伝道者の書 7
1 名は美膏に愈り 死る日は生るる日に愈る
A good name is better than precious ointments: and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.
2 哀傷の家に入は宴樂の家に入に愈る 其は一切の人の終かくのごとくなればなり 生る者またこれをその心にとむるあらん
It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to the house of feasting: for in that we are put in mind of the end of all, and the living thinketh what is to come.
3 悲哀は嬉笑に愈る 其は面に憂色を帯るなれば心も善にむかへばなり
Anger is better than laughter: because by the sadness of the countenance the mind of the offender is corrected.
4 賢き者の心は哀傷の家にあり 愚なる者の心は喜樂の家にあり
The heart of the wise is where there is mourning, and the heart of fools where there is mirth.
5 賢き者の勤責を聴は愚なる者の歌詠を聴に愈るなり
It is better to be rebuked by a wise man, than to be deceived by the flattery of fools.
6 愚なる者の笑は釜の下に焚る荊剌の聲のごとし是また空なり
For as the crackling of thorns burning under a pot, so is the laughter of a fool: now this also is vanity.
7 賢き人も虐待る事によりて狂するに至るあり賄賂は人の心を壊なふ
Oppression troubleth the wise, and shall destroy the strength of his heart.
8 事の終はその始よりも善し 容忍心ある者は傲慢心ある者に勝る
Better is the end of a speech than the beginning. Better is the patient man than the presumptuous.
9 汝氣を急くして怒るなかれ 怒は愚なる者の胸にやどるなり
Be not quickly angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of a fool.
10 昔の今にまさるは伺故ぞやと汝言なかれ 汝の斯る問をなすは是智慧よりいづる者にあらざるなり
Say not: What thinkest thou is the cause that former times were better than they are now? for this manner of question is foolish.
11 智慧の上に財産をかぬれば善し 然れば日を見る者等に利益おほかるべし
Wisdom with riches is more profitable, and bringeth more advantage to them that see the sun.
12 智慧も身の護庇となり銀子も身の護庇となる 然ど智恵はまたこれを有る者に生命を保しむ 是知識の殊勝たるところなり
For as wisdom is a defence, so money is a defence: but learning and wisdom excel in this, that they give life to him that possesseth them.
13 汝神の作爲を考ふべし 神の曲たまひし者は誰かこれを直くすることを得ん
Consider the works of God, that no man can correct whom he hath despised.
14 幸福ある日には樂め 禍患ある日には考へよ 神はこの二者をあひ交錯て降したまふ 是は人をしてその後の事を知ることなからしめんためなり
In the good day enjoy good things, and beware beforehand of the evil day: for God hath made both the one and the other, that man may not find against him any just complaint.
15 我この空の世にありて各様の事を見たり 義人の義をおこなひて亡ぶるあり 惡人の惡をおこなひて長壽あり
These things also I saw in the days of my vanity: A just man perisheth in his justice, and a wicked man liveth a long time in his wickedness.
16 汝義に過るなかれまた賢に過るなかれ 汝なんぞ身を減ずべけんや
Be not over just: and be not more wise than is necessary, lest thou become stupid.
17 汝惡に過るなかれまた愚なる勿れ 汝なんぞ時いたらざるに死べけんや
Be not overmuch wicked: and be not foolish, lest thou die before thy time.
18 汝此を執は善しまた彼にも手を放すなかれ 神を畏む者はこの一切の者の中より逃れ出るなり
It is good that thou shouldst hold up the just, yea and from him withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God, neglecteth nothing.
19 智恵の智者を幇くることは邑の豪雄者十人にまさるなり
Wisdom hath strengthened the wise more than ten princes of the city.
20 正義して善をおこなひ罪を犯すことなき人は世にあることなし
For there is no just man upon earth, that doth good, and sinneth not.
21 人の言出ず言詞には凡て心をとむる勿れ 恐くは汝の僕の汝を詛ふを聞こともあらん
But do not apply thy heart to all words that are spoken: lest perhaps thou hear thy servant reviling thee.
22 汝も屡人を詛ふことあるは汝の心に知ところなり
For thy conscience knoweth that thou also hast often spoken evil of others.
23 我智慧をもてこの一切の事を試み役は智者とならんと謂たりしが遠くおよばざるなり
I have tried all things in wisdom. I have said: I will be wise: and it departed farther from me,
24 事物の理は遠くして甚だ深し 誰かこれを究むることを得ん
Much more than it was: it is a great depth, who shall find it out?
25 我は身をめぐらし心をもちひて物を知り事を探り 智慧と道理を崇めんとし 又惡の愚たると愚癡の狂妄たるを知んとせり
I have surveyed all things with my mind, to know, and consider, and seek out wisdom and reason: and to know the wickedness of the fool, and the error of the imprudent:
26 我了れり 婦人のその心羅と網のごとくその手縲絏のごとくなる者は是死よりも苦き者なり 神の悦びたまふ者は之を避ることを得ん罪人は之に執らるべし
And I have found a woman more bitter than death, who is the hunter’s snare, and her heart is a net, and her hands are bands. He that pleaseth God shall escape from her: but he that is a sinner, shall be caught by her.
27 傅道者言ふ 視よ我その數を知んとして一々に算へてつびに此事を了る
Lo this have I found, said Ecclesiastes, weighing one thing after another, that I might find out the account,
28 我なほ尋ねて得ざる者は是なり 我千人の中には一箇の男子を得たれども その數の中には一箇の女子をも得ざるなり
Which yet my soul seeketh, and I have not found it. One man among a thousand I have found, a woman among them all I have not found.
29 我了れるところは唯是のみ 即ち神は人を正直者に造りたまひしに人衆多の計略を案出せしなり
Only this I have found, that God made man right, and he hath entangled himself with an infinity of questions. Who is as the wise man? and who hath known the resolution of the word?
