伝道者の書 5
1 汝ヱホバの室にいたる時にはその足を愼め 進みよりて聴聞は愚なる者の犠牲にまさる 彼等はその惡をおこなひをることを知ざるなり
Guard thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be ready to hearken: it is better than when fools give sacrifices; for they know not that they do evil.
2 汝神の前にありては軽々し口を開くなかれ 心を攝めて妄に言をいだすなかれ 其は神は天にいまし汝は地にをればなり 然ば汝言詞を少からしめよ
Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter a word before God; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few.
3 夫夢は事の繁多によりて生じ 愚なる者の聲は言の衆多によりて識るなり
For a dream cometh through a multitude of business; and a fool's voice through a multitude of words.
4 汝神に誓願をかけなば之を還すことを怠るなかれ 神は愚なる者を悦びたまはざるなり 汝はそのかけし誓願を還すべし
When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for He hath no pleasure in fools; pay that which thou vowest.
5 誓願をかけてこれを還さざるよりは寧ろ誓願をかけざるは汝に善し
Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
6 汝の口をもて汝の身に罪を犯さしむるたかれ 亦使者の前に其は過誤なりといふべからず 恐くは神汝の言を怒り汝の手の所爲を滅したまはん
Suffer not thy mouth to bring thy flesh into guilt, neither say thou before the messenger, that it was an error; wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?
7 夫夢多ければ空たる事多し 言詞の多きもまた然り 汝ヱホバを畏め
For through the multitude of dreams and vanities there are also many words; but fear thou God.
8 汝國の中に貧き者を虐遇る事および公道と公義を枉ることあるを見るもその事あるを怪むなかれ 其はその位高き人よりも高き者ありてその人を伺へばなり又其等よりも高き者あるなり
If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and the violent perverting of justice and righteousness in the state, marvel not at the matter; for one higher than the high watcheth, and there are higher than they.
9 國の利益は全く是にあり 即ち王者が農事に勤むるにあるなり
But the profit of a land every way is a king that maketh himself servant to the field.
10 銀を好む者は銀に飽こと無し 豊富ならんことを好む者は得るところ有らず 是また空なり
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance, with increase; this also is vanity.
11 貨財増せばこれを食む者も増すなり その所有主は唯日にこれを看るのみ その外に何の益かあらん
When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, saving the beholding of them with his eyes?
12 労する者はその食ふところは多きも少きも快く睡るなり 然れども富者はその貨財の多きがために睡ることを得せず
Sweet is the sleep of a labouring man, whether he eat little or much; but the satiety of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
13 我また日の下に患の大なる者あるを見たり すなはち財寶のこれを蓄ふる者の身に害をおよぼすことある是なり
There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt;
14 その財寶はまた災難によりて失落ことあり 然ばその人子を挙ることあらんもその手には何物もあることなし
and those riches perish by evil adventure; and if he hath begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand.
15 人は母の胎より出て釆りしごとくにまた裸體にして皈りゆくべし その労苦によりて得たる者を毫厘も手にとりて携へゆくことを得ざるなり
As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he go back as he came, and shall take nothing for his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.
16 人は全くその來りしごとくにまた去ゆかざるを得ず 是また患の大なる者なり 抑風を追て労する者何の益をうること有んや
And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go; and what profit hath he that he laboureth for the wind?
17 人は生命の涯黒暗の中に食ふことを爲す また憂愁多かり 疾病身にあり 憤怒あり
All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much vexation and sickness and wrath.
18 視よ我は斯観たり 人の身にとりて善かつ美なる者は 神にたまはるその生命の極食飮をなし 且その日の下に労して働ける労苦によりて得るところの福禄を身に享るの事なり是その分なればなり
Behold that which I have seen: it is good, yea, it is comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy pleasure for all his labour, wherein he laboureth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him; for this is his portion.
19 何人によらず神がこれに富と財を與へてそれに食ことを得せしめ またその分を取りその労苦によりて快樂を得ることをせさせたまふあれば その事は神の賜物たるなり
Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour — this is the gift of God.
20 かかる人はその年齢の日を憶ゆること深からず 其は神これが心の喜ぶところにしたがひて應ることを爲したまへばなり
For let him remember the days of his life that they are not many; for God answereth him in the joy of his heart.
