< 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 all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hatred, man doesn’t know it; 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 things come alike to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, to the clean, to the unclean, to him who sacrifices, and to him who doesn’t sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; he who takes an oath, as he who fears 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 in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all. Yes also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go 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 to him who is joined 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 will die, but the dead don’t know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; 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
Also their love, their hatred, and their envy has perished long ago; neither do they any longer have a portion forever in anything that is done 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 your way—eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your 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 your garments be always white, and don’t let your head lack oil.
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
Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity, for that is your portion in life, and in your labour in which you labour 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 your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor plan, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going. (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 returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; 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 also doesn’t know his time. As the fish that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly on 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
I have also seen wisdom under the sun in this way, 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, 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 a poor wise man was found in it, 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 I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” Nevertheless 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 words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him who rules amongst fools.
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 sinner destroys much good.