Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better than precious perfume, and the day of one's death than the day of his 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; for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to 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 Sorrow is better than laughter; for by 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 mirth.
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 for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to 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 a fool. This also 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 Surely the gain of oppression maketh a wise man foolish, and a gift corrupteth the understanding.
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 its beginning. 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 hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the 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 Say not, “What is the cause that the former days were better than these?” For thou dost not inquire wisely 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 as good as an estate? yea, it hath an advantage over it for them 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 wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence. But knowledge hath the advantage. For wisdom giveth life to them that have 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 the work of God! Who can make straight that which 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 In the day of prosperity be joyful; but look for a day of adversity! for this also, as well as the other, hath God appointed, to the end that a man should not find out any thing which shall be after 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 this have I seen in my days of vanity. There are righteous men who perish in their righteousness, and there are wicked men who live long in their 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 overmuch; neither make thyself over-wise! Why shouldest 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 overmuch wicked; neither be thou a fool! Why shouldst 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 this; yea, also, from that withdraw not thy hand. For he that feareth God shall escape all those things.
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 strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men who are 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 Truly there is not a righteous man upon the earth who doeth good and sinneth not.
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 Give no heed to all the words which are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse 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 many times thine own heart knoweth also that even thou thyself 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 tried 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 That which is far off and exceeding 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 I applied my mind earnestly to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and intelligence, and to know wickedness and folly, yea, foolishness and 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 found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands bands. He that pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall 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 the Preacher, putting one thing to another to find knowledge.
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 That which my soul hath hitherto sought, and I have not found, is this: a man among a thousand I have found, but a woman among a thousand have I not found.
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 have I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many 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
