伝道者の書 8
1 誰か智者に如ん誰か事物の理を解ことを得ん 人の智慧はその人の面に光輝あらしむ 又その粗暴面も變改べし
Who is like the wise? and who knoweth [as well] the explanation of a thing? a man's wisdom enlighteneth his face, and the boldness of his face will be lessened.
2 我言ふ王の命を守るべし旣に神をさして誓ひしことあれば然るべきなり
I [counsel thee], Keep the king's command, and that which regardeth the oath [to him taken] by God.
3 早まりて王の前を去ることなかれ 惡き事につのること勿れ 其は彼は凡てその好むところを爲ばなり
Be not hasty to go out of his presence; engage not in an evil thing; for whatsoever pleaseth him, can he do;
4 王の言語には權力あり 然ば誰か之に汝何をなすやといふことを得ん
Because the word of a king is powerful; and who may say unto him, What doest thou?—
5 命令を守る者は禍患を受るに至らず 智者の心は時期と判斷を知なり
Whoso keepeth the commandment will experience no evil thing: and a wise man's heart knoweth both time and the just consequence.
6 萬の事務には時あり判斷あり是をもて人大なる禍患をうくるに至るあり
Because for every pursuit there is a time and a just consequence; for the evil of man [resteth] heavily upon him.
7 人は後にあらんところの事を知ず また誰か如何なる事のあらんかを之に告る者あらん
For he knoweth not that which will be; for who can tell him how it will be?
8 霊魂を掌管て霊魂を留めうる人あらず 人はその死る日には權力あること旡し 此戰爭には釋放たるる者あらず 又罪惡はこれを行ふ者を救ふことを得せざるなり
No man hath control over the spirit to detain the spirit; and there is no control over the day of death; and there is no representation in that war; and wickedness will not deliver those that practise it.
9 我この一切の事を見また日の下におこなはるる諸の事に心を用ひたり時としては此人彼人を治めてこれに害を蒙らしむることあり
All this have I seen, and directed my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time when one man ruleth over another to his own injury.
10 我見しに惡人の葬られて安息にいるあり また善をおこなふ者の聖所を離れてその邑に忘らるるに至るあり是また空なり
Then also did I see the wicked buried, who had gone to their rest; but those who had acted correctly had to go away from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city. Also this is vanity.
11 惡き事の報速にきたらざるが故に世人心を専にして惡をおこなふ
Because the punishment against evil deeds is not executed speedily, therefore is the heart of the sons of men filled up in them to do evil.
12 罪を犯す者百次惡をなして猶長命あれども 我知る神を畏みてその前に畏怖をいだく者には幸福あるべし
But let a sinner do evil a hundred times, and [God] withhold long his punishment from him; still do I truly know for certain that it will be well with those that fear God, because they are afraid of him;
13 但し惡人には幸福あらず またその生命も長からずして影のごとし 其は神の前に畏怖をいだくことなければなり
And that it will not be well with the wicked, and that he will not endure many days, like the shadow; because he is not afraid of God.
14 我日の下に空なる事のおこなはるるを見たり 即ち義人にして惡人の遭べき所に遭ふ者あり 惡人にして義人の遭べきところに遭ふ者あり 我謂り是もまた空なり
There is a vanity which is done upon the earth, that there are righteous men, unto whom it happeneth in accordance with the deeds of the wicked; again, there are wicked men, to whom it happeneth in accordance with the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.
15 是に於て我喜樂を讃む 其は食飮して樂むよりも好き事は日の下にあらざればなり 人の勞して得る物の中是こそはその日の下にて神にたまはる生命の日の間その身に離れざる者なれ
Therefore do I praise joyfulness, that there is nothing better for man under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be joyful; for this will adhere to him in his toil, during the days of his life which God hath given him under the sun.—
16 茲に我心をつくして智慧を知らんとし世に爲ところの事を究めんとしたり 人は夜も晝もその目をとぢて眠ることをせざるなり
When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the employment that is done upon the earth, how even neither by day nor by night sleep is seen in the eyes of some men:
17 我神の諸の作爲を見しが人は日の下におこなはるるところの事を究むるあたはざるなり 人これを究めんと勞するもこれを究むることを得ず 且又智者ありてこれを知ると思ふもこれを究むることあたはざるなり
Then did I see [in] the whole work of God, that a man is not able to find out the work that is done under the sun; inasmuch as though a man were to toil to seek for it, he would yet not find it; and even if the wise were to think to know it, he would yet not be able to find it.
