伝道者の書 2
1 我わが心に言けらく 來れ我試みに汝をよろこばせんとす 汝逸樂をきはめよと 嗚呼是もまた空なりき
I said in my heart, “Come, now, I will try thee with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure!” But, lo! this also was vanity.
2 我笑を論ふ是は狂なり 快樂を論ふ是何の爲ところあらんやと
I said of laughter, “It is mad;” and of mirth, “What availeth it?”
3 我心に智慧を懐きて居つつ酒をもて肉身を肥さんと試みたり 又世の人は天が下において生涯如何なる事をなさば善らんかを知んために我は愚なる事を行ふことをせり
I thought in my heart to strengthen my body with wine, and, while my heart cleaved to wisdom, to lay hold on folly, till I should see what was good for the sons of men, which they should do under heaven all the days of their life.
4 我は大なる事業をなせり 我はわが爲に家を建て葡萄園を設け
I made me great works. I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards.
5 園をつくり囿をつくり 又菓のなる諸の樹を其處に植ゑ
I made me gardens and parks, and planted in them fruit-trees of every kind.
6 また水の塘池をつくりて樹木の生茂れる林に其より水を灌がしめたり
I made me pools of water, with which to water the grove shooting up trees.
7 我は僕婢を買得たり また家の子あり 我はまた凡て我より前にヱルサレムにをりし者よりも衆多の牛羊を有り
I got me men-servants and maid-servants, and had servants born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than all who were in Jerusalem before me.
8 我は金銀を積み 王等と國々の財寶を積あげたり また歌詠之男女を得 世の人の樂なる妻妾を多くえたり
I heaped me up also silver and gold, and the wealth of kings and of provinces. I got me men-singers and women-singers, and the delight of the sons of men, a chosen woman and chosen women.
9 斯我は大なる者となり 我より前にヱルサレムにをりし諸の人よりも大になりぬ 吾智慧もまたわが身を離れざりき
So I became greater than all that were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.
10 凡そわが目の好む者は我これを禁ぜす 凡そわが心の悦ぶ者は我これを禁ぜざりき 即ち我はわが諸の勞苦によりて快樂を得たり 是は我が諸の勞苦によりて得たるところの分なり
And whatever mine eyes desired I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy. For my heart rejoiced by means of all my labor, and this was my portion from all my labor.
11 我わが手にて爲たる諸の事業および我が勞して事を爲たる勞苦を顧みるに 皆空にして風を捕ふるが如くなりき 日の下には益となる者あらざるなり
Then I looked upon all the works which my hands had wrought, and upon all the labor which I had toiled in performing; and, behold, it was all vanity, and striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
12 我また身を轉らして智慧と狂妄と愚癡とを觀たり 抑王に嗣ぐところの人は如何なる事を爲うるや その旣になせしところの事に過ざるべし
Then I turned myself to behold wisdom and senselessness and folly. For what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.
13 光明の黑暗にまさるがごとく智慧は愚癡に勝るなり 我これを暁れり
I saw, indeed, that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
14 智者の目はその頭にあり愚者は黑暗に歩む 然ど我しる其みな遇ふところの事は同一なり
The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the fool walketh in darkness; yet I perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.
15 我心に謂けらく 愚者の遇ふところの事に我もまた遇ふべければ 我なんぞ智慧のまさる所あらんや 我また心に謂り是も亦空なるのみと
Then I said in my heart, “As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth to me. Why, then, became I wiser than others?” Then I said in my heart, “This also is vanity.”
16 夫智者も愚者と均しく永く世に記念らるることなし 來らん世にいたれば皆早く旣に忘らるるなり 嗚呼智者の愚者とおなじく死るは是如何なる事ぞや
For there is no remembrance of the wise man more than of the fool for ever; for in the days to come shall all have long been forgotten; and, alas! the wise man dieth, as well as the fool.
17 是に於て我世にながらふることを厭へり 凡そ日の下に爲ところの事は我に惡く見ればなり 即ち皆空にして風を捕ふるがごとし
Therefore I hated life, because what is done under the sun appeared evil to me. For all is vanity, and striving after wind.
18 我は日の下にわが勞して諸の動作をなしたるを恨む其は我の後を嗣ぐ人にこれを遺さざるを得ざればなり
Yea, I hated all my labor which I had performed under the sun, because I must leave it to the man that shall be after me.
19 其人の智愚は誰かこれを知らん然るにその人は日の下に我が勞して爲し智慧をこめて爲たる諸の工作を管理るにいたらん是また空なり
And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? Yet shall he be lord of all the labor with which I have wearied myself, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
20 我身をめぐらし日の下にわが勞して爲たる諸の動作のために望を失へり
Therefore I turned to give up my heart to despair in regard to all the labor with which I had wearied myself under the sun.
21 今茲に人あり 智慧と知識と才能をもて勞して事をなさんに終には之がために勞せざる人に一切を遺してその所有となさしめざるを得ざるなり 是また空にして大に惡し
For there is a man whose labor has been with wisdom and knowledge and skill; yet to a man who hath not labored for it must he leave it as his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
22 夫人はその日の下に勞して爲ところの諸の動作とその心勞によりて何の得ところ有るや
For what hath man of all his labor, and the striving of his spirit, with which he wearieth himself under the sun?
23 その世にある日には常に憂患あり その勞苦は苦し その心は夜の間も安んずることあらず 是また空なり
For all his days are grief, and his occupation trouble; even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.
24 人の食飮をなしその勞苦によりて心を樂しましむるは幸福なる事にあらず 是もまた神の手より出るなり 我これを見る
There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink, and let his soul enjoy good in his labor. But this, as I have seen, cometh from the hand of God.
25 誰かその食ふところその歓樂を極むるところに於て我にまさる者あらん
For who can eat, or hasten thereunto more than I?
26 神はその心に適ふ人には智慧と知識と喜樂を賜ふ 然れども罪を犯す人には勞苦を賜ひて斂めかつ積ことを爲さしむ 是は其を神の心に適ふ人に與へたまはんためなり 是もまた空にして風を捕ふるがごとし
For to a man who is good in his sight God giveth wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he giveth the wearisome business of gathering and heaping up, to give it to him who is good before God. This also is vanity, and striving after wind.
