< 伝道者の書 9 >
1 我はこの一切の事に心を用ひてこの一切の事を明めんとせり 即ち義き者と賢き者およびかれらの爲ところは神の手にあるなるを明めんとせり 愛むや惡むやは人これを知ることなし一切の事はその前にあるなり
For I gave my mind to all this, even to search out all this, that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God, and yet neither his love nor hatred doth any man know. All is before them.
2 諸の人に臨む所は皆同じ 義き者にも惡き者にも善者にも 淨者にも穢れたる者にも 犠牲を献ぐる者にも犠牲を献げぬ者にもその臨むところの事は同一なり 善人も罪人に異ならず 誓をなす者も誓をなすことを畏るる者に異ならず
All [[cometh to them]] as to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not; as is the good, so is the sinner; he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
3 諸の人に臨むところの事の同一なるは是日の下におこなはるる事の中の惡き者たり 抑人の心には惡き事充をり その生る間は心に狂妄を懐くあり 後には死者の中に往くなり
This is an evil among all things which take place under the sun, that there is one event to all; therefore also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and afterward they go down to the dead.
4 凡活る者の中に列る者は望あり 其は生る犬は死る獅子に愈ればなり
For who is there that is excepted? With all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5 生者はその死んことを知る 然ど死る者は何事をも知ずまた應報をうくることも重てあらず その記憶らるる事も遂に忘れらるるに至る
For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not any thing, and there is no more to them any advantage, for their memory is forgotten.
6 またその愛も惡も嫉も旣に消うせて彼等は日の下におこなはるる事に最早何時までも關係ことあらざるなり
Their love also, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they a portion any more for ever in any thing which taketh place under the sun.
7 汝往て喜悦をもて汝のパンを食ひ樂き心をも汝の酒を飮め 其は神久しく汝の行爲を嘉納たまへばなり
Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a cheerful heart; for long since hath God been pleased with thy works.
8 汝の衣服を常に白からしめよ 汝の頭に膏を絶しむるなかれ
Let thy garments be always white, and let not fragrant oil be wanting upon thy head.
9 日の下に汝が賜はるこの汝の空なる生命の日の間汝その愛する妻とともに喜びて度生せ 汝の空なる生命の日の間しかせよ 是は汝が世にありて受る分汝が日の下に働ける勞苦によりて得る者なり
Enjoy life with the wife whom thou lovest, all the days of thy vain life which he hath given thee under the sun, all thy vain days. For this is thy portion in life, and in thy labor with which thou weariest thyself under the sun.
10 凡て汝の手に堪ることは力をつくしてこれを爲せ 其は汝の往んところの陰府には工作も計謀も知識も智慧もあることなければなり (Sheol )
Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might! For there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the under-world, whither thou goest. (Sheol )
11 我また身をめぐらして日の下を觀るに 迅速者走ることに勝にあらず強者戰爭に勝にあらず 智慧者食物を獲にあらず 明哲人財貨を得にあらず 知識人恩顧を得にあらず 凡て人に臨むところの事は時ある者偶然なる者なり
I turned and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor yet bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of knowledge; but time and chance happen to them all.
12 人はまたその時を知ず 魚の禍の網にかかり鳥の鳥羅にかかるが如くに世の人もまた禍患の時の計らざるに臨むに及びてその禍患にかかるなり
For man knoweth not his time. As fishes that are taken in a destructive net, and as birds that are caught in a snare, so are the sons of men snared in a time of distress, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
13 我日の下に是事を觀て智慧となし大なる事となせり
This also have I seen; even wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me.
14 すなはち茲に一箇の小き邑ありて その中の人は鮮かりしが大なる王これに攻きたりてこれを圍みこれに向ひて大なる雲梯を建たり
There was a little city, and few men within it; and a great king came against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.
15 時に邑の中に一人の智慧ある貧しき人ありてその智慧をもて邑を救へり 然るに誰ありてその貧しき人を記念もの無りし
Now there was found within it a wise poor man; and he, by his wisdom, delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
16 是において我言り智慧は勇力に愈る者なりと 但しかの貧しき人の智慧は藐視られその言詞は聽れざりしなり
Then said I, “Wisdom is better than strength;” and yet the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
17 靜に聽る智者の言は愚者の君長たる者の號呼に愈る
The quiet words of the wise are sooner heard than the shouting of a foolish ruler.
18 智慧は軍の器に勝れり一人の惡人は許多の善事を壞ふなり
Wisdom is better than weapons of war. But one offender destroyeth much good.