Ecclesiastes 8
1 [I will tell you about] those who are truly wise [RHQ] with the result that they can explain why everything happens. Being wise enables people to be happy [MTY] and enables them to smile.
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 You solemnly promised God that you would obey what the king commands, so do that.
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 Do not quickly disobey the king. And do not join those who want to rebel against him, because the king will do what he wants to do.
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 We need to obey what the king says more than we need to obey what anyone else says; no one can say to the king, “(Why are you doing that?/You should not be doing that.) [RHQ]”
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 If you obey what the king commands, he will not harm you. [So] be wise, and know the correct/right time to do things and the right way to do them.
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 Although people experience many troubles/difficulties, there is a right/correct time to do things, and there is a right/correct way [to do them].
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 will happen in the future, so there is no one [RHQ] who can tell us what is going to happen.
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 We cannot control the wind, and we cannot control when we will die. Soldiers are not permitted to go home during a battle, and evil people will not be saved by [doing what is] evil.
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 thought about all those things, and I thought about all [HYP] the other things that happen on this earth. I saw that [sometimes] people cause those whom they control to suffer.
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 I also saw that [sometimes] after evil [people] die, they are highly honored at their funerals by the people in the cities where they had done [evil] deeds. It seemed to be difficult to understand why that happens.
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 If evil people are not immediately punished, it causes [other] people [SYN] to [also] want to do evil things.
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 But even if sinful people commit 100 crimes, and [even if they] live for a long time, I know that things will go better for those who greatly respect and revere God.
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 [I also know] that things will not go well go for those who are evil, because they do not revere God. Shadows [do not last a long time]. Similarly [SIM], evil people will not live a long time.
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 [sometimes] happens on this earth is that bad things happen to righteous people, and good things happen to evil people. It is difficult to understand why that happens.
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 decided that I would recommend that people be happy while they are alive, because the best thing that people can do here on this earth is to eat and drink and be happy. Enjoying doing those things will help people while they do their work, all the time that God has given to them to remain alive here on the 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 I thought about being wise and about people who work very hard, working day and night and not taking time to sleep.
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 thought about everything [HYP] that God has done, and I realized that no one can understand everything that happens here on this earth. Truly, people are not able to fully understand everything [that God understands], even if they try hard to do that. Even if wise people claim that they understand it all, they cannot.
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
