Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.

不要说：先前的日子强过如今的日子，是什么缘故呢？你这样问，不是出于智慧。

不要说：为什么先前的日子强过现今的日子呢？你这样问不是出于智慧。

不要说：为什么先前的日子强过现今的日子呢？你这样问不是出于智慧。

不要问为什么过去比现在好，因为这样问不明智。

你不要说：“为什么从前的日子胜过现在的呢？”你这样问，不是出于智慧。

不要说：“为什么先前的日子好过现在的日子呢？”因为你这样问不是出于智慧。

不要說：先前的日子強過如今的日子，是甚麼緣故呢？你這樣問，不是出於智慧。

不要說：為甚麼先前的日子強過現今的日子呢？你這樣問不是出於智慧。

不要說：為甚麼先前的日子強過現今的日子呢？你這樣問不是出於智慧。

不要問為什麼過去比現在好，因為這樣問不明智。

你不要說：“為甚麼從前的日子勝過現在的呢？”你這樣問，不是出於智慧。

你不要說：『為甚麼先前的日子比如今這些日子好呢？』因為你問到這事、並不是出於智慧。

不要說：「為什麼先前的日子好過現在的日子呢？」因為你這樣問不是出於智慧。

勿謂今不如古何耶、詢此、乃不智也、

勿是古非今、而尚論其事、此非智者所為也。

爾勿問云、緣何今日不如昔日、爾如是問、則非出於智慧、

Do not say,“ Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions.

Don’t say,“ Why were things better in the good old days?” It isn’t wise to ask that kind of question.

Say not,“ Why were the former days better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.

Don’t long for“ the good old days.” This is not wise.

Don’t say,“ Why were the former days better than these?” since it is not wise of you to ask this.

Do not say,“ Why is it that the former days were better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this.

Do not say,“ Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not inquire wisely concerning this.

Don’t say,“ Why were the former days better than these?” since it is not wise of you to ask this.

Say not thou, What is[ the cause] that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.

Do not say,“ Why were the old days better than these days?” for it is not wise to ask that.

Don’t say,“ Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not ask wisely about this.

And Gideon said unto him, Oh, my lord, if Jehovah is with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not Jehovah bring us up from Egypt? but now Jehovah hath cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.

But we will certainly perform every word that is gone forth out of our mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink- offerings unto her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.But since we left off burning incense to the queen of heaven, and pouring out drink- offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink- offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink- offerings unto her, without our husbands?

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four- footed beasts, and creeping things.Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves:for that they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.For this cause God gave them up unto vile passions: for their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature:and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working unseemliness, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was due.And even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity; whisperers,backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,without understanding, covenant- breakers, without natural affection, unmerciful:who, knowing the ordinance of God, that they that practise such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also consent with them that practise them.

What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we before laid to the charge both of Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin;as it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one;There is none that understandeth, There is none that seeketh after God;They have all turned aside, they are together become unprofitable; There is none that doeth good, no, not so much as one:Their throat is an open sepulchre; With their tongues they have used deceit: The poison of asps is under their lips:Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:Their feet are swift to shed blood;Destruction and misery are in their ways;And the way of peace have they not known:There is no fear of God before their eyes.Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it speaketh to them that are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God:

Jehovah looked down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there were any that did understand, That did seek after God.They are all gone aside; they are together become filthy; There is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Thus saith Jehovah, Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement, wherewith I have put her away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities were ye sold, and for your transgressions was your mother put away.

And the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.And God saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth.