Ecclesiastes 11

1 Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again.

汝の糧食を水の上に投げよ 多くの日の後に汝ふたたび之を得ん

2 Divide your portion among seven, or even eight, for you do not know what disaster may befall the land.

汝一箇の分を七また八にわかて 其は汝如何なる災害の地にあらんかを知ざればなり

3 If the clouds are full, they will pour out rain upon the earth; whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there it will lie.

雲もし雨の充るあれば地に注ぐ また樹もし南か北に倒るるあればその樹は倒れたる處にあるべし

4 He who watches the wind will fail to sow, and he who observes the clouds will fail to reap.

風を伺ふ者は種播ことを得ず 雲を望む者は刈ことを得ず

5 As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the bones are formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.

汝は風の道の如何なるを知ず また孕める婦の胎にて骨の如何に生長つを知ず 斯汝は萬事を爲たまふ神の作爲を知ことなし

6 Sow your seed in the morning, and do not rest your hands in the evening, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or if both will equally prosper.

汝朝に種を播け 夕にも手を歇るなかれ 其はその實る者は此なるか彼なるか又は二者ともに美なるや汝これを知ざればなり

7 Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.

夫光明は快き者なり 目に日を見るは樂し

8 So if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all. But let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything to come is futile.

人多くの年生ながらへてその中凡て幸福なるもなほ幽暗の日を憶ふべきなり 其はその數も多かるべければなり 凡て來らんところの事は皆空なり

9 Rejoice, O young man, while you are young, and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and in the sight of your eyes, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment.

少者よ汝の少き時に快樂をなせ 汝の少き日に汝の心を悦ばしめ汝の心の道に歩み汝の目に見るところを爲せよ 但しその諸の行爲のために神汝を鞫きたまはんと知べし

10 So banish sorrow from your heart, and cast off pain from your body, for youth and vigor are fleeting.

然ば汝の心より憂を去り 汝の身より惡き者を除け 少き時と壮なる時はともに空なればなり