Ecclesiastes 6

1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy upon men:

我観るに日の下に一件の患あり是は人の間に恒なる者なり

2 a man to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honour, so that he lacketh nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it; this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

すなはち神富と財と貴を人にあたへて その心に慕ふ者を一件もこれに欠ることなからしめたまひながらも 神またその人に之を食ふことを得せしめたまはずして 他人のこれを食ことあり 是空なり惡き疾なり

3 If a man beget an hundred children and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, but his soul be not filled with good, and moreover he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he:

仮令人百人の子を挙けまた長壽してその年齢の日多からんも 若その心景福に満足せざるか又は葬らるることを得ざるあれば 我言ふ流産の子はその人にまさるたり

4 for it cometh in vanity, and departeth in darkness, and the name thereof is covered with darkness;

夫流産の子はその來ること空しくして黒暗の中に去ゆきその名は黒暗の中にかくるるなり

5 moreover it hath not seen the sun nor known it; this hath rest rather than the other:

又是は日を見ることなく物を知ることなければ彼よりも安泰なり

6 yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet enjoy no good: do not all go to one place?

人の壽命千年に倍するとも福祉を蒙れるにはあらず 皆一所に往くにあらずや

7 All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

人の労苦は皆その口のためなり その心はなほも飽ざるところ有り

8 For what advantage hath the wise more than the fool? [or] what hath the poor man, that knoweth to walk before the living?

賢者なんぞ愚者に勝るところあらんや また世人の前に歩行ことを知ところの貧者も何の勝るところ有んや

9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

目に観る事物は心のさまよひ歩くに愈るなり 是また空にして風を捕ふるがごとし

10 Whatsoever hath been, the name thereof was given long ago, and it is known that it is man: neither can he contend with him that is mightier than he.

嘗て在し者は久しき前にすでにその名を命られたり 即ち是は人なりと知る 然ば是はかの自己よりも力強き者と争ふことを得ざるなり

11 Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?

衆多の言論ありて虚浮き事を増す然ど人に何の益あらんや

12 For who knoweth what is good for man in [his] life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

人はその虚空き生命の日を影のごとくに送るなり 誰かこの世において如何なる事か人のために善き者なるやを知ん 誰かその身の後に日の下にあらんところの事を人に告うる者あらんや