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 man, and who knoweth the explanation of a thing? A man's wisdom brighteneth his countenance, and the harshness of his face is changed.
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 to keep the king's commandment, and that on account of the oath of 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 in haste to depart from his presence; persist not in an evil thing; for whatever pleaseth him, that he doeth.
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
For the word of the king is powerful; and who can say to 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
He that keepeth the commandment shall experience no evil; and the heart of the wise man hath regard to time and judgment.
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
For to every thing there is a time and judgment. For the misery of man is great 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 no one knoweth what shall be; for who can tell him how it shall 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 power over the spirit to retain the spirit, and no man hath power over the day of death; and there is no discharge in that war; and wickedness shall not deliver those that are guilty of 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 I have given heed to all things that are done under the sun. There is a time when man ruleth over man to his hurt.
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
And so I saw the wicked buried, while the righteous came and went from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city. This also 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 sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore doth the heart of the sons of men become bold within 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 though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and have his days prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, that fear before 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
But it shall not be well with the wicked: he shall be like a shadow, and shall not prolong his days, because he feareth not before 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 taketh place upon the earth, that there are righteous men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked, and that there are wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous. I said, “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
Then I commended joy; because nothing is good for a man under the sun, except to eat and to drink and to be joyful; for it is this that abideth with him for his labor during the days of his life which God giveth 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 mind to know wisdom, and to see the business which is done upon the earth, —that one seeth no sleep with his eyes by day or by night, —
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 I saw the whole work of God, that a man cannot comprehend that which is done under the sun; how much soever he labor to search it out, yet shall he not comprehend it; yea, though a wise man resolve to know it, yet shall he not be able to comprehend it.
