< 伝道者の書 10 >
1 死んだはえは、香料を造る者のあぶらを臭くし、少しの愚痴は知恵と誉よりも重い。
[A few] dead flies in [a bottle of] perfume cause [all] the perfume to stink. Similarly [SIM], a small amount of acting foolishly can have a greater effect than acting wisely.
2 知者の心は彼を右に向けさせ、愚者の心は左に向けさせる。
If people think sensibly, it will lead them to do what is right; if they think foolishly, it causes them to do what is wrong.
3 愚者は道を行く時、思慮が足りない、自分の愚かなことをすべての人に告げる。
Even while foolish people walk along the road, they show that they do not have good sense; they show everyone that they are not wise.
4 つかさたる者があなたに向かって立腹しても、あなたの所を離れてはならない。温順は大いなるとがを和らげるからである。
Do not quit working for a ruler when he is angry with you; if you remain calm, he will [probably] stop being angry.
5 わたしは日の下に一つの悪のあるのを見た。それはつかさたる者から出るあやまちに似ている。
There is something [else] that I have seen here on this earth, something that rulers sometimes do that is wrong/inappropriate:
6 すなわち愚かなる者が高い地位に置かれ、富める者が卑しい所に座している。
They appoint foolish people to have important positions, while they appoint rich [people] to have unimportant positions.
7 わたしはしもべたる者が馬に乗り、君たる者が奴隷のように徒歩であるくのを見た。
They allow slaves [to ride] on horses [like rich people usually do], [but] they force officials to walk [like slaves usually do].
8 穴を掘る者はみずからこれに陥り、石がきをこわす者は、へびにかまれる。
[It is possible that] those who dig pits will fall into one of those pits. [It is possible that] someone who tears down a wall will be bitten by a snake [that is in that wall].
9 石を切り出す者はそれがために傷をうけ、木を割る者はそれがために危険にさらされる。
If you work in a quarry, [it is possible that] a stone [will fall on you and] injure you. [It is possible that] men who split logs will be injured by one of those logs.
10 鉄が鈍くなったとき、人がその刃をみがかなければ、力を多くこれに用いねばならない。しかし、知恵は人を助けてなし遂げさせる。
If your axe is not sharp [DOU], you will need to work harder [to cut down a tree], but by being wise, you will succeed.
11 へびがもし呪文をかけられる前に、かみつけば、へび使は益がない。
If a snake bites a man before he charms/tames it, his ability to charm snakes will not benefit him.
12 知者の口の言葉は恵みがある、しかし愚者のくちびるはその身を滅ぼす。
Wise people say [MTY] what is sensible, and because of that, people honor them; but foolish people are destroyed by what they say [MTY].
13 愚者の口の言葉の初めは愚痴である、またその言葉の終りは悪い狂気である。
When foolish people start to talk, they say things that are foolish, and they end by saying things that are both wicked and foolish.
14 愚者は言葉を多くする、しかし人はだれも後に起ることを知らない。だれがその身の後に起る事を告げることができようか。
They talk (too much/without ceasing). None of us knows what will happen in the future, or what will happen after we die.
15 愚者の労苦はその身を疲れさせる、彼は町にはいる道をさえ知らない。
Foolish people become [so] exhausted by the work that they do that they are unable to find the road to their town/homes.
16 あなたの王はわらべであって、その君たちが朝から、ごちそうを食べる国よ、あなたはわざわいだ。
Terrible things will happen to the people of a nation whose ruler is a foolish young man, and whose [other] leaders continually eat, all day long, every day.
17 あなたの王は自主の子であって、その君たちが酔うためでなく、力を得るために、適当な時にごちそうを食べる国よ、あなたはさいわいだ。
[But] a nation will prosper if its ruler is from a (noble/well-educated) family, and if its [other] leaders feast [only] at the proper times, and [if they eat and drink only] to be strong, not to become drunk.
18 怠惰によって屋根は落ち、無精によって家は漏る。
Some men are very lazy [and do not repair the rafters], with the result that the rafters sag [and collapse]; and if they do not repair the roof, water will leak into the house [when it rains].
19 食事は笑いのためになされ、酒は命を楽しませる。金銭はすべての事に応じる。
Eating food and drinking wine causes us to laugh and be happy, [but] we are able to enjoy those things only if we have money [to buy them].
20 あなたは心のうちでも王をのろってはならない、また寝室でも富める者をのろってはならない。空の鳥はあなたの声を伝え、翼のあるものは事を告げるからである。
Do not even think about cursing the king, or cursing rich [people, even] when you are [alone] in your bedroom, because [it is possible that] a little bird will hear [what you are saying], [and] tell those people what you said [about them].