Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better than precious oil, and the day of death, better than the day of one's birth.
名は美膏に愈り 死る日は生るる日に愈る
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; inasmuch as that is the end of all men: and let the living lay it to his heart.
哀傷の家に入は宴樂の家に入に愈る 其は一切の人の終かくのごとくなればなり 生る者またこれをその心にとむるあらん
3 Better is vexation than laughing; for through the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
悲哀は嬉笑に愈る 其は面に憂色を帶るなれば心も善にむかへばなり
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of joy.
賢き者の心は哀傷の家にあり 愚なる者の心は喜樂の家にあり
5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than that a man should hear the song of fools.
賢き者の勸責を聽は愚なる者の歌詠を聽に愈るなり
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. Also this is vanity.
愚なる者の笑は釜の下に焚る荊棘の聲のごとし是また空なり
7 For [exercising] oppression maketh a wise man mad; and bribery corrupteth the heart.
賢き人も虐待る事によりて狂するに至るあり賄賂は人の心を壞なふ
8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: better is the patient in spirit than the proud in spirit.
事の終はその始よりも善し 容忍心ある者は傲慢心ある者に勝る
9 Be not rash in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in bosom of fools.
汝氣を急くして怒るなかれ 怒は愚なる者の胸にやどるなり
10 Thou must not say, How was it that the former days were better than these? for it is not out of wisdom that thou askest concerning this.
昔の今にまさるは何故ぞやと汝言なかれ 汝の斯る問をなすは是智慧よりいづる者にあらざるなり
11 Wisdom is better than an inheritance, yea, preferable for those that see the sun;
智慧の上に財產をかぬれば善し 然れば日を見る者等に利益おほかるべし
12 For under the shadow of wisdom [a man is equally well as] under the shadow of money; but the superior excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to him that possesseth it.
智慧も身の護庇となり銀子も身の護庇となる 然ど智惠はまたこれを有る者に生命を保しむ 是知識の殊勝たるところなり
13 Consider [then] the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked?
汝神の作爲を考ふべし 神の曲たまひし者は誰かこれを直くすることを得ん
14 On the day of prosperity be happy, but on the day of adversity look on: also this hath God made in equal measure with the other, to the end that man should not find the least to censure him.
幸福ある日には樂め 禍患ある日には考へよ 神はこの二者をあひ交錯て降したまふ 是は人をしてその後の事を知ることなからしめんためなり
15 All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is many a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is many a wicked man that liveth long in his wickedness.—
我この空の世にありて各樣の事を見たり 義人の義をおこなひて亡ぶるあり 惡人の惡をおこなひて長壽あり
16 Be not righteous over much; neither show thyself over wise: why wouldst thou destroy thyself?
汝義に過るなかれまた賢に過るなかれ 汝なんぞ身を滅すべけんや
17 Be not wicked over much, and be no fool: why wouldst thou die before thy time?
汝惡に過るなかれまた愚なる勿れ 汝なんぞ時いたらざるに死べけんや
18 It is good that thou shouldst take hold of that, and that also from this thou withdraw not thy hand; for he that feareth God will come forth out of them all.
汝此を執は善しまた彼にも手を放すなかれ 神を畏む者はこの一切の者の中より逃れ出るなり
19 Wisdom giveth more strength to the wise than ten rulers which were in the city.
智慧の智者を幇くることは邑の豪雄者十人にまさるなり
20 For no man is so righteous upon earth, that he should do always good, and never sin.—
正義して善をおこなひ罪を犯すことなき人は世にあることなし
21 Also take no heed unto all the words that are spoken: lest thou hear thy servant cursing thee.
人の言出す言詞には凡て心をとむる勿れ 恐くは汝の僕の汝を詛ふを聞こともあらん
22 For oftentimes also doth thy own heart know that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.—
汝も屡人を詛ふことあるは汝の心に知ところなり
23 All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
我智慧をもてこの一切の事を試み我は智者とならんと謂たりしが遠くおよばざるなり
24 Far is what formerly was so, and what was deep remaineth deep: who can find it out?
事物の理は遠くして甚だ深し 誰かこれを究むることを得ん
25 Then I turned myself about together with my heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and experience, and to know the wickedness of folly, and the foolishness of madness.
我は身をめぐらし心をもちひて物を知り事を探り 智慧と道理を索めんとし 又惡の愚たると愚癡の狂妄たるを知んとせり
26 And I find as more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are bonds: he that is deemed good before God will escape from her; but the sinner will be caught by her.
我了れり 婦人のその心羅と網のごとくその手縲絏のごとくなる者は是死よりも苦き者なり 神の悦びたまふ者は之を避ることを得ん罪人は之に執らるべし
27 Behold, this have I found, saith Koheleth, [adding] one to the other, to find experience,
傳道者言ふ 視よ我その數を知んとして一々に算へてつひに此事を了る
28 What my soul constantly sought, but I found it not; one man among a thousand did I find; but a woman among all these did I not find.
我なほ尋ねて得ざる者は是なり 我千人の中には一箇の男子を得たれども その數の中には一箇の女子をも得ざるなり
29 Lo, this only did I find, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought for many [sinful] devices.
我了れるところは唯是のみ 即ち神は人を正直者に造りたまひしに人衆多の計略を案出せしなり
