2:1 我心下自语：「来，试一试享乐，享受一下福乐!」看，这也是空虚。
I said to myself, "Come, now, let me try you with pleasure and the enjoyment of good things." But behold, this too was vanity. 2:2 我称欢笑为「疯狂」，我对喜乐说：「这有何用﹖」
Of laughter I said: "Mad!" and of mirth: "What good does this do?" 2:3 我遂决意喝酒使我的肉身畅快，──但我的心仍为智慧所引导，并决意迷恋于狂妄的事，直到我看清，世人在天下一生有限的岁月中所做的事，有什么好处为止。
I thought of beguiling my senses with wine, though my mind was concerned with wisdom, and of taking up folly, until I should understand what is best for men to do under the heavens during the limited days of their life. 2:4 我于是扩大我的工程：为自己建造宫室，栽植葡萄园，
I undertook great works; I built myself houses and planted vineyards; 2:5 开辟园囿，在其中栽植各种果树，
I made gardens and parks, and set out in them fruit trees of all sorts. 2:6 挖掘水池，以浇灌在生长中的树木。
And I constructed for myself reservoirs to water a flourishing woodland. 2:7 买了奴婢，还有在家中出世的僮仆，又有许多牛羊，多过我以前住在耶路撒冷的人。
I acquired male and female slaves, and slaves were born in my house. I also had growing herds of cattle and flocks of sheep, more than all who had been before me in Jerusalem. 2:8 我还聚敛了大批金银，及各王候各省郡的财宝；拥有许多吟咏的男女，无数的嫔妃，以及人间所有的享受。
I amassed for myself silver and gold, and the wealth of kings and provinces. I got for myself male and female singers and all human luxuries. 2:9 我虽如此富有，超过以往住在耶路撒冷的人，但我仍没有丧失智慧。
I became great, and I stored up more than all others before me in Jerusalem; my wisdom, too, stayed with me. 2:10 凡我眼所希求的，我决不加以拒绝；凡我心所愿享受的快乐，我也决不加以阻止；因为我的心对我的一切劳苦工作，实在满意；其实，这也是我由劳苦工作应得的报酬。
Nothing that my eyes desired did I deny them, nor did I deprive myself of any joy, but my heart rejoiced in the fruit of all my toil. This was my share for all my toil. 2:11 但当我回顾我所作的一切工作，以及工作时所受的劳苦，看，一切都是空虚，都是追风；在太阳之下，毫无裨益。
But when I turned to all the works that my hands had wrought, and to the toil at which I had taken such pains, behold! all was vanity and a chase after wind, with nothing gained under the sun. 2:12 我又回顾观察智慧、疯狂和昏愚；那继位作君王的人能做什么﹖只能做已做过的事。
For what will the man do who is to come after the king? What men have already done! I went on to the consideration of wisdom, madness and folly. 2:13 我看透智慧胜于昏愚，像光明胜于黑暗。
And I saw that wisdom has the advantage over folly as much as light has the advantage over darkness. 2:14 「智者高瞻远瞩，愚者却在黑暗中摸索。」但我也知道：二者都要遭遇到同样的命运。
The wise man has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness.Yet I knew that one lot befalls both of them. 2:15 我心中自问：「愚人的命运，我也会遇到，为什么我要更明智﹖」我遂下结论说：「这也是空虚。」
So I said to myself, if the fool’s lot is to befall me also, why then should I be wise? Where is the profit for me? And I concluded in my heart that this too is vanity. 2:16 因为智者和愚者，同样不为人长久记念，早晚有一天都要被人遗忘。可惜，智者和愚者同样死去!
Neither of the wise man nor of the fool will there be an abiding remembrance, for in days to come both will have been forgotten. How is it that the wise man dies as well as the fool! 2:17 于是我恼恨生命，因为太阳之下所发生的事，无非使我烦恼，因为全是空虚，都是追风。
Therefore I loathed life, since for me the work that is done under the sun is evil; for all is vanity and a chase after wind. 2:18 我憎恨我在太阳下所受的劳苦，因为我要将劳苦所得，留给我的后人。
And I detested all the fruits of my labor under the sun, because I must leave them to a man who is to come after me. 2:19 他是智是愚，有谁知道；但他一定要主管我在太阳下，以智慧所辛苦经营的一切工作：这也是空虚。
And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruits of my wise labor under the sun. This also is vanity. 2:20 我回顾我在太阳下所受的一切劳苦，就灰心失望。
So my feelings turned to despair of all the fruits of my labor under the sun. 2:21 因为有人以智慧、学问和才干劳作得来的，却应留给那未曾劳作的人，作为产业：这也是空虚和大不幸。
For here is a man who has labored with wisdom and knowledge and skill, and to another, who has not labored over it, he must leave his property. This also is vanity and a great misfortune. 2:22 人在太阳下所受的一切劳苦，以及痛心的事，究竟有什么裨益﹖
For what profit comes to a man from all the toil and anxiety of heart with which he has labored under the sun? 2:23 其实，人天天所有的事务，无非是悲痛和烦恼；而且夜里，心也得不到安息：这也是空虚。
All his days sorrow and grief are his occupation; even at night his mind is not at rest. This also is vanity. 2:24 人除了吃喝和享受自己劳作之所得以外，别无更好的事。我也看透了：这是从天主手里来的。
There is nothing better for man than to eat and drink and provide himself with good things by his labors. Even this, I realized, is from the hand of God. 2:25 因为离了天主，谁能有吃的，谁能有所享受﹖
For who can eat or drink apart from him? 2:26 天主原把智慧、学问和欢乐，赐给他所喜爱的人。至于罪人，天主将积蓄贮藏财物的劳苦加于他身上，好将一切财物留给天主所喜爱的人：这也是空虚，也是追风。
For to whatever man he sees fit he gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering possessions to be given to whatever man God sees fit. This also is vanity and a chase after wind.