Ecclesiastes 12
1 Remember also your Creator in days of your youth, While that the evil days do not come, Nor the years have arrived, that you say, “I have no pleasure in them.”
あなたの若い日に、あなたの造り主を覚えよ。悪しき日がきたり、年が寄って、「わたしにはなんの楽しみもない」と言うようにならない前に、
2 While that the sun is not darkened, and the light, And the moon, and the stars, And the thick clouds returned after the rain.
また日や光や、月や星の暗くならない前に、雨の後にまた雲が帰らないうちに、そのようにせよ。
3 In the day that keepers of the house tremble, And men of strength have bowed themselves, And grinders have ceased, because they have become few. And those looking out at the windows have become dim,
その日になると、家を守る者は震え、力ある人はかがみ、ひきこなす女は少ないために休み、窓からのぞく者の目はかすみ、
4 And doors have been shut in the street. When the noise of the grinding is low, And [one] rises at the voice of the bird, And all daughters of song are bowed down.
町の門は閉ざされる。その時ひきこなす音は低くなり、人は鳥の声によって起きあがり、歌の娘たちは皆、低くされる。
5 Also of that which is high they are afraid, And of the low places in the way, And the almond-tree is despised, And the grasshopper has become a burden, And want is increased, For man is going to his perpetual home, And the mourners have gone around through the street.
彼らはまた高いものを恐れる。恐ろしいものが道にあり、あめんどうは花咲き、いなごはその身をひきずり歩き、その欲望は衰え、人が永遠の家に行こうとするので、泣く人が、ちまたを歩きまわる。
6 While that the silver cord is not removed, And the golden bowl broken, And the pitcher broken by the fountain, And the wheel broken at the well.
その後、銀のひもは切れ、金の皿は砕け、水がめは泉のかたわらで破れ、車は井戸のかたわらで砕ける。
7 And the dust returns to the earth as it was, And the spirit returns to God who gave it.
ちりは、もとのように土に帰り、霊はこれを授けた神に帰る。
8 Vanity of vanities, said the preacher, the whole [is] vanity.
伝道者は言う、「空の空、いっさいは空である」と。
9 And further, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge, and gave ear, and sought out—he made right many allegories.
さらに伝道者は知恵があるゆえに、知識を民に教えた。彼はよく考え、尋ねきわめ、あまたの箴言をまとめた。
10 The preacher sought to find out pleasing words, and [that] written [by] the upright—words of truth.
伝道者は麗しい言葉を得ようとつとめた。また彼は真実の言葉を正しく書きしるした。
11 Words of the wise [are] as the goads, and as nails planted [by] the masters of collections, they have been given by one Shepherd.
知者の言葉は突き棒のようであり、またよく打った釘のようなものであって、ひとりの牧者から出た言葉が集められたものである。
12 And further, from these, my son, be warned; the making of many scrolls has no end, and much study [is] a weariness of the flesh.
わが子よ、これら以外の事にも心を用いよ。多くの書を作れば際限がない。多く学べばからだが疲れる。
13 The end of the whole matter let us hear: “Fear God, and keep His commands, for this [is] the whole of man.
事の帰する所は、すべて言われた。すなわち、神を恐れ、その命令を守れ。これはすべての人の本分である。
14 For every work God brings into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether good or bad.”
神はすべてのわざ、ならびにすべての隠れた事を善悪ともにさばかれるからである。
