5:8 你若在一省之中見窮人受欺壓，並奪去公義公平的事，不要因此詫異；因有一位高過居高位的鑑察，在他們以上還有更高的。
5:9 況且地的益處歸眾人，就是君王也受田地的供應。
5:10 貪愛銀子的，不因得銀子知足；貪愛豐富的，也不因得利益知足。這也是虛空。
5:11 貨物增添，吃的人也增添，物主得甚麼益處呢？不過眼看而已！
5:12 勞碌的人不拘吃多吃少，睡得香甜；富足人的豐滿卻不容他睡覺。
5:13 我見日光之下有一宗大禍患，就是財主積存資財，反害自己。
5:14 因遭遇禍患，這些資財就消滅；那人若生了兒子，手裡也一無所有。
5:15 他怎樣從母胎赤身而來，也必照樣赤身而去；他所勞碌得來的，手中分毫不能帶去。
5:16 他來的情形怎樣，他去的情形也怎樣。這也是一宗大禍患。他為風勞碌有甚麼益處呢？
5:17 並且他終身在黑暗中吃喝，多有煩惱，又有病患嘔氣。
5:18 我所見為善為美的，就是人在上帝賜他一生的日子吃喝，享受日光之下勞碌得來的好處，因為這是他的分。
5:19 上帝賜人資財豐富，使他能以吃用，能取自己的分，在他勞碌中喜樂，這乃是上帝的恩賜。
5:20 他不多思念自己一生的年日，因為上帝應他的心使他喜樂。
8 If you
see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be
surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over
them both are others higher still. 9 The increase from the land
is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.
10 Whoever loves money never has enough;
whoever
loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.
This
too is meaningless.
11 As goods increase,
so
do those who consume them.
And what benefit are they to the owners
except
to feast their eyes on them?
12 The sleep of a laborer is sweet,
whether
they eat little or much,
but as for the rich, their abundance
permits
them no sleep.
13 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun:
wealth hoarded to the harm of
its owners,
14 or wealth
lost through some misfortune,
so that when they have children
there
is nothing left for them to inherit.
15 Everyone comes naked
from their mother’s womb,
and
as everyone comes, so they depart.
They take nothing from their toil
that
they can carry in their hands.
16 This too is a grievous evil:
As everyone comes, so they
depart,
and
what do they gain,
since
they toil for the wind?
17 All their days they
eat in darkness,
with
great frustration, affliction and anger.
18 This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for
a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor
under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their
lot. 19 Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and
possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in
their toil—this is a gift of God. 20 They seldom reflect on the days of their life,
because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.
****************
傳道者在這裡說到：「我所見為善為美的，就是人在上帝賜他一生的日子吃喝，享受日光之下勞碌得來的好處，因為這是他的分。上帝賜人資財豐富，使他能以吃用，能取自己的分，在他勞碌中喜樂，這乃是上帝的恩賜。他不多思念自己一生的年日，因為上帝應他的心使他喜樂。」
而這樣得一分喜樂是來自於對上帝的感謝與敬畏！因為心裡之所以喜樂，是滿足於上帝所賜的！不會要求多又要更多，好還要更好！正如傳道者在這裡說到一種另類的虛空：「貪愛銀子的，不因得銀子知足；貪愛豐富的，也不因得利益知足。」「富足人的豐滿卻不容他睡覺！」「財主積存資財，反害自己。」
然而人是無法知足的，除非敬畏與感謝上帝所賜的一切，心存感謝享受美物！
