Chapter 20 Excerpts from the Book of Ecclesiastes

Excerpts from the Book of Ecclesiastes According to legend, "Ecclesiastes" was written by King Solomon, which belongs to the sacred part of the "Old Testament". It is generally believed that it was written by a certain preacher in the third century BC.Its assessment of the value of life is quite pessimistic, which makes people sigh after reading it. The Preacher Says All Things Are of Vanity Chapter 1 Reigning in Jerusalem, Son of David, Words of the Preacher. The Preacher said: Vanity of vanity, vanity of vanity, all is vanity.What is the profit of all a man's toil, even his toil under the sun?One generation goes and another generation comes, but the earth remains forever.The sun rose, and the sun set, and hastened to the place from which it came.

The wind blows to the south, then turns to the north, keeps spinning, and returns to the original path.All the rivers run into the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place from which the rivers flow, they return.All things are tiresome, and one cannot exhaust them.Eyes are not enough to see; ears are not enough to hear.What has been done will be done again; what has been done will be done again.There is nothing new under the sun.Is there anything of which a man can point and say: This is new?Unexpectedly, in the generation before us, it already existed. Generations past are remembered by no one.The generations to come will not be remembered by those who come after.

I, the preacher, reigned over Israel in Jerusalem.I devote myself to seeking with wisdom to investigate all the things that are done in the world, and I know that it is a very heavy labor that God puts the world through.I have seen everything that is done under the sun be vanity and a chasing after wind.What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted. I murmured in my heart, saying: I have gained great wisdom, surpassing all those who were in Jerusalem before me, and I have experienced many things of wisdom and knowledge in my heart.And I devoted myself to discerning wisdom, madness, and folly, and I realized that these too were chasing after wind.For with much wisdom comes much sorrow: and he that increases knowledge increases sorrow.

Joy and blessings also belong to the void Chapter 2 I said in my heart: Come, I will try you with joy, and you will be blessed.Who knows, this is also emptiness.I pointed to the joke and said: This is arrogance.Concerning joy, what is the effect?I searched in my heart, how to use wine to refresh my body, but my heart still guides me with wisdom; how to hold on to ignorance, so that I can see what is good for people in the world. The house and the field are empty. I have done great work for myself, I have built a house, I have planted a vineyard, I have made garden beds, and I have put in them all kinds of fruit trees; I have dug pools to water the young trees.I bought servants and servants who were born in my house; I also had more herds and herds than any of them had in Jerusalem.And I laid up for myself gold and silver, and the king's treasure, and the treasures of the provinces.And there were men and women who sang, and things that were the favorite of the world, and many concubines.

In this way, I became more and more prosperous, surpassing all who were in Jerusalem before.My wisdom remains.I have withheld nothing from the desires of my eyes; I have withheld nothing from my heart's pleasure; for my heart, for the joy of all my toil, this is what I have gained from my toil. point.Later, when I looked at all the work of my hands and the achievements of my toil, I realized that they were all vanity and chasing after the wind.Nothing is good under the sun. Wisdom is vanity. I turn my mind to see wisdom, madness, and ignorance.What can he that comes after the king do?Just do what you did earlier.Then I saw that wisdom is better than foolishness, as light is better than darkness.The eyes of the wise are clear, but the fool walks in darkness.But I see one thing that will happen to both classes.I said in my heart, what happens to fools, it will happen to me, why am I wiser?I said in my heart: This too is vanity.The wise, like the fools, are never remembered, for they are all forgotten; but the wise die like the fools.The reason why I hate life is because everything that is done under the sun I regard as vexation, vanity, and chasing after wind.

I hate all my toil, even my toil under the sun, because what I have gained will be left to those who come after me.Whether that man is wise or foolish, who can know?He wants to rule over my toil, my wisdom under the sun.This is also vanity.Therefore, when I turn to all the work I have toiled under the sun, my heart despairs. For what some have labored with wisdom, knowledge, and dexterity, a share is reserved for those who have not labored.This too is vanity and a great trouble.What does man gain from all his toil when he toils and tires under the sun?For his anxiety is his day, and his toil is a vexation, and his heart is troubled even at night.This is also vanity.

