< 伝道者の書 5 >
1 汝ヱホバの室にいたる時にはその足を愼め 進みよりて聽聞は愚なる者の犠牲にまさる 彼等はその惡をおこなひをることを知ざるなり
Guard your foot, when you step into the house of God, and draw near, so that you may listen. For obedience is much better than the sacrifices of the foolish, who do not know the evil that they are doing.
2 汝神の前にありては軽々し口を開くなかれ 心を攝めて妄に言をいだすなかれ 其は神は天にいまし汝は地にをればなり 然ば汝の言詞を少からしめよ
You should not speak anything rashly, nor should your heart be hasty to present a word before God. For God is in heaven, and you are on earth. For this reason, let your words be few.
3 夫夢は事の繁多によりて生じ 愚なる者の聲は言の衆多によりて識るなり
Dreams follow many worries, and in many words foolishness will be found.
4 汝神に誓願をかけなば之を還すことを怠るなかれ 神は愚なる者を悦びたまはざるなり 汝はそのかけし誓願を還すべし
If you have vowed anything to God, you should not delay to repay it. And whatever you have vowed, render it. But an unfaithful and foolish promise displeases him.
5 誓願をかけてこれを還さざるよりは寧ろ誓願をかけざるは汝に善し
And it is much better not to make a vow, than, after a vow, not to fulfill what was promised.
6 汝の口をもて汝の身に罪を犯さしむるなかれ 亦使者の前に其は過誤なりといふべからず 恐くは神汝の言を怒り汝の手の所爲を滅したまはん
You should not use your mouth so as to cause your flesh to sin. And you should not say, in the sight of an Angel, “There is no Providence.” For God, being angry at your words, may scatter all the works of your hands.
7 夫夢多ければ空なる事多し 言詞の多きもまた然り 汝ヱホバを畏め
Where there are many dreams, there are many vanities and innumerable words. Yet truly, you must fear God.
8 汝國の中に貧き者を虐遇る事および公道と公義を枉ることあるを見るもその事あるを怪むなかれ 其はその位高き人よりも高き者ありてその人を伺へばなり又其等よりも高き者あるなり
If you see false accusations against the indigent, and violent judgments, and subverted justice in the government, do not be surprised over this situation. For those in high places have others who are higher, and there are still others, more eminent, over these.
9 國の利益は全く是にあり 即ち王者が農事に勤むるにあるなり
But finally, there is the King who rules over the entire earth, which is subject to him.
10 銀を好む者は銀に飽こと無し 豊富ならんことを好む者は得るところ有らず 是また空なり
A greedy man will not be satisfied by money. And whoever loves wealth will reap no fruit from it. Therefore, this, too, is emptiness.
11 貨財増せばこれを食む者も増すなり その所有主は唯目にこれを看るのみ その外に何の益かあらん
Where there are many riches, there will also be many to consume these things. And how does it benefit the one who possesses, except that he discerns the wealth with his own eyes?
12 勞する者はその食ふところは多きも少きも快く睡るなり 然れども富者はその貨財の多きがために睡ることを得せず
Sleep is sweet to one who works, whether he consumes little or much. But the satiation of a wealthy man will not permit him to sleep.
13 我また日の下に患の大なる者あるを見たり すなはち財寶のこれを蓄ふる者の身に害をおよぼすことある是なり
There is even another most burdensome infirmity, which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept to the harm of the owner.
14 その財寶はまた災難によりて失落ことあり 然ばその人子を擧ることあらんもその手には何物もあることなし
For they are lost in a most grievous affliction. He has produced a son, who will be in the utmost destitution.
15 人は母の胎より出て來りしごとくにまた裸體にして皈りゆくべし その勞苦によりて得たる者を毫厘も手にとりて携へゆくことを得ざるなり
Just as he went forth naked from his mother’s womb, so shall he return, and he shall take nothing with him from his labors.
16 人は全くその來りしごとくにまた去ゆかざるを得ず 是また患の大なる者なり 抑風を追て勞する者何の益をうること有んや
It is an utterly miserable infirmity that, in the same manner as he has arrived, so shall he return. How then does it benefit him, since he has labored for the wind?
17 人は生命の涯黑暗の中に食ふことを爲す また憂愁多かり 疾病身にあり 憤怒あり
All the days of his life he consumes: in darkness, and with many worries, and in distress as well as sadness.
18 視よ我は斯觀たり 人の身にとりて善かつ美なる者は 神にたまはるその生命の極食飮をなし 且その日の下に勞して働ける勞苦によりて得るところの福禄を身に享るの事なり是その分なればなり
And so, this has seemed good to me: that a person should eat and drink, and should enjoy the fruits of his labor, in which he has toiled under the sun, for the number of the days of his life that God has given him. For this is his portion.
19 何人によらず神がこれに富と財を與へてそれに食ことを得せしめ またその分を取りその勞苦によりて快樂を得ることをせさせたまふあれば その事は神の賜物たるなり
And this is a gift from God: that every man to whom God has given wealth and resources, and to whom he has granted the ability to consume these, may enjoy his portion, and may find joy in his labors.
20 かかる人はその年齢の日を憶ゆること深からず 其は神これが心の喜ぶところにしたがひて應ることを爲したまへばなり
And then he will not fully remember the days of his life, because God occupies his heart with delights.