Ecclesiastes 4
1 And I have turned, and I see all the oppressions that are done under the sun, and lo, the tear of the oppressed, and they have no comforter; and at the hand of their oppressors [is] power, and they have no comforter.
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 And I am praising the dead who have already died above the living who are yet 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 And better than both of them [is] he who hath not yet been, in that he hath not seen the evil work that hath been 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 And I have seen all the labour, and all the benefit of the work, because for it a man is the envy of his neighbour. Even this [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
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 is clasping his hands, and eating his own flesh:
愚なる者は手を束ねてその身の肉を食ふ
6 'Better [is] a handful [with] quietness, than two handfuls [with] labour and vexation of spirit.'
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 And I have turned, and I see a vain thing 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 one, and there is not a second; even son or brother he hath not, and there is no end to all his labour! His eye also is not satisfied with riches, and [he saith not], 'For whom am I labouring and bereaving my soul of good?' This also is vanity, it is a sad travail.
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 The two [are] better than the one, in that they have a good reward by their labour.
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 they fall, the one raiseth up his companion, but woe to the one who falleth and there is not a second to raise 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 Also, if two lie down, then they have heat, but how hath one heat?
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 And if the one strengthen himself, the two stand against him; and the threefold cord is not hastily 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 Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who hath not known to be warned any more.
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 For from a house of prisoners he hath come out to reign, for even in his own kingdom he hath been poor.
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 have seen all the living, who are walking under the sun, with the second youth who doth stand in 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, to all who were before them; also, the latter rejoice not in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
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
