8:1 谁如智慧人呢。谁知道事情的解释呢。人的智慧使他的脸发光，并使他的脸上的暴气改变。

Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.

 

8:2 我劝你遵守王的命令。既指神起誓，理当如此。

I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.

 

8:3 不要急躁离开王的面前。不要固执行恶。因为他凡事都随自己的心意而行。

Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.

 

8:4 王的话本有权力，谁敢问他说，你作什么呢。

Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

 

8:5 凡遵守命令的，必不经历祸患。智慧人的心，能辨明时候和定理。（原文作审判下节同）

Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment.

 

8:6 各样事务成就，都有时候和定理。因为人的苦难，重压在他身上。

Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.

8:7 他不知道将来的事，因为将来如何，谁能告诉他呢。

For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?

 

8:8 无人有权力掌管生命，将生命留住。也无人有权力掌管死期。这场争战，无人能免，邪恶也不能救那好行邪恶的人。

There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.

 

8:9 这一切我都见过。也专心查考日光之下所作的一切事。有时这人管辖那人，令人受害。

All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.

 

8:10 我见恶人埋葬，归入坟墓。又见行正直事的，离开圣地，在城中被人忘记。这也是虚空。

And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity.

 

8:11 因为断定罪名，不立刻施刑，所以世人满心作恶。

Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

 

8:12 罪人虽然作恶百次，倒享长久的年日。然而我准知道，敬畏神的，就是在他面前敬畏的人，终久必得福乐。

Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:

 

8:13 恶人却不得福乐，也不得长久的年日。这年日好像影儿，因他不敬畏神。

But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.

 

8:14 世上有一件虚空的事，就是义人所遭遇的，反照恶人所行的。又有恶人所遭遇的，反照义人所行的。我说，这也是虚空。

There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.

 

8:15 我就称赞快乐，原来人在日光之下，莫强如吃喝快乐。因为他在日光之下，神赐他的年日，要从劳碌中，时常享受所得的。

Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.

 

8:16 我专心求智慧，要看世上所作的事。（有昼夜不睡觉，不合眼的）。

When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:)

 

8:17 我就看明神一切的作为。知道人查不出日光之下所作的事。任凭他费多少力寻查，都查不出来。就是智慧人虽想知道，也是查不出来。

Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea farther; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.