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

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?”

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,“ It is senseless,” and of 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 when you laugh, your heart can be hurting. And your joy can end in sadness.

So it’s better to go where people are mourning than to go where people are having a good time. Everyone will die someday. Those who are still living should really think about that.Not being able to figure things out is better than laughter. That’s because sorrow is good for the heart.Those who are wise are found where there is sorrow. But foolish people are found where there is pleasure.Pay attention to a wise person’s warning. That’s better than listening to the songs of those who are foolish.A foolish person’s laughter is like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot. That doesn’t have any meaning either.

As a result, they don’t live the rest of their earthly life for evil human desires. Instead, they live to do what God wants.You have spent enough time in the past doing what ungodly people choose to do. You lived a wild life. You longed for evil things. You got drunk. You went to wild parties. You worshiped statues of gods, which the Lord hates.Ungodly people are surprised that you no longer join them in what they do. They want you to join them in their wild and wasteful living. So they say bad things about you.

You are trying to avoid the time when trouble will come. But you are only bringing closer the Assyrian rule of terror.You lie down on beds that are decorated with ivory. You rest on your couches. You eat the best lambs and the fattest calves.You pluck away on your harps as David did. You play new songs on musical instruments.You drink wine by the bowlful. You use the finest lotions. But Joseph’s people will soon be destroyed. And you aren’t even sad about it.

The Lord who rules over all called out to you at that time. The Lord told you to weep and cry. He told you to tear your hair out. And he told you to put on the rough clothing people wear when they’re sad.Instead, you are enjoying yourselves at wild parties! You are killing cattle and sheep. You are eating their meat and drinking wine. You are saying,“ Let’s eat and drink, because tomorrow we’ll die.”