Bible in one
year 10/25/2022 Ecclesiastes Introduction & Chapter 6-7
by Rev. Katherine Liu
Bruce
Christian Arts
Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music; Pastoral ministry &
counseling
Ecclesiastes
6 Solomon sets forth the futility of
riches, which fail ultimately to satisfy. (vv.1-9). Early death appears
superior to an unsatisfied life.(vv.3-5). The wise, the foolish, and the poor
are all characterized by desire for things, though the poor, knowing how to
conduct himself before others conceals his poverty and desire.(v.8). It is
better to enjoy present good than to long for future delights(v.9). Man is
unable to control his destiny, which is determined by God. This is contrary to
fatalism, which views God as either nonexistent or uninvolved.(vv.10-12). The
whole being of man is fully known by God, against whom no man can
contend.(v.10). Because of man’s finitude he is unable to know what is really
to his advantage.(v.12).
Ecclesiastes 6 (KJV)
¹ There is an evil which I have seen under the
sun, and it is common among men:
² A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth,
and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth,
yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is
vanity, and it is an evil disease.
³ If a man beget an hundred children, and live
many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled
with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is
better than he.
⁴ For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in
darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.
⁵ Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known
any thing: this hath more rest than the other.
⁶ Yea, though he live a thousand years twice
told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?
⁷ All the labour of man is for his mouth, and
yet the appetite is not filled.
⁸ For what hath the wise more than the fool?
what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?
⁹ Better is the sight of the eyes than the
wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.
¹⁰ That which hath been is named already, and it
is known that it is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than
he.
¹¹ Seeing there be many things that increase
vanity, what is man the better?
¹² For who knoweth what is good for man in this
life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can
tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?
傳 6 (CKJVGT)
¹ 我見日光之下有一宗禍患普遍在人身上，
² 就是人蒙 神賜他資財、豐富、尊榮，以致他心裏所願的一樣都不缺，只是 神使他不能吃用，反有外人來吃用。這是虛空，也是禍患。
³人若生一百個兒女，活許多歲數，以致他的年日甚多，心裏卻不得滿享福樂，又不得埋葬；據我說，那不到期而落的胎比他倒好。
⁴ 因為虛虛而來，暗暗而去，名字被黑暗遮蔽，
⁵ 並且沒有見過天日，也毫無知覺；這胎，比那人倒享安息。
⁶ 那人雖然活千年，再活千年，卻不享福，眾人豈不都歸一個地方去嗎？
⁷ 人的勞碌都為口腹，心裏卻不知足。
⁸這樣看來，智慧人比愚昧人有甚麼長處呢？窮人在活人面前知道如何行有甚麼長處呢？
⁹ 眼睛所看的比心裏妄想的倒好。這也是虛空，也使心靈憂傷。
¹⁰ 先前所有的，早已起了名，並知道何為人，他也不能與那比自己力大的相爭。
¹¹ 加增虛浮的事既多，這與人有甚麼益處呢？
¹²人一生虛度的日子，就如影兒經過，誰知道甚麼與他有益呢？誰能告訴他身後在日光之下有甚麼事呢？
Ecclesiastes 7 Though
a series of proverbial sayings, Solomon offers counsel concerning wisdom and
folly. (vv.1-14). A visit to a home stricken by tragedy reminds one of the
brevity of life and of the need for wise living. Such a visit is better for a
man than a visit to a place of boisterous festivity.(v.2). Sorrow may have a
beneficial effect, tempering one’s mirth with seriousness. (v.3). Dry thorns set afire yield a snapping, bring blaze, but like the empty laughter of a fool, the fire quickly dies out.(v.6).
Wisdom with wealth is better than wisdom alone.(v.11). God brings both
prosperity and adversity into our lives for His sovereign purposes, without
revealing the key to His plan.(vv.13-14). Solomon continues to use proverbial sayings
to set forth the advantages and limitations of wisdom.(7:15-8:15). Living in moderation
rather than excess is Solomon’s counsel.(vv.16-17). Do not be overrighteous. I.e.,
do not exaggerate your righteousness with superficiality. It will be to no avail.(v.16).
Solomon’s counsel is to hold fast both to wisdom and to righteousness(7:16), for
both characterize the man who reverses God.(v.18). There is a need for self-restraint
in the face of humiliation(vv.21-22).
Ecclesiastes 7 (KJV)
¹ A good name is better than precious ointment;
and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
² It is better to go to the house of mourning,
than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the
living will lay it to his heart.
³ Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the
sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
⁴ The heart of the wise is in the house of
mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
⁵ It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise,
than for a man to hear the song of fools.
