I said of laughter,“ It is senseless,” and of pleasure,“ What does this accomplish?”

我指嬉笑说：“这是狂妄。”论喜乐说：“有何功效呢？”

论嬉笑，我说：“这是狂妄。”论享乐，“这有什么用呢？”

论嬉笑，我说：“这是狂妄。”论享乐，“这有什么用呢？”

我说：“欢笑只不过是一阵狂妄，享乐又有什么用！”

对嬉笑，我说：“那是狂妄”；对享乐，我说：“这有什么作用呢？”

论到欢笑，我说：“这是发狂”；论到享乐，我说：“这有什么用呢？”

我指嬉笑說：「這是狂妄。」論喜樂說：「有何功效呢？」

論嬉笑，我說：「這是狂妄。」論享樂，「這有甚麼用呢？」

論嬉笑，我說：「這是狂妄。」論享樂，「這有甚麼用呢？」

我說：「歡笑只不過是一陣狂妄，享樂又有什麼用！」

對嬉笑，我說：“那是狂妄”；對享樂，我說：“這有甚麼作用呢？”

我指着嬉笑說：『這是狂妄』；指着喜樂說：『這有甚麼作用？』

論到歡笑，我說：「這是發狂」；論到享樂，我說：「這有什麼用呢？」

我謂嬉笑為狂、逸樂何益、

我言嬉戲惟狂、宴樂無益。

我言嬉笑為狂、宴樂何為、

“ Laughter,” I said,“ is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?”

“ Laughter doesn’t make any sense,” I said.“ And what can pleasure do for me?”

I said of laughter,“ It is mad,” and of pleasure,“ What use is it?”

So I said,“ Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?”

I said about laughter,“ It is madness,” and about pleasure,“ What does this accomplish?”

I said of laughter—“ Madness!”; and of mirth,“ What does it accomplish?”

I said of laughter, It is mad; and of mirth, What doeth it?

I said about laughter,“ It is madness,” and about pleasure,“ What does this accomplish?”

I said of laughter,[ It is] mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?

I said of partying,“ It is folly,” and of self-indulgent pleasure,“ It accomplishes nothing!”

I said of laughter,“ It is foolishness;” and of mirth,“ What does it accomplish?”

Even in laughter the heart may be in pain, And the end of joy may be grief.

It is better to go to a house of mourning Than to go to a house of feasting, Because that is the end of every person, And the living takes it to heart.Sorrow is better than laughter, For when a face is sad a heart may be happy.The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, While the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.It is better to listen to the rebuke of a wise person Than for one to listen to the song of fools.For as the crackling of thorn bushes under a pot, So is the laughter of the fool; And this too is futility.

so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human lusts, but for the will of God.For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of indecent behavior, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and wanton idolatries.In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them in the same excesses of debauchery, and they slander you;

Are you postponing the day of disaster, And would you bring near the seat of violence?Those who lie on beds of ivory, And lounge around on their couches, And eat lambs from the flock, And calves from the midst of the fattened cattle,Who improvise to the sound of the harp, And like David have composed songs for themselves,Who drink wine from sacred bowls While they anoint themselves with the finest of oils— Yet they have not grieved over the collapse of Joseph.

Therefore on that day the Lord God of armies called you to weeping, to wailing, To shaving the head, and to wearing sackcloth.Instead, there is joy and jubilation, Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, Eating of meat and drinking of wine:“ Let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.”