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 as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be 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 in regard 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 hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatever pleaseth him.
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
Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may 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 who keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discerneth both 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
Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore 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 he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when 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
There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to 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 applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun: there is a time in which one man ruleth over another to his own 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, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also 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 the heart of the sons of men is fully set 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
Though a sinner doeth evil an hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, who 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, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; 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 is done upon the earth; that there are just men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work 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
Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour 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 heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes: )
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 beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man may labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man thinketh to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.
