Ecclesiastes 12
1 Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of adversity come and the years approach of which you will say, “I find no pleasure in them,”
汝の少き日に汝の造主を記えよ 即ち惡き日の來り年のよりて我は早何も樂むところ無しと言にいたらざる先
2 before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is darkened, and the clouds return after the rain,
また日や光明や月や星の暗くならざる先 雨の後に雲の返らざる中に汝然せよ
3 on the day the keepers of the house tremble and the strong men stoop, when those grinding cease because they are few and those watching through windows see dimly,
その日いたる時は家を守る者は慄ひ 力ある人は屈み 磨碎者は寡きによりて息み 窓より窺ふ者は目昏むなり
4 when the doors to the street are shut and the sound of the mill fades away, when one rises at the sound of a bird and all the daughters of song grow faint,
磨こなす聲低くなれば衢の門は閉づ その人は鳥の聲に起あがり 歌の女子はみな身を卑くす
5 when men fear the heights and dangers of the road, when the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper loses its spring, and the caper berry shrivels— for then man goes to his eternal home and mourners walk the streets.
かかる人々は高き者を恐る畏しき者多く途にあり 巴旦杏は花咲くまた蝗もその身に重くその嗜欲は廢る 人永遠の家にいたらんとすれば哭婦衢にゆきかふ
6 Remember Him before the silver cord is snapped and the golden bowl is crushed, before the pitcher is shattered at the spring and the wheel is broken at the well,
然る時には銀の紐は解け金の盞は碎け吊瓶は泉の側に壞れ轆轤は井の傍に破ん
7 before the dust returns to the ground from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
而して塵は本の如くに土に皈り 霊魂はこれを賦けし神にかへるべし
8 “Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher. “Everything is futile!”
傳道者云ふ空の空なるかな皆空なり
9 Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also taught the people knowledge; he pondered, searched out, and arranged many proverbs.
また傳道者は智慧あるが故に恒に知識を民に敎へたり 彼は心をもちひて尋ね究め許多の箴言を作れり
10 The Teacher searched to find delightful sayings and to record accurate words of truth.
傳道者は務めて佳美き言詞を求めたり その書しるしたる者は正直して眞實の言語なり
11 The words of the wise are like goads, and the anthologies of the masters are like firmly embedded nails driven by a single Shepherd.
智者の言語は刺鞭のごとく 會衆の師の釘たる釘のごとくにして 一人の牧者より出し者なり
12 And by these, my son, be further warned: There is no end to the making of many books, and much study wearies the body.
わが子よ是等より訓誡をうけよ 多く書をつくれば竟なし 多く學べば體疲る
13 When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man.
事の全體の皈する所を聽べし 云く 神を畏れその誡命を守れ 是は諸の人の本分たり
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.
神は一切の行爲ならびに一切の隠れたる事を善惡ともに審判たまふなり
