伝道者の書 6
1 我觀るに日の下に一件の患あり是は人の間に恒なる者なり
There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it [is] great on man:
2 すなはち神富と財と貴を人にあたへて その心に慕ふ者を一件もこれに缺ることなからしめたまひながらも 神またその人に之を食ふことを得せしめたまはずして 他人のこれを食ふことあり 是空なり惡き疾なり
A man to whom God giveth wealth, and riches, and honour, and there is no lack to his soul of all that he desireth, and God giveth him not power to eat of it, but a stranger eateth it; this [is] vanity, and it [is] an evil disease.
3 假令人百人の子を擧けまた長壽してその年齢の日多からんも 若その心景福に滿足せざるか又は葬らるることを得ざるあれば 我言ふ流產の子はその人にまさるたり
If a man doth beget a hundred, and live many years, and is great, because they are the days of his years, and his soul is not satisfied from the goodness, and also he hath not had a grave, I have said, 'Better than he [is] the untimely birth.'
4 夫流產の子はその來ること空しくして黑暗の中に去ゆきその名は黑暗の中にかくるるなり
For in vanity he came in, and in darkness he goeth, and in darkness his name is covered,
5 又是は日を見ることなく物を知ることなければ彼よりも安泰なり
Even the sun he hath not seen nor known, more rest hath this than that.
6 人の壽命千年に倍するとも福祉を蒙れるにはあらず 皆一所に往くにあらずや
And though he had lived a thousand years twice over, yet good he hath not seen; to the same place doth not every one go?
7 人の勞苦は皆その口のためなり その心はなほも飽ざるところ有り
All the labour of man [is] for his mouth, and yet the soul is not filled.
8 賢者なんぞ愚者に勝るところあらんや また世人の前に歩行ことを知ところの貧者も何の勝るところ有んや
For what advantage [is] to the wise above the fool? What to the poor who knoweth to walk before the living?
9 目に觀る事物は心のさまよひ歩くに愈るなり 是また空にして風を捕ふるがごとし
Better [is] the sight of the eyes than the going of the soul. This also [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
10 嘗て在し者は久しき前にすでにその名を命られたり 即ち是は人なりと知る 然ば是はかの自己よりも力強き者と爭ふことを得ざるなり
What [is] that which hath been? already is its name called, and it is known that it [is] man, and he is not able to contend with him who is stronger than he.
11 衆多の言論ありて虚浮き事を増す然ど人に何の益あらんや
For there are many things multiplying vanity; what advantage [is] to man?
12 人はその虚空き生命の日を影のごとくに送るなり 誰かこの世において如何なる事か人のために善き者なるやを知ん 誰かその身の後に日の下にあらんところの事を人に告うる者あらんや
For who knoweth what [is] good for a man in life, the number of the days of the life of his vanity, and he maketh them as a shadow? for who declareth to man what is after him under the sun?