God is pleasing to give to a wise man there is nothing better than to eat and drink, and to find happiness in his toil.I think this is also from the hand of God. When it comes to food and enjoyment, who can surpass me?God gives wisdom, knowledge and joy to whomever he pleases.But the sinner, whom God makes toil, tells him to gather and heap up and give to those who are pleasing to God.This is also vanity and chasing after wind. There is a time for everything. Toil is useless. Chapter 3 There is a time for everything, and there is a time for everything in the world. A time to live and a time to die.A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted.A time to kill and a time to heal.A time to tear down, and a time to build.A time to cry and a time to laugh.A time to mourn and a time to dance.A time to throw stones, and a time to gather stones.There is a time to embrace, and a time not to embrace.There is a time to find and a time to lose.There is a time to be conservative, and a time to give up.A time to tear and a time to mend.A time for silence, and a time for words.A time to love and a time to hate.A time for war, and a time for peace.

From this point of view, what profit does the worker gain from his labor?I saw that God made men labor, that they might be trained in it.God made all things beautiful in their time; He has placed eternal life in the hearts of men.However, man cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.I know that in the world, nothing is better than to rejoice and do good all the time.And everyone eats and drinks, and finds happiness in all his toil.This is also a gift from God. I know that whatever God does remains forever; nothing is added to it, nothing taken away from it.God did this so that men would stand in awe before him.The things of the present have already happened, and the things of the future have already happened.And God brings back the past.

What the world encounters is no different from beasts. I have seen that under the sun, there are likes and dislikes in the place of judgment, and likes and dislikes in the place of justice. I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every business and every work.I said in my heart: This is for the sake of the world, that God will test them, and make them feel that they are but beasts.For what happened to the world, happened to the beast, and what happened to them was the same.As one dies, the other dies, the breath is the same.Human beings cannot be stronger than beasts, they are all vanity.All go to one place, all are from the dust, and all return to the dust.Who knew that the spirit of man goes up, but the soul of a beast goes down to the earth?Therefore, I see that there is nothing better for a man than to rejoice in his business.Because it is his share.Who can make him come back to see what happened after him?Masochistic Tears No Consolation Chapter 4 I changed my mind again and saw all the oppression under the sun: Behold!The oppressed shed tears, and there is no one to comfort them.There is power in their oppressors, and no one to comfort them.

Therefore, I prefer the dead who are long dead to the living who are still alive.And I think that he who has not been born, that is, has not seen the evil under the sun, is stronger than these two classes. And I have seen people envied by their neighbors for all their toil and every skillful work.This is also vanity and chasing after wind.A fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh; a handful is full and he finds peace.Better than two handfuls full, toiling and chasing after the wind. I changed my mind again, and saw a vain thing under the sun: a man was alone, without sons and brothers, who toiled without rest, and whose eyes were not satisfied with money.He said: I am toiling, afflicting myself, and not enjoying happiness. Whom is it for?This too is vanity, a very heavy labor.

