Ecclesiastes 7
传道书 第七章
美名优于美好的膏油，死亡的日子胜过诞生的日子。
往服丧之家，比往宴乐之家还好，因为死是人人的结局，活人要把这事放在心上。
忧愁胜于嬉笑，因为面带愁容，能使内心得着好处。
智慧人的心在服丧之家，愚昧人的心在欢乐之家。
听智慧人的斥责，胜过听愚昧人的歌唱。
愚昧人的笑声，就像锅底下荆棘的爆声一样。这也是虚空。
勒索会使智慧人变为愚妄，贿赂能败坏人心。
事情的结局胜于开端，存心忍耐的，胜过居心骄傲的。
你心里不要轻易动怒，因为恼怒留在愚昧人的胸怀中。
你不要说：“为什么从前的日子胜过现在的呢？”你这样问，不是出于智慧。
智慧与产业都是好的，对得见天日的人是有益的。
因为受智慧的庇护，如同受银子的庇护。唯有智慧能保全智慧人的生命，这就是知识的益处。
要观察上帝的作为，因为他所屈曲的，谁能弄直呢？
在亨通的日子，应当享福；遭遇患难的时候，就当省察。上帝使这两样并存，为了叫人查不出未来的事。
在我虚空的日子里，我见过这两件事：有义人行义反而灭亡，有恶人行恶倒享长寿。
不要过分公义，也不要太过有智慧，何必自取灭亡呢？
不要过分作恶，也不要作愚昧人，何必时候未到就死？
持守这个是好的，那个也不要放松，因为敬畏 上帝的人，都必避免这两个极端。
智慧使智慧人比城中十个官长更有能力。
世上实在没有一个行善而不犯罪的义人。
人所说的一切话，都不要放在心上，因你可能听见仆人咒骂你。
其实你心里明白，自己也曾多次咒骂别人。
这一切我都用智慧试验过。我说：“我要得智慧”，智慧却远离我。
那离得远又极深奥的，谁能找到呢？
我转念，一心去了解、考察并寻觅智慧和事理，又要知道愚蒙是邪恶的，狂妄是愚昧的。
我发现一个比死亡更恶毒的妇人，她有如罗网，心如陷阱，手如锁链。蒙上帝喜悦的人得以摆脱她，罪人却被她缠住。
传道者说：“看哪！我发现了这件事，我一再揣摩，要找出事情的道理。
我的心仍在寻觅，却还找不到，就是在一千个男人中，我找到一个正直人，但在所有的女人中，连一个也找不到。
我所明白的，只有这件事：上帝造人原是正直的，他们却找出许多巧计。”
讨论问题：
用你的话说，解释一下第4节？ 你同意这一节所说的吗？
听智者的劝告比听愚者的歌更好吗？ 为什么？
解释一下16-19节？ 你同意吗？
请思考第 21 节和第 22 节，这里所讲的是什么意思？
解释一下“上帝创造人类是正直的，但他们却寻找了许多巧计。”
本章对你来说最有意义的是什么？ 为什么？
A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth.
It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart.
Frustration is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person than to listen to the song of fools.
Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. This too is meaningless.
Extortion turns a wise person into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.
Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.
Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions.
Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing and benefits those who see the sun.
Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it.
Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked?
When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.
In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: the righteous perishing in their righteousness, and the wicked living long in their wickedness.
Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise— why destroy yourself?
Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool— why die before your time?
It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.
Wisdom makes one wise person more powerful than ten rulers in a city.
Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.
Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you—
for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.
All this I tested by wisdom and I said, “I am determined to be wise”— but this was beyond me.
Whatever exists is far off and most profound— who can discover it?
So I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly.
I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare.
“Look,” says the Teacher, “this is what I have discovered: “Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things—
while I was still searching but not finding— I found one upright man among a thousand, but not one upright woman among them all.
This only have I found: God created mankind upright, but they have gone in search of many schemes.”
Discussion Questions:
In your words, explain verse 4? Do you agree?
Is it better to listen to the admonishment of a wise person than the song of fools? Why?
Explain verses 16-19? Do you agree?
Consider verses 21 and 22, what does it mean?
Explain "God created mankind upright, but they have gone in search of many schemes.”
What is most meaningful to you in this chapter? Why?