Ecclesiastes 6
1 I have observed another evil here on earth, and it has a great impact on humanity.
我観るに日の下に一件の患あり是は人の間に恒なる者なり
2 God gives wealth, possessions, and honor to someone. They have everything they want. But God doesn't let them enjoy what they have. Instead somebody else does! This is hard to fathom, and is truly evil.
すなはち神富と財と貴を人にあたへて その心に慕ふ者を一件もこれに欠ることなからしめたまひながらも 神またその人に之を食ふことを得せしめたまはずして 他人のこれを食ことあり 是空なり惡き疾なり
3 A man could have one hundred children, and grow old, but it wouldn't matter how long his life was if he couldn't enjoy it and at the end receive a decent burial. I would say that a stillborn child would be better off than him.
仮令人百人の子を挙けまた長壽してその年齢の日多からんも 若その心景福に満足せざるか又は葬らるることを得ざるあれば 我言ふ流産の子はその人にまさるたり
4 The way a stillborn child comes into the world and then leaves is painfully hard to understand—arriving and departing in darkness—and who he would have been is never known.
夫流産の子はその來ること空しくして黒暗の中に去ゆきその名は黒暗の中にかくるるなり
5 He never saw the light of day or knew what it was like to live. Yet the child finds rest, and not this man.
又是は日を見ることなく物を知ることなければ彼よりも安泰なり
6 Even if this man were to live a thousand years twice over he still wouldn't be happy. Don't we all end up in the same place—the grave?
人の壽命千年に倍するとも福祉を蒙れるにはあらず 皆一所に往くにあらずや
7 Everyone works so they can live, but they're never satisfied.
人の労苦は皆その口のためなり その心はなほも飽ざるところ有り
8 So then, what real advantage do wise people have over those who are fools? And do poor people really gain anything in knowing how to behave in front of others?
賢者なんぞ愚者に勝るところあらんや また世人の前に歩行ことを知ところの貧者も何の勝るところ有んや
9 Be happy with what you have instead of running after what you don't! But this is also hard to do, like running after the wind.
目に観る事物は心のさまよひ歩くに愈るなり 是また空にして風を捕ふるがごとし
10 Everything that exists has already been described. Everyone knows what people are like, and that you can't win an argument with a superior.
嘗て在し者は久しき前にすでにその名を命られたり 即ち是は人なりと知る 然ば是はかの自己よりも力強き者と争ふことを得ざるなり
11 For the more words you use, the harder it is to make sense. So what's the point?
衆多の言論ありて虚浮き事を増す然ど人に何の益あらんや
12 Who knows what's best for us and our lives? During our short lives that pass like shadows we have many unanswered questions. And who can tell us what will happen when we're gone?
人はその虚空き生命の日を影のごとくに送るなり 誰かこの世において如何なる事か人のために善き者なるやを知ん 誰かその身の後に日の下にあらんところの事を人に告うる者あらんや