Two are better than one, because both have a good reward for their hard work.If he falls, he can pick up his companion; but if he falls alone, and no one picks him up, woe to him.Furthermore, if two people sleep together, they will both be warm.How can one stay warm when one sleeps alone?Someone can defeat a single person, but if there are two people, they can resist him.The three-strand synthetic rope is not easy to break. A poor but wise young man is better than a foolish king who is old and refuses to be persuaded.This man came out of prison to be king.In other lands are born poor.I saw all living people moving under the sun following the second, the young man who rose up in place of the old king.The multitude over which he governed, that is, his people, was infinite in number.Those who came after him still disliked him.This is really vanity and a chasing after wind. Don't Talk Too Much Before God Chapter 5 Watch your step when you come to the house of God;You must not speak rashly before God, nor speak hastily.Because God is in heaven and you are on earth, your words should be few.Too many things make one dream; too many words make one appear foolish.When you make a vow to God, pay it without delay, for he has no pleasure in fools, so pay your vow.If you don't pay back your wish, it's better not to.Do not let your mouth cause the flesh to sin, nor say before the priests that it was wrong.Why make God angry at your voice, and corrupt the works of your hands?Many dreams and many words, and many falsehoods in them, but fear God. Gold and silver do not tire the heart, nor do goods profit thee; if in a province you see the poor oppressed, and robbed of righteousness and justice, do not be surprised; for there is one judge who is higher than the high There are higher ones above. Moreover, the benefit of the land belongs to all, and even kings receive the supply of the land. He who loves money is not satisfied with money; he who loves wealth is not satisfied with profit. This is also vanity.When the goods increase, so do those who eat them increase, so what is the benefit to the owner?But just to see!A busy man sleeps soundly, no matter how much he eats, but the fullness of a rich man does not allow him to sleep. I have seen a great evil under the sun, that is, a rich man lays up his goods to his own harm.When disaster strikes, these goods are destroyed; if the man bears a son, he has nothing in his hand.Naked as he came from his mother's womb, so he will go away; nothing of his hard work can be taken away in his hands.As in the case of his coming, so is the case of his going.This is also a great disaster.What profit is it for him to toil for the wind?And all his life he ate and drank in the dark, full of troubles, sick and sick. What I have seen is good and beautiful, that man eats and drinks, and enjoys the fruits of his toil under the sun, all the days of his life which God gives him, for this is his portion.God has given man riches, that he may eat and use them, that he may take his portion, and that he may rejoice in his labor.It is a gift of God.He thinks little of the days of his life, because God should make his heart happy. Wealth and riches are not to be enjoyed, but they are vanity. Chapter 6 I see a woe under the sun that weighs heavily upon man.It is a man who has been given wealth, riches, and honor by God so that he lacks nothing that his heart desires, but God prevents him from eating it, and strangers eat it.This is vanity and a curse. Many sons and long life are also vanity. If a man has a hundred sons and lives many years, so that his days are many, but his heart is not full of happiness and happiness, and he is not buried; He is fine.Because it came in vain and went away in darkness, its name was obscured by darkness, and it had not seen the light of day, nor felt it, this womb enjoys more rest than that.Although that person lives for a thousand years, and another thousand years, he does not enjoy the blessings. Wouldn't everyone go to the same place?A man's toil is for his mouth, but his heart is not satisfied.So what advantage does a wise man have over a fool?What good is it to the poor who know how to behave in public?What the eyes see is better than what the mind fancies.This is also vanity and chasing after wind. Those who were before have already made a name and know what a man is, and he cannot contend with him who is stronger than himself.What good is it to a man when there is much vanity added?The days of a man's wasted life pass by like a shadow; who knows what is good for him?Who can tell him what is behind the sun?A Fame Is Better Than Ointment Chapter Seven A Fame Is Better Than A Good Ointment.The day of death is better than the day of life. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting; for death is the end of all, and the living will take it to heart. It is better to be sad than to laugh, for a sad face will make the heart glad in the end. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of the fool is in the house of joy. It is better to be reproached by a wise man than to hear the song of a fool. The laughter of fools is like the crackling of thorns under a cauldron; this is also vanity. Extortion makes a wise man foolish, and bribery corrupts the mind. Better is the end of a deed than the beginning; better is the end of a deed, than that of arrogance. Do not be hasty and angry in your heart, for anger dwells in the bosom of fools. Do not say, why are the former days better than the present?You ask this, not out of wisdom. Wisdom is better than industry Wisdom and industry are both good, and it is more beneficial for those who see the sun to gain wisdom.For wisdom is a shield, as money is a shield.Wisdom alone can preserve the life of the wise, and this is the benefit of knowledge. Look at the works of God, for who can make straight what God has made crooked?Rejoice in the day of prosperity, and think of it in the day of trouble; for God has put both together, so that