Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said in my heart, I will give you joy for a test; so take your pleasure — but it was to no purpose.
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
2 Of laughing I said, It is foolish; and of joy — What use is it?
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
3 I made a search with my heart to give pleasure to my flesh with wine, still guiding my heart with wisdom, and to go after foolish things, so that I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under the heavens all the days of their life.
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
4 I undertook great works, building myself houses and planting vine-gardens.
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
5 I made myself gardens and fruit gardens, planting in them fruit-trees of all sorts.
園をつくり囿をつくり 又菓のなる諸の樹を其處に植ゑ
6 I made pools to give water for the woods with their young trees.
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
7 I got men-servants and women-servants, and they gave birth to sons and daughters in my house. I had great wealth of herds and flocks, more than all who were in Jerusalem before me.
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
8 I got together silver and gold and the wealth of kings and of countries. I got makers of song, male and female; and the delights of the sons of men — girls of all sorts to be my brides.
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
9 And I became great; increasing more than all who had been before me in Jerusalem, and my wisdom was still with me.
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
10 And nothing which was desired by my eyes did I keep from them; I did not keep any joy from my heart, because my heart took pleasure in all my work, and this was my reward.
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
11 Then I saw all the works which my hands had made, and everything I had been working to do; and I saw that all was to no purpose and desire for wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
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
12 And I went again in search of wisdom and of foolish ways. What may the man do who comes after the king? The thing which he has done before.
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
13 Then I saw that wisdom is better than foolish ways — as the light is better than the dark.
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
14 The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the foolish man goes walking in the dark; but still I saw that the same event comes to them all.
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
15 Then said I in my heart: As it comes to the foolish man, so will it come to me; so why have I been wise overmuch? Then I said in my heart: This again is to no purpose.
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
16 Of the wise man, as of the foolish man, there is no memory for ever, seeing that those who now are will have gone from memory in the days to come. See how death comes to the wise as to the foolish!
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
17 So I was hating life, because everything under the sun was evil to me: all is to no purpose and desire for wind.
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
18 Hate had I for all my work which I had done, because the man who comes after me will have its fruits.
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
19 And who is to say if that man will be wise or foolish? But he will have power over all my work which I have done and in which I have been wise under the sun. This again is to no purpose.
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
20 So my mind was turned to grief for all the trouble I had taken and all my wisdom under the sun.
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
21 Because there is a man whose work has been done with wisdom, with knowledge, and with an expert hand; but one who has done nothing for it will have it for his heritage. This again is to no purpose and a great evil.
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
22 What does a man get for all his work, and for the weight of care with which he has done his work under the sun