Ecclesiastes 4
1 Once again I thought about all the oppression that is done under the sun. And behold, the tears of oppressed people, and they had no one to comfort them! Power was in the hand of their oppressors, and there was no one to comfort them!
茲に我身を轉して日の下に行はるる諸の虐遇を視たり 嗚呼虐げらる者の涙ながる 之を慰むる者あらざるなり また虐ぐる者の手には權力あり 彼等はこれを慰むる者あらざるなり
2 So I considered those who are already dead more fortunate than the living, who are still alive.
我は猶生る生者よりも旣に死たる死者をもて幸なりとす
3 However, more fortunate than both of them is the one who has not yet lived, the one who has not seen any of the evil acts that are done under the sun.
またこの二者よりも幸なるは未だ世にあらずして日の下におこなはるる惡事を見ざる者なり
4 Then I saw that every act of labor and every skillful work became the envy of one's neighbor. This also is vapor and an attempt to shepherd the wind.
我また諸の勞苦と諸の工事の精巧とを觀るに 是は人のたがひに嫉みあひて成せる者たるなり 是も空にして風を捕ふるが如し
5 The fool folds his hands and does not work, so his food is his own flesh.
愚なる者は手を束ねてその身の肉を食ふ
6 But better is a handful of profit with quiet work than two handfuls with the work that tries to shepherd the wind.
片手に物を盈て平穩にあるは 兩手に物を盈て勞苦て風を捕ふるに愈れり
7 Then I thought again about more futility, more vanishing vapor under the sun.
我また身をめぐらし日の下に空なる事のあるを見たり
8 There is the kind of man who is alone. He does not have anyone, no son or brother. There is no end to all his work, and his eyes are not satisfied with gaining wealth. He wonders, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vapor, a bad situation.
茲に人あり只獨にして伴侶もなく子もなく兄弟もなし 然るにその勞苦は都て窮なくの目は富に飽ことなし 彼また言ず嗚呼我は誰がために勞するや何とて我は心を樂ませざるやと 是もまた空にして勞力の苦き者なり
9 Two people work better than one; together they can earn a good pay for their labor.
二人は一人に愈る其はその勞苦のために善報を得ればなり
10 For if one falls, the other can lift up his friend. However, sorrow follows the one who is alone when he falls if there is no one to lift him up.
即ちその跌倒る時には一箇の人その伴侶を扶けおこすべし 然ど孤身にして跌倒る者は憐なるかな之を扶けおこす者なきなり
11 If two lie down together, they can be warm, but how can one be warm alone?
又二人ともに寝れば温暖なり一人ならば爭で温暖ならんや
12 One man alone can be overpowered, but two can withstand an attack, and a three-strand rope is not quickly broken.
人もしその一人を攻撃ば二人してこれに當るべし 三根の繩は容易く斷ざるなり
13 It is better to be a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to listen to warnings.
貧くして賢き童子は 老て愚にして諌を納れざる王に愈る
14 This is true even if the young man becomes king from prison, or even if he was born poor in his kingdom.
彼は牢獄より出て王となれり 然どその國に生れし時は貧かりき
15 I saw everyone who was alive and was walking around under the sun, along with a youth who was to rise up to take his place.
我日の下にあゆむところの群生が彼王に続てこれに代りて立ところの童子とともにあるを觀たり
16 There is no end to all the people who want to obey the new king, but later many of them will no longer praise him. Surely this situation is vapor and an attempt to shepherd the wind.
民はすべて際限なし その前にありし者みな然り 後にきたる者また彼を悦ばず 是も空にして風を捕ふるがごとし
