< Ecclesiastes 12 >
1 And remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, of which thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
故に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 sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, be 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 in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows are darkened,
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 and the doors are shut toward the street; when the sound of the grinding is subdued, and they rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low;
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 they are also afraid of what is high, and terrors are in the way, and the almond is despised, and the grasshopper is a burden, and the caper-berry is without effect; (for man goeth to his age-long home, and the mourners go about the streets; )
かかる人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廃る 人永遠の家にいたらんとすれば哭婦衢にゆきかふ
6 — before the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be shattered at the fountain, or the wheel be broken at the cistern;
然る時には銀の紐は解け金の盞は砕け吊瓶は泉の側に壊れ轆轤は井の傍に破ん
7 and the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return unto 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 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher: all is vanity.
傳道者云ふ空の空なるかな皆空なり
9 And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, and sought out, [and] set in order many proverbs.
また傅道者は智慧あるが故に恒に知識を民に教へたり 彼は心をもちひて尋ね究め許多の箴言を作れり
10 The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words; and that which was written is upright, 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 as goads, and the collections [of them] as nails fastened in: they are given from one 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 besides, my son, be warned by them: of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
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 多く学べば體疲る
13 Let us hear the end of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole of man.
事の全體の皈する所を聴べし 云く 神を畏れその誡命を守れ 是は諸の人の本分たり 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
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.