Chuándàoshū 9:12

12 Yuánlái rén yĕ bù zhīdào zìjǐ de déng qī . yú beì è wǎng juān zhù , niǎo beì wǎngluó zhuō zhù , huòhuàn hūrán líndào de shíhou , shìrén xiàn zaì qízhōng , yĕ shì rúcǐ .

Chuándàoshū 9:12 Meaning and Commentary

Ecclesiastes 9:12

For man also knoweth not his time
Though it is fixed and settled by the Lord, yet times and seasons are kept in his own power, and not known by men; not the time of his death, nor of any calamity and distress coming upon him, nor the proper season and opportunity of doing himself good, and avoiding evil; as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are
caught in the snare;
as fishes are suddenly taken in a net, unhappy for them, which is at once east over them, while they are sporting and playing in the water, and catching at the bait; and as birds, being decoyed, are unawares taken in a snare; that is, both of them know not the time of their being caught; so [are] the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth
suddenly upon them;
they are no more able to guard against a time of adversity and calamity, and the evil of it, which comes at once upon them, than the poor fishes or silly birds are to avoid the net and snare; and are, like them, at such a time, in the utmost security, indulging themselves in ease and pleasure: so the day of death, and of judgment, will come like a thief in the night; or like a snare upon men, when they think nothing of it, but are giving up themselves to their lusts and pleasures; see ( 1 Thessalonians 5:2 1 Thessalonians 5:3 ) ( Luke 21:34 Luke 21:35 ) ( Luke 17:26 Luke 17:30 ) ; for pleasure, as Plato says, is the bait of evils, with which men are caught, as fishes with the hook F7.


FOOTNOTES:

F7 Apud Ciceronem de Senectute, c. 12. "Hic ubi saepe occultum visus decurrere piscis ad hamum", Horat. Epist. l. 1. Ep. 8. v. 73, 74.

Chuándàoshū 9:12 In-Context

10 Fán nǐ shǒu suǒ dāng zuò de shì , yào jìnlì qù zuò . yīnwei zaì nǐ suǒ bì qù de yīnjiān , méiyǒu gōngzuò , méiyǒu móu suàn , méiyǒu zhīshi , yĕ méiyǒu zhìhuì .
11 Wǒ yòu zhuǎn niàn , jiàn rì guāng zhī xià , kuaì pǎo de wèi bì néng yíng , lì zhàn de wèi bì déshèng , zhìhuì de wèi bì dé liángshi , míng zhé de wèi bì dé zī cái , língqiǎo de wèi bì dé xǐyuè . suǒ líndào zhòngrén de , shì zaìhu dāngshí de jīhuì .
12 Yuánlái rén yĕ bù zhīdào zìjǐ de déng qī . yú beì è wǎng juān zhù , niǎo beì wǎngluó zhuō zhù , huòhuàn hūrán líndào de shíhou , shìrén xiàn zaì qízhōng , yĕ shì rúcǐ .
13 Wǒ jiàn rì guāng zhī xià yǒu yíyàng zhìhuì , jū wǒ kàn nǎi shì guǎngdà ,
14 Jiù shì yǒu yī xiǎo chéng , qízhōng de rén shǔ xīshǎo , yǒu dà jūnwáng lái gōngjī , xiū zhú yíng lĕi , jiāng chéng wéi kùn .
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