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）。