< 伝道者の書 1 >
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all [is] vanity.
3 日の下に人の労して爲ところの諸の動作はその身に何の益かあらん
What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
[One] generation passeth away, and [another] generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
5 日は出で日は入り またその出し處に喘ぎゆくなり
The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
6 風は南に行き又轉りて北にむかひ 旋轉に旋りて行き 風復その旋轉る處にかへる。
The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.
7 河はみな海に流れ入る 海は盈ること無し 河はその出きたれる處に復還りゆくなり
All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea [is] not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
8 萬の物は労苦す 人これを言つくすことあたはず 目は見に飽ことなく耳は聞に充ること無し
All things [are] full of labour; man cannot utter [it: ] the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 曩に有りし者はまた後にあるべし 曩に成し事はまた後に成べし 日の下には新しき者あらざるなり
The thing that hath been, it [is that] which shall be; and that which is done [is] that which shall be done: and [there is] no new [thing] under the sun.
10 見よ是は新しき者なりと指て言べき物あるや 其は我等の前にありし世々に既に久しくありたる者なり
Is there [any] thing whereof it may be said, See, this [is] new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
11 己前のものの事はこれを記憶ることなし 以後のものの事もまた後に出る者これをおぼゆることあらじ
[There is] no remembrance of former [things; ] neither shall there be [any] remembrance of [things] that are to come with [those] that shall come after.
12 われ傅道者はヱルサレムにありてイスラエルの王たりき
I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 我心を盡し智慧をもちひて天が下に行はるる諸の事を尋ねかつ考覈たり此苦しき事件は神が世の人にさづけて之に身を労せしめたまふ者なり
And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all [things] that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
14 我日の下に作ところの諸の行爲を見たり 嗚呼皆空にして風を捕ふるがごとし
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
15 曲れる者は直からしむるあたはす欠たる者は散をあはするあたはず
[That which is] crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
16 我心の中に語りて言ふ 嗚呼我は大なる者となれり 我より先にヱルサレムにをりしすべての者よりも我は多くの智慧を得たり 我心は智慧と知識を多く得たり
I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all [they] that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
17 我心を盡して智慧を知んとし狂妄と愚癡を知んとしたりしが 是も亦風を捕ふるがごとくなるを暁れり
And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
18 夫智慧多ければ憤激多し 知識を増す者は憂患を増す
For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.