| 第1段 | |
| 中文： | 我见日光之下有一宗祸患，重压在人身上。 |
| 英文： | There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: |
| 第2段 | |
| 中文： | 就是人蒙神赐他赀财，丰富，尊荣，以致他心里所愿的一样都不缺，只是神使他不能吃用，反有外人来吃用。这是虚空，也是祸患。 |
| 英文： | 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. |
| 第3段 | |
| 中文： | 人若生一百个儿子，活了许多岁数，以致他的年日甚多，心里却不得满享福乐，又不得埋葬。据我说，那不到期而落的胎比他倒好。 |
| 英文： | 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. |
| 第4段 | |
| 中文： | 因为虚虚而来，暗暗而去，名字被黑暗遮蔽。 |
| 英文： | For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness. |
| 第5段 | |
| 中文： | 并且没有见过天日，也无知觉。这胎，比那人倒享安息。 |
| 英文： | Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more rest than the other. |
| 第6段 | |
| 中文： | 那人虽然活千年，再活千年，却不享福，众人岂不都归一个地方去吗。 |
| 英文： | Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place? |
| 第7段 | |
| 中文： | 人的劳碌都为口腹，心里却不知足。 |
| 英文： | All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled. |
| 第8段 | |
| 中文： | 这样看来，智慧人比愚昧人有什么长处呢。穷人在众人面前知道如何行，有什么长处呢。 |
| 英文： | For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living? |
| 第9段 | |
| 中文： | 眼睛所看的，比心里妄想的倒好。这也是虚空，也是捕风。 |
| 英文： | Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit. |
| 第10段 | |
| 中文： | 先前所有的，早已起了名。并知道何为人。他也不能与那比自己力大的相争。 |
| 英文： | 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. |
| 第11段 | |
| 中文： | 加增虚浮的事既多，这与人有什么益处呢。 |
| 英文： | Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better? |
| 第12段 | |
| 中文： | 人一生虚度的日子，就如影儿经过。谁知道什么与他有益呢。谁能告诉他身后在日光之下有什么事呢。 |
| 英文： | 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? |