Ecclesiastes 4
1 I thought some more about all the suffering that people are caused to experience on the earth [MTY]. I saw the tears of people who were (oppressed/treated cruelly) and who had no one to comfort/encourage them. Those who oppressed them had power, and there was absolutely no one who was able to comfort those who were being oppressed.
わたしはまた、日の下に行われるすべてのしえたげを見た。見よ、しえたげられる者の涙を。彼らを慰める者はない。しえたげる者の手には権力がある。しかし彼らを慰める者はいない。
2 [So] I thought that those who are already dead are more fortunate than those who are still alive.
それで、わたしはなお生きている生存者よりも、すでに死んだ死者を、さいわいな者と思った。
3 And those who have not been born yet are more fortunate than those who are still alive and those who have died, [because] those who have not been born have not seen all the evil things that are done on the earth.
しかし、この両者よりもさいわいなのは、まだ生れない者で、日の下に行われる悪しきわざを見ない者である。
4 I also thought about all the hard work that people do and the skills that they have. And I thought about how they compete with each other because they are envious of others, [and I concluded that] this also is something that is not accomplishing anything useful, [like] chasing the wind.
また、わたしはすべての労苦と、すべての巧みなわざを見たが、これは人が互にねたみあってなすものである。これもまた空であって、風を捕えるようである。
5 Foolish people [refuse to work]; they sit idly, with their hands folded, [and do not work]. [So] they ruin themselves.
愚かなる者は手をつかねて、自分の肉を食う。
6 [So I say], “It is better to be content with not having much money, than to work very hard and try to get a lot of money, which is [as useless as] chasing the wind.”
片手に物を満たして平穏であるのは、両手に物を満たして労苦し、風を捕えるのにまさる。
7 I thought about something else that happens on the earth [MTY] that seems senseless.
わたしはまた、日の下に空なる事のあるのを見た。
8 There are men who live alone; they do not have a wife or children or any brothers living with them; every day they work [very hard], without stopping, to get a lot of money, but they are never satisfied with the things that they have. They never ask [themselves], “Why am I working very hard to earn more money? Why am I not doing things that would cause me to be happy?” What they do also seems senseless.
ここに人がある。ひとりであって、仲間もなく、子もなく、兄弟もない。それでも彼の労苦は窮まりなく、その目は富に飽くことがない。また彼は言わない、「わたしはだれのために労するのか、どうして自分を楽しませないのか」と。これもまた空であって、苦しいわざである。
9 Having someone [work] with you is better than being by yourself [all the time]. If you have a friend, he can help you to do your work.
ふたりはひとりにまさる。彼らはその労苦によって良い報いを得るからである。
10 If you fall down, he can help you get up again. But if you fall down when you are alone, it will be difficult for you, because there will be no one to help you stand up.
すなわち彼らが倒れる時には、そのひとりがその友を助け起す。しかしひとりであって、その倒れる時、これを助け起す者のない者はわざわいである。
11 Similarly, if two people sleep together, they can keep each other warm. But someone who sleeps alone will certainly not [RHQ] be warm.
またふたりが一緒に寝れば暖かである。ひとりだけで、どうして暖かになり得ようか。
12 Someone who is alone can easily be attacked and defeated by another person, but two people can help each other and (resist/defend themselves against) someone who attacks them. [Three people can defend themselves even more easily], [like] a rope that is made from three cords is harder to break [than a rope made from two cords].
人がもし、そのひとりを攻め撃ったなら、ふたりで、それに当るであろう。三つよりの綱はたやすくは切れない。
13 A young man who is poor but wise is a better person than a foolish old king who refuses to pay attention when people try to give him good advice.
貧しくて賢いわらべは、老いて愚かで、もはや、いさめをいれることを知らない王にまさる。
14 It is possible for a young man like that to succeed and some day become king, even if his parents were poor or even if he was in prison some of the time.
たとい、その王が獄屋から出て、王位についた者であっても、また自分の国に貧しく生れて王位についた者であっても、そうである。
15 But then some other young man becomes king, and everyone (starts to support/is pleased with) him.
わたしは日の下に歩むすべての民が、かのわらべのように王に代って立つのを見た。
16 Large crowds of people crowd around him. But after a few years, they will reject him, [too]. So it is all senseless, [like] chasing after the wind.
すべての民は果てしがない。彼はそのすべての民を導いた。しかし後に来る者は彼を喜ばない。たしかに、これもまた空であって、風を捕えるようである。