no one may find out what is behind him. There are righteous people who do righteousness, but they perish; there are wicked people who do evil, but they enjoy long life.This is all I have seen in my wasted days.Don't be too righteous, and don't be too wise, why seek your own ruin?Don't do too much evil, and don't be foolish, why should you die before your time?It is good that you hold fast to the one, and let go not the other; for the man who fears God will come out of both. A righteous man is innocence. Wisdom makes a wise man mightier than ten rulers of a city. There is no righteous person in the world who always does good and never sins. Do not take to heart anything that people say, lest you hear your servant curse; for you know in your heart that you yourself have cursed many times. I will test all these things with wisdom, and I say, seek wisdom, but wisdom is far from me. The truth of all things is far away from me, and it is the deepest, who can fathom it?I changed my mind, and I wanted to know, to investigate, to seek wisdom and reasons for everything.Also know that evil is ignorance, and ignorance is madness. I have learned that there is a woman who is bitterer than death; her heart is a snare, and her hands are fetters; whoever pleases God flees from her, but the sinner is entangled by her.The Preacher said: Behold, I found one upright man out of a thousand men, but not one upright man among women.I compared these things one by one, trying to find the reason, my heart was still looking for it, but I couldn't find it.All I have found is one thing, that God made man upright, but they found many tricks. Obedience to the King's Order Chapter 8 Who is as wise as a man?Who knows the explanation of things?The wisdom of man makes his countenance shine, and changes the fury of his countenance. I beseech you to obey the king's command; as you have sworn by God, so be it.Do not leave the presence of the king hastily, and do not persist in doing evil, for he does everything according to his own will. The words of the king have power, but who dares to ask him, What are you doing?Whoever obeys the commandment shall experience no evil; the heart of the wise knows the time and the law.There is a time and a law for the success of all affairs, because man's suffering weighs heavily on him.He does not know the future, for who can tell him what the future will be?No one has the power to control life and keep it; no one has the power to control death; no one can avoid this battle, and evil cannot save those who are prone to evil. I have seen all this, and I have studied with my heart all that is done under the sun.Sometimes the one dominates the other to the victim. I have seen the wicked buried and returned to their tombs; I have seen those who do what is upright leave the holy place and be forgotten in the city.This is also vanity. Because of the conviction of the crime, the punishment is not executed immediately, so the world's people are full of evil.Though a sinner commits a hundred evils, he has a long life; yet surely I know that he that fears God, even before him, will be happy in the end.But the wicked have neither happiness nor long days; but their days are like a shadow, because they fear not God. There is a vanity in the world, that what happens to the righteous is mirrored by the deeds of the wicked, and what happens to the wicked is mirrored by the deeds of the righteous.I said, this is also vanity. Then I praised happiness, for there is nothing better for a man under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry, for he is under the sun, and God has given him the days of his life to always enjoy what he has gained from his toil. I set my heart on wisdom, to see what is done in the world. (There are people who don’t sleep day and night and don’t close their eyes.) I can see all the deeds of God, and I know that people cannot find out what is done under the sun; no matter how hard they search, they can’t find out. I know, but I can't find it out. The Righteous and the Wise Are in God's Hands Chapter Nine When I took all these things to heart and studied them carefully, I knew that the righteous and the wise, and their works, were in the hand of God; In front of them, people cannot know. What happens to the good and the wicked in this world is the same. What happens to all is the same: the righteous and the wicked alike, the same thing happens to the good, the clean and the unclean, the sacrifice and the non-sacrifice.As with the good man, so with the sinner.As the one who swears, so is the one who fears the oath.One woe to all that is done under the sun is that the same happens to all; and that the hearts of the world are full of evil, and their hearts are arrogant while they are alive, but afterward they go to the dead.He that is joined to every living man, there is hope for him; for a living dog is stronger than a dead lion.Those who are alive know that they must die; but those who are dead know nothing and receive no reward, and their names are not remembered.Their love, their hatred, and their jealousy have all disappeared long ago.They will never again have a share in all that is done under the sun. Go and eat your food with rejoicing, and drink your wine with joy in your heart, for God has accepted your deeds.Your garments shall always be white, and your head shall not lack the ointment.Live happily with the wife you love, all the vain years of your life, which God gave you to be vain under the sun, for that is your portion of the work you toiled under the sun while you were alive .Whatever your hands set, do it with all your might; for in Sheol, where you are going, there is neither work nor counsel nor knowledge nor wisdom. People who are wise may not be successful. I changed my mind and saw that under the sun, those who run fast may not necessarily win, those who fight hard may not be victorious, those who are wise may not get food, those who are wise may not get riches, and those who are clever