⁶ For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so
is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.
⁷ Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a
gift destroyeth the heart.
⁸ Better is the end of a thing than the
beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in
spirit.
⁹ Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for
anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
¹⁰ Say not thou, What is the cause that the
former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning
this.
¹¹ Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it
there is profit to them that see the sun.
¹² For wisdom is a defence, and money is a
defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them
that have it.
¹³ Consider the work of God: for who can make
that straight, which he hath made crooked?
¹⁴ In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in
the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the
other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.
¹⁵ All things have I seen in the days of my
vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a
wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.
¹⁶ Be not righteous over much; neither make
thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? ¹⁷ Be not over much wicked, neither be thou
foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
¹⁸ It is good that thou shouldest take hold of
this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God
shall come forth of them all.
¹⁹ Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten
mighty men which are in the city.
²⁰ For there is not a just man upon earth, that
doeth good, and sinneth not.
²¹ Also take no heed unto all words that are
spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee:
²² For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth
that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
²³ All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I
will be wise; but it was far from me.
²⁴ That which is far off, and exceeding deep,
who can find it out?
²⁵ I applied mine heart to know, and to search,
and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of
folly, even of foolishness and madness:
²⁶ And I find more bitter than death the woman,
whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God
shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.
²⁷ Behold, this have I found, saith the
preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:
²⁸ Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not:
one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not
found.
²⁹ Lo, this only have I found, that God hath
made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
傳 7 (CKJVGT)
¹ 名譽勝過美好的膏油；人死的日子勝過人生的日子。
² 往遭喪的家去，勝過往宴樂的家去；因為死是眾人的結局，活人也必將這事放在心上。
³ 憂愁勝過喜笑；因為面帶愁容，終必使心喜樂。
⁴ 智慧人的心在遭喪之家；愚昧人的心在快樂之家。
⁵ 聽智慧人的責備，勝過聽愚昧人的歌唱。
⁶ 愚昧人的笑聲，好像鍋下燒荊棘的爆聲；這也是虛空。
⁷ 欺壓使智慧人癲狂；賄賂能敗壞人的慧心。
⁸ 事情的終局勝過事情的起頭；靈裏忍耐的，勝過靈裏驕傲的。
⁹ 你不要靈裏急躁惱怒，因為惱怒存在愚昧人的懷中。
¹⁰ 不要說：先前的日子強過如今的日子，是甚麼緣故呢？你這樣問，不是出於智慧。
¹¹ 智慧和產業並好，而且見天日的人得智慧便為有益。
¹²因為智慧護庇人，好像錢護庇人一樣。唯獨智慧能保全智慧人的生命。這就是知識的益處。
¹³ 你要察看 神的作為；因 神使為曲的，誰能變為直呢？
¹⁴ 遇亨通的日子你當喜樂；遭患難的日子你當思想；因為 神使這兩樣對列，為的是叫人查不出身後有甚麼事。
¹⁵ 有義人行義，反致滅亡；有惡人行惡，倒享長壽。這都是我在虛度之日中所見過的。
¹⁶ 不要行義過分，也不要過於自逞智慧，何必自取敗亡呢？
¹⁷ 不要行惡過分，也不要為人愚昧，何必不到期而死呢？
¹⁸ 你持守這個為美，那個也不要鬆手；因為敬畏 神的人，必從這兩樣出來。
¹⁹ 智慧使有智慧的人比城中十個勇士更有能力。
²⁰ 時常行善而不犯罪的義人，世上實在沒有。
²¹ 人所說的一切話，你不要放在心上，恐怕聽見你的僕人咒詛你。
²² 因為你心裏知道，自己也曾屢次咒詛別人。
²³ 我曾用智慧試驗這一切事。我說：「我要得智慧；」智慧卻離我遠。
²⁴ 諸事離我甚遠，而且極深，誰能測透呢？
²⁵我一心要知道，要考察，要尋求智慧，尋求諸事的理由，又要知道邪惡為愚昧，乃愚昧和狂妄；
²⁶ 我得知有等婦人比死還苦：她的心是網羅，手如鎖鏈。凡蒙 神喜悅的人必能躲避她；有罪的人卻被她纏住了。
²⁷ 傳道者說：「看哪，我將這事一一比較，要尋求其理。
²⁸一千男子中，我找到一個正直人；但眾女子中，沒有找到一個。」我心仍要尋找，卻未曾找到。
²⁹ 看哪，我所找到的只有一件，就是 神造人原是正直；但他們尋出許多巧計。
Bibliography,
Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV). Chicago,
IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986.
King James, The
Holy Bible(KJV). Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company
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