Ecclesiastes 4
1 Again I looked, and I considered all the oppression taking place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; the power lay in the hands of their oppressors, and there was no comforter.
茲に我身を轉して日の下に行はるる諸の虐遇を視たり 嗚呼虐げらる者の涙ながる 之を慰むる者あらざるなり また虐ぐる者の手には權力あり 彼等はこれを慰むる者あらざるなり
2 So I admired the dead, who had already died, above the living, who are still alive.
我は猶生る生者よりも既に死たる死者をもて幸なりとす
3 But better than both is he who has not yet existed, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.
またこの二者よりも幸なるは未だ世にあらずして日の下におこなはるる惡事を見ざる者なり
4 I saw that all labor and success spring from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
我また諸の労苦と諸の工事の精巧とを観るに 是は人のたがひに嫉みあひて成せる者たるなり 是も空にして風を捕ふるが如し
5 The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh.
愚なる者は手を束ねてその身の肉を食ふ
6 Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and pursuit of the wind.
片手に物を盈て平穏にあるは 兩手に物を盈て労苦て風を捕ふるに愈れり
7 Again, I saw futility under the sun.
我また身をめぐらし日の下に空なる事のあるを見たり
8 There is a man all alone, without even a son or brother. And though there is no end to his labor, his eyes are still not content with his wealth: “For whom do I toil and bereave my soul of enjoyment?” This too is futile—a miserable task.
茲に人あり只獨にして伴侶もなく子もなく兄弟もなし 然るにその労苦は都て窮なくの目は富に飽ことなし 彼また言ず嗚呼我は誰がために労するや何とて我は心を樂ませざるやと 是もまた空にして労力の苦き者なり
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.
二人は一人に愈る其はその労苦のために善報を得ればなり
10 For if one falls down, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to help him up!
即ちその跌倒る時には一箇の人その伴侶を扶けおこすべし 然ど孤身にして跌倒る者は憐なるかな之を扶けおこす者なきなり
11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone?
又二人ともに寝れば温暖なり一人ならぼ爭で混暖ならんや
12 And though one may be overpowered, two can resist. Moreover, a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
人もしその一人を攻撃ば二人してこれに當るべし 三根の繩は容易く断ざるなり
13 Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take a warning.
貧くして賢き童子は 老て愚にして諌を納れざる王に愈る
14 For the youth has come from the prison to the kingship, though he was born poor in his own kingdom.
彼は牢獄より出て王となれり 然どその國に生れし時は貧かりき
15 I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed this second one, the youth who succeeded the king.
我日の下にあゆむところの群生が彼王に続てこれに代りて立ところの童子とともにあるを観たり
16 There is no limit to all the people who were before them. Yet the successor will not be celebrated by those who come even later. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
民はすべて際限なし その前にありし者みな然り 後にきたる者また彼を悦ばず 是も空にして風を捕ふるがごとし