may not be happy. What happened to everyone, It's about the opportunity at that time.It turns out that people don't know their own fixed time. Fish are trapped in evil nets, birds are caught in snares, and when disaster strikes suddenly, the world's people are caught in it, the same is true. Wisdom is stronger than courage. I have seen a wisdom under the sun, and it seems to me that it is great.There was a small city with few people in it, and a great king came to attack him, built a stronghold, and besieged the city.There was a poor wise man in the city, and he saved the city by his wisdom, but no one remembered the poor man. Then I say, Wisdom is better than might; but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded. It is better to listen to the words of a wise man in silence than to the cries of a fool in charge.Wisdom is better than weapons in battle; but one sinner can spoil many good things. On Wisdom and Foolishness Chapter Ten Dead flies make the incense oil stink.Thus, even a little foolishness can corrupt wisdom and honor. The heart of a wise man is on the right, and the heart of a fool is on the left.And when a fool walks, he shows his ignorance, and tells everyone that he is a fool. If the heart of the ruler is angry with you, don't leave your position, because meekness can avoid great transgressions. I have seen a woe under the sun, which seems to be the error of power: that fools are set in high places.Rich people sit low.I have seen servants ride horses, and princes walk on earth like servants. Whoever digs a pit will fall into it; whoever tears down a wall will be bitten by snakes.Whoever splits stone will be hurt, and whoever splits wood will be in danger.Iron tools are blunt, and it will take a lot of effort if the blade is not sharpened; but it is beneficial to be taught by wisdom.If a snake bites a person before casting spells, it will be useless to perform spells later. The mouth of a wise man speaks kind words, but the mouth of a fool swallows himself up.The words of his mouth began with foolishness; at the end of his words was arrogance of likes and dislikes. A fool has many words, but he does not know what will happen in the future; who can tell him what is behind him?Every fool wearies himself with his toil, for he does not even know the way into the city. Bangguo!Woe to you if your king is a child, and your officials feast in the morning!Bangguo!Blessed are you if your king is the son of nobles, and your officials eat and drink at the right time for strength and not for drunkenness. On laziness. Because of laziness, the roof of the house collapses; because of laziness, the house drips. A banquet is made for laughter; wine makes people happy, and money makes everything happy. Thou shalt not curse the king, neither dost thou think of it.Do not curse the rich in your bedroom, for the birds of the air will bear the voice.He that has wings shall also speak of this. On Alms Chapter Eleven Scatter your food on the waters, for in time you will find it.Give it to seven, or to eight, because you don't know what disaster will come upon the earth. If the cloud is full of rain, it will fall on the ground; if the tree falls to the south or to the north, where will the tree fall.where it exists.Whoever watches the wind will not sow, and whoever watches the clouds will not reap.If you don't know where the wind comes from, or how the bones grow in the womb of a pregnant woman, you still don't know the deeds of God who works all things.Sow your seed in the morning, and rest not your harvest in the evening, for you do not know which one will flourish; whether you sow it early or later, or both. Light is beautiful, and it is a pleasure to see the daylight.Let a man live many years, let him be happy for many years; yet think of the days of darkness, for they will be many, and all that is to come will be vanity. Be happy in your youth, young man; let your heart be glad in the days of your youth; do what your heart desires and do, and see what your eyes desire to see; but know, For all these things God will judge you.Therefore put away sorrow from your heart, and evil from your flesh, for the beginning of life and childhood are vanity. When you are young, it is advisable to read the Lord of Creation. Chapter 12 When you are young and the days of decay have not yet come, that is, before the days of my joyless days are not approaching, remember your Maker.Do not wait until the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain, and the housekeepers tremble, and the mighty bow down, and the millers cease when they are few, and all who look out of their windows are dimmed; The sound of the mill is small, and when the birds sing, people rise up, and even the singing women fade away.Man is afraid of heights, there is panic on the road, the almond tree blossoms and explodes into a heavy burden, and all man's desires are nullified, for man goes to his eternal home, and mourners go to and fro in the streets.The silver chain is broken, the gold pot is broken, the bottle is broken by the fountain, the water wheel is broken at the wellhead, the dust returns to the earth, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.The Preacher said: Vanity of vanity, all is vanity. The preacher teaches the people in many ways. Moreover, because the preacher is wise, he still teaches the people knowledge; he meditates, studies, and states many proverbs.The preacher set his heart on pleasing words, the truth written with integrity. The words of a wise man are like goads, and the words of a teacher in the congregation are like nails fastened, given by one shepherd. I see that there is another level, you should be advised: many books, there is no end; many books, the body is tired. Fearing God, keeping the commandments, all these things have been heard.The general idea is to fear God and keep His commandments, which is the duty of man.For God will judge every deed of man, even every hidden deed, whether it be good or evil.