Ecclesiastes 8
1 Who can compare to the truly wise? Who knows how to interpret things? If you have wisdom your face lights up, and your stern look is softened.
誰か智者に如ん誰か事物の理を解ことを得ん 人の智慧はその人の面に光輝あらしむ 又その粗暴面も変改べし
2 My advice is to do what the king says, since that's what you promised God.
我言ふ王の命を守るべし既に神をさして誓ひしことあれ然るべきなり
3 Don't be quick to walk out on the king without thinking what you're doing, and don't get involved with those who plot against him, for the king can do what he pleases.
早まりて王の前を去ることなかれ 惡き事につのること勿れ 其は彼は凡てその好むところを爲ばなり
4 The king's orders have supreme authority—who is going to question him, saying, “What are you doing?”
王の言語には權力あり 然ば誰か之に汝何をなすやといふことを得ん
5 Those who follow his commands will not be involved in doing evil. Wise people think, recognizing there's a right time, and a right way.
命令を守る者は禍患を受るに至らず 智者の心は時期と判断を知なり
6 For there's a right time and a right way for everything, even when things are going badly for you.
萬の事務には時あり判断あり是をもて人大なる禍患をうくるに至るあり
7 No one knows what's going to happen, so who can say what the future holds?
人は後にあらんところの事を知ず また誰か如何なる事のあらんかを之に告る者あらん
8 No one can hold onto the breath of life; no one can prevent the day when they die. There's no way of escaping that battle, and the wicked won't be saved by their wickedness!
霊魂を掌管て霊魂を留めうる人あらず 人はその死る日には權力あること旡し 此戦争には釈放たるる者あらず 又罪惡はこれを行ふ者を救ふことを得せざるなり
9 I examined all these things, and thought about all that happens here on earth, and the damage that's caused when people dominate others.
我この一切の事を見また日の下におこなはるる諸の事に心を用ひたり時としては此人彼人を治めてこれに害を蒙らしむることあり
10 Yes, I have seen wicked people buried with great honor. They used to go to the holy place, and were praised in the very city where they did their evil. This is hard to understand!
我見しに惡人の葬られて安息にいるあり また善をおこなふ者の聖所を離れてその邑に忘らるるに至るあり是また空なり
11 When people are not punished quickly for their crimes they are even more determined to do wrong.
惡き事の報速にきたらざるが故に世人心を専にして惡をおこなふ
12 Even though a sinner may do wrong a hundred times, and live a long life, I'm convinced that those who do what God says will be better off.
罪を犯す者百次惡をなして猶長命あれども 我知る神を畏みてその前に畏怖をいだく者には幸福あるべし
13 In fact, the wicked will not live long, passing like a shadow, because they refuse to follow God.
但し惡人には幸福あらず またその生命も長からずして影のごとし 其は神の前に畏怖をいだくことなければなり
14 Another thing that is hard to understand is this: good people are treated as the wicked should be, and the wicked are treated as good people should be. As I say, this is difficult to comprehend!
我日の下に空なる事のおこなはるるを見たり 即ち義人にして惡人の遭べき所に遭ふ者あり 惡人にして義人の遭べきところに遭ふ者あり 我謂り是もまた空なり
15 So I recommend enjoying life. There's nothing better for us here on earth than to eat and drink and be happy. Such an attitude will go with us as we work, and as we live our lives that God gives us here on earth.
是に於て我喜樂を讃む 其は食飮して樂むよりも好き事は日の下にあらざればなり 人の労して得る物の中是こそはその日の下にて神にたまはる生命の日の間その身に離れざる者なれ
16 When I applied my mind to discovering wisdom and observing everything people do here on earth, I couldn't get any sleep, day or night.
茲に我心をつくして智慧を知らんとし世に爲ところの事を究めんとしたり 人は夜も昼もその目をとぢて眠ることをせざるなり
17 Then I studied everything God does, and I realized that no one can fully understand what happens here. However, hard they try, however wise they claim to be, they can't really comprehend it.
我神の諸の作爲を見しが人は日の下におこなはるるところの事を究むるあたはざるなり 人これを究めんと労するもこれを究むることを得ず 且又智者ありてこれを知ると思ふもこれを究むることあたはざるなり
