Ecclesiastes 3

传道书 第三章

1 凡事都有定期，天下万务都有定时。

2 生有时，死有时；栽种有时，拔出所栽种的也有时；

3 杀戮有时，医治有时；拆毁有时，建造有时；

4 哭有时，笑有时；哀恸有时，跳舞有时；

5 抛掷石头有时，堆聚石头有时；怀抱有时，不怀抱有时；

6 寻找有时，失落有时；保守有时，舍弃有时；

7 撕裂有时，缝补有时；静默有时，言语有时；

8 喜爱有时，恨恶有时；争战有时，和好有时。

9 这样看来，作事的人在他的劳碌上有什么益处呢？10 我见上帝叫世人劳苦，使他们在其中受经练。

11 上帝造万物，各按其时成为美好，又将永生安置在世人心里（“永生”原文作“永远”）。然而上帝从始至终的作为，人不能参透。

12 我知道世人，莫强如终身喜乐行善，13 并且人人吃喝，在他一切劳碌中享福，这也是上帝的恩赐。14 我知道上帝一切所作的都必永存，无所增添，无所减少。上帝这样行，是要人在他面前存敬畏的心。15 现今的事早先就有了，将来的事早已也有了，并且上帝使已过的事重新再来。（或作“并且上帝再寻回已过的事”）。

16 我又见日光之下，在审判之处有奸恶，在公义之处也有奸恶。17 我心里说：上帝必审判义人和恶人，因为在那里，各样事务，一切工作，都有定时。18 我心里说：这乃为世人的缘故，是上帝要试验他们，使他们觉得自己不过像兽一样。19 因为世人遭遇的，兽也遭遇，所遭遇的都是一样；这个怎样死，那个也怎样死，气息都是一样。人不能强于兽，都是虚空。20 都归一处，都是出于尘土，也都归于尘土。21 谁知道人的灵是往上升，兽的魂是下入地呢？22 故此，我见人莫强如在他经营的事上喜乐，因为这是他的份；他身后的事，谁能使他回来得见呢？


讨论问题：


1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

9 What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race.

11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him. 15 Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account.

16 And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment—wickedness was there, in the place of justice—wickedness was there. 17 I said to myself, “God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed.” 18 I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. 19 Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath ; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. 20 All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?” 22 So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?


Discussion Questions: