伝道者の書 2
1 我わが心に言けらく 來れ我試みに汝をよろこばせんとす 汝逸樂をきはめよと 嗚呼是もまた空なりき
So then I thought to myself, “Alright, let me examine pleasure and see how good that is.” But this too turned out to be something temporary that passes.
2 我笑を論ふ是は狂なり 快樂を論ふ是何の爲ところあらんやと
I conclude that laughing your way through life is stupid, and pleasure—what use is that?
3 我心に智慧を懐きて居つつ洒をもて肉身を肥さんと試みたり 又世の人は天が下におて生涯如何なる事をなさぼ善らんかを知んために我は愚なる事を行ふことをせり
Then I used my mind to examine the attraction of wine to my body. My mind still guiding me with wisdom, I took it until I acted like a fool, so that I might see whether this was good for people to do during their time here.
4 我は大なる事業をなせり 我はわが爲に家を建て葡萄園を設け
Then I tried great construction projects. I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself.
5 園をつくり囿をつくり 又菓のなる諸の樹を其處に植ゑ
I made for myself gardens and parks, planting them with all kinds of fruit trees.
6 また水の塘池をつくりて樹木の生茂れる林に其より水を灌がしめたり
I constructed for myself reservoirs to water all these growing trees.
7 我は僕婢を買得たり また家の子あり 我はまた凡て我より前にヱルサレムにをりし者よりも衆多の牛羊を有り
I bought male and female slaves, and their children also belonged to me. I also owned many herds and flocks, more than anyone in Jerusalem before me.
8 我は金銀を積み 王等と國々の財寶を積あげたり また歌詠之男女を得 世の人の樂なる妻妾を多くえたり
I collected for myself great quantities of silver and gold, paid to me as tribute by kings and provinces. I brought in for myself male and female singers, and enjoyed many concubines—all a man could want!
9 斯我は大なる者となり 我より前にヱルサレムにをりし諸の人よりも大になりぬ 吾智慧もまたわが身を離れざりき
I became great—greater than anyone in Jerusalem before me. All the while my wisdom stayed with me.
10 凡そわが目の好む者は我これを禁ぜす 凡そわが心の悦ぶ者は我これを禁ぜざりき 即ち我はわが諸の労苦によりて快樂を得たり 是は我が諸の労苦によりて得たるところの分なり
I didn't stop myself trying anything I wanted. Whatever I felt like enjoying, I did. I even enjoyed everything I had accomplished, a reward for all my work.
11 我わが手にて爲たる諸の事業および我が労して事を爲たる労苦を顧みるに 皆空にして風を捕ふるが如くなりき 日の下には益となる者あらざるなり
But when I thought about what I had worked so hard to achieve, everything I'd done, it was so short-lived—as significant as someone trying to catch the wind. There really is no enduring benefit here on earth.
12 我また身を轉らして智慧と狂妄と愚癡とを観たり 抑王に嗣ぐところの人は如何なる事を爲うるや その既になせしところの事に過ざるべし
So I started to think about wisdom—and madness and foolishness. For what can anyone who comes after the king do that hasn't already been done?
13 光明の黒暗にまさるがごとく智匙は愚癡に勝るなり 我これを暁れり
I recognized that wisdom is better than foolishness just as light is better than darkness.
14 智者の目はその頭にあり愚者は黒暗に歩む 然ど我しる具みな遇ふところの事は同一なり
The wise see where they're going, but fools walk in darkness. But I also realized that they all come to the same end.
15 我心に謂けらく 愚者の遇ふところの事に我もまた遇ふべければ 我なんぞ智慧のまさる所あらんや 我また心に謂り是も亦空なるのみと
Then I thought to myself, “If I'm going to end up the same as a fool, what's the point of being so wise?” So I thought to myself, “This is also hard to understand!”
16 夫智者も愚者と均しく永く世に記念らるることなし 來らん世にいたれば皆早く既に忘らるるなり 嗚呼智者の愚者とおなじく死るは是如何なる事ぞや
Nobody remembers the wise or the fool for very long—in the future everything will be forgotten. Whether wise or foolish, they both die.
17 是に於て我世にながらふることを厭へり 凡そ日の下に爲ところの事は我に惡く見ればなり 即ち皆空にして風を捕ふるがごとし
So I ended up feeling disgusted with life because everything that happens here on earth is so distressing. It's so incomprehensible, like trying to control the wind.
18 我は日の下にわが労して諸の動作をなしたるを恨む其は我の後を嗣ぐ人にこれを遺さざるを得ざればなり
I even ended up hating what I had achieved here on earth because I have to hand it over to whoever comes after me.
19 其人の智愚は誰かこれを飢らん然るにその人は日の下に我が労して爲し智慧をこめて爲たる諸の工作を管理るにいたらん是また空なり
And who knows whether he will be wise or foolish? Yet he will rule over everything I accomplished through my wisdom here on earth. This is just so frustrating, so hard to understand!
20 我身をめぐらし日の下にわが労して爲たる諸の動作のために望を失へり
I decided to give up, my mind in despair over the significance of all my life's achievements.
21 今茲に人あり 智慧と知識と才能をもて労して事をなさんに終には之がために労せざる人に一切を遺してその所有となさしめざるを得ざるなり 是また空にして大に惡し
For you can work wisely, knowledgably, and with skill—and who benefits? Someone who hasn't worked for it! This is both frustrating and totally unjust!
22 夫人はその日の下に労して爲ところの諸の動作とその心労によりて何の得ところ有るや
What do you get here on earth for all your hard work and worry?
23 その世にある日には常に憂患あり その労苦は苦し その心は夜の間も安んずることあらず 是また空なり
Your working life is full of trouble and strife—even at night your thoughts keep you awake. This is tough to comprehend!
24 人の食飮をなしその労苦によりて心を樂しましむるは幸福なる事にあらず 是もまた神の手より出るなり 我これを見る
So what's the best thing to do? Eat, drink, and enjoy your work, recognizing as I did that these things are given to us by God,
25 誰かその食ふところその歓樂を極むるところに於て我にまさる者あらん
for who can eat or enjoy life apart from him?
26 神はその心に適ふ人には智慧と知識と喜樂を賜ふ 然れども罪を犯す人には労苦を賜ひて斂めかつ積ことを爲さしむ 是は其を神の心に適ふ人に與へたまはんためなり 是もまた空にして風を捕るがごとし
To those who are good, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy. But to the sinner God gives the task of gathering and collecting wealth, only to hand it over to someone who pleases God. This also shows how fleeting life is, and hard to understand—like trying to understand how the wind blows.
