Ecclesiastes 7
1 Better [is] a name than good perfume, And the day of death than the day of birth.
名は美膏に愈り 死る日は生るる日に愈る
2 Better to go unto a house of mourning, Than to go unto a house of banqueting, For that is the end of all men, And the living layeth [it] unto his 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 Better [is] sorrow than laughter, For by the sadness of the face the heart becometh better.
悲哀は嬉笑に愈る 其は面に憂色を帯るなれば心も善にむかへばなり
4 The heart of the wise [is] in a house of mourning, And the heart of fools in a 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 Better to hear a rebuke of a wise man, Than [for] a man to hear a song of fools,
賢き者の勤責を聴は愚なる者の歌詠を聴に愈るなり
6 For as the noise of thorns under the pot, So [is] the laughter of a fool, even this [is] vanity.
愚なる者の笑は釜の下に焚る荊剌の聲のごとし是また空なり
7 Surely oppression maketh the wise mad, And a gift destroyeth the heart.
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壊なふ
8 Better [is] the latter end of a thing than its beginning, Better [is] the patient of spirit, than the haughty of 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 in the bosom of fools resteth.
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 thou, 'What was it, That the former days were better than these?' For thou hast not asked wisely of this.
昔の今にまさるは伺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] good with an inheritance, And an advantage [it is] to those beholding the sun.
智慧の上に財産をかぬれば善し 然れば日を見る者等に利益おほかるべし
12 For wisdom [is] a defense, money [is] a defence, And the advantage of the knowledge of wisdom [is], She reviveth her possessors.
智慧も身の護庇となり銀子も身の護庇となる 然ど智恵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 See the work of God, For who is able to make straight that which He 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 a day of prosperity be in gladness, And in a day of evil consider. Also this over-against that hath God made, To the intent that man doth not find anything 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 The whole I have considered in the days of my vanity. There is a righteous one perishing in his righteousness, and there is a wrong-doer prolonging [himself] in his wrong.
我この空の世にありて各様の事を見たり 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 over-righteous, nor show thyself too wise, why art thou desolate?
汝義に過るなかれまた賢に過るなかれ 汝なんぞ身を減ずべけんや
17 Do not much wrong, neither be thou a fool, why dost thou die within 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 dost lay hold on this, and also, from that withdrawest not thy hand, for whoso is fearing God goeth out with them all.
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 The wisdom giveth strength to a wise man, more than wealth the rulers who have been in a city.
智恵の智者を幇くることは邑の豪雄者十人にまさるなり
20 Because there is not a righteous man on earth that doth 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 Also to all the words that they speak give not thy heart, that thou hear not thy servant reviling thee.
人の言出ず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 also hath thy heart known that thou thyself also hast reviled 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 I have tried by wisdom; I have said, 'I am wise,' and it [is] far from me.
我智慧をもてこの一切の事を試み役は智者とならんと謂たりしが遠くおよばざるなり
24 Far off [is] that which hath been, and deep, deep, who doth find it?
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 have turned round, also my heart, to know and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and reason, and to know the wrong of folly, and of foolishness the madness.
我は身をめぐらし心をもちひて物を知り事を探り 智慧と道理を崇めんとし 又惡の愚たると愚癡の狂妄たるを知んとせり
26 And I am finding more bitter than death, the woman whose heart [is] nets and snares, her hands [are] bands; the good before God escapeth from her, but the sinner is captured 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 See, this I have found, said the Preacher, one to one, to find out the reason
傅道者言ふ 視よ我その數を知んとして一々に算へてつびに此事を了る
28 (that still my soul had sought, and I had not found), One man, a teacher, I have found, and a woman among all these I have 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 See, this alone I have found, that God made man upright, and they — 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
