wealth can bring. In the closing verses of the chapter (vv. 18–20), he affirmed once again the importance of accepting our station in life and enjoying the blessings that God gives to us.                         請記住，所羅門既不提倡貧窮，也不提倡富裕，因為兩者都有各自的問題（箴 30:7-9）。傳道者警告他的聽眾不要貪愛金錢和財富帶來的妄想。在這一章的最後幾節（第18-20節）中，他再次肯定了接受我們的人生地位，並享受上帝給我們的祝福的重要性。                                                The thing that is “good and fitting” (v. 18 nkjv) is to labor faithfully, enjoy the good things of life, and accept it all as the gracious gift of God. Solomon gave us this wise counsel before in 2:24; 3:12–13; and 3:22; and he will repeat it at least three more times before he ends his “sermon.”                                      「美好而適當」的事（18節 新欽定版）就是忠心地工作，享受生活中的美好事物，並接受這一切作為上帝恩賜的禮物。所羅門在 2 章 24 節給了我們這個明智的建議； 3:12-13； 3:22；在結束他的「講道」之前，他至少會再重複三次。                                                                                              There are three ways to get wealth: we can work for it, we can steal it, or we can receive it as a gift (see Eph. 4:28). Solomon saw the blessings of life as God’s gift to those who work and who accept that work as the favor of God. “To enjoy your work and to accept your lot in life—that is indeed a gift from God” (v. 19 tlb 版).                                                                                                                                         獲得財富有三種方式：我們可以工作，我們可以偷竊，或者我們可以接受它作為禮物（參考    以弗所書 4:28）。所羅門認為生命的祝福是上帝給那些工作並接受工作作為上帝恩惠的人的禮物。 「享受你的工作並接受你的生活——這確實是上帝的恩賜」（19節tlb）。                               Solomon added another important thought: the ability to enjoy life’s blessings is also a gift from God. Solomon will expand on this thought in the next chapter and point out the unhappiness of people who possess wealth but are not able to enjoy it. We thank God for food, but we should also thank Him for healthy taste buds and a digestive system that functions correctly. A wealthy friend, now in heaven, often took me and my wife to expensive restaurants, but he was unable to enjoy the food because he couldn’t taste it. All of his wealth could not purchase healing for his taste buds.                                                所羅門補充了另一個重要的想法：享受生活祝福的能力也是上帝的恩賜。所羅門將在下一章中擴展這一思想，並指出擁有財富但無法享受它的人的不幸。我們感謝上帝賜給我們食物，但我們也應該感謝祂賜給我們健康的味蕾和正常運作的消化系統。一位現在在天堂的富有的朋友經常帶我和我的妻子去昂貴的餐館，但他無法享受食物，因為他無法品嚐。他所有的財富都無法治癒他的味蕾。                                                                                                                                           Verse 20 may mean that the person who rejoices in God’s daily blessings will never have regrets. “The person who does that will not need to look back with sorrow on his past, for God gives him joy” (tlb). The time to start storing up happy memories is now. “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Ps. 90:12).                                                                                                           第20節可能意味著，因神每日的祝福而喜樂的人永遠不會後悔。 「這樣做的人將不需要悲傷地回顧他的過去，因為上帝會給他歡樂」（tlb 版）。現在是開始儲存快樂回憶的時候了。 「求你教導我們數算自己的日子，好使我們的心靈獲得智慧」（詩 90:12）。                                           It may also mean that the believer who gratefully accepts God’s gifts today will not fret and worry about how long he or she will live. It is an established fact that the people who have the most birthdays live the longest, but if they keep complaining about “getting old” they will have very little to enjoy. People who are thankful to God “will not dwell overmuch upon the passing years,” as the New English Bible translates verse 20. They will take each day as it comes and use it to serve the Lord.                                這也可能意味著，今天感激地接受上帝恩賜的信徒，將不會擔心自己還能活多久。生日次數最多的人最長壽，這是既定的事實，但如果他們一直抱怨 “變老”，他們就沒有什麼可享受的了。正如新英文聖經第 20 節的翻譯，感謝上帝的人「不會過多地思考過去的歲月」。                         In chapter 6, Solomon will conclude his discussion of “the futility of wealth.” He might well have chosen Matthew 6:33 as the text for his message: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (nkjv). The important thing is that we love the Lord, accept the lot He assigns us, and enjoy the blessings He graciously bestows. If we focus more on the gifts than on the Giver, we are guilty of idolatry. If we accept His gifts, but complain about them, we are guilty of ingratitude. If we hoard His gifts and will not share them with others, we are guilty of indulgence. But if we yield to His will and use what He gives us for His glory, then we can enjoy life and be satisfied.                                                                                                                                                      在第六章中，所羅門將結束他對「財富的無用性」的討論。他很可能選擇馬太福音 6章33節 作為他的信息的文本：「你們要先求上帝的國和祂的義，這些東西都要加給你們了」（新欽定版）。重要的是我們愛主，接受祂所分配給我們的命運，並享受祂恩賜的祝福。如果我們更專注於恩賜，而不是給予者，我們就犯了偶像崇拜的罪。如果我們接受祂的恩賜，但卻抱怨祂的恩賜，我們就犯了忘恩負義的罪。如果我們囤積祂的恩賜而不與他人分享，我們就犯了放縱罪。但如果我們順服祂的旨意，並使用祂為祂的榮耀所賜給我們的東西，那麼我們就能享受生活，並感到滿足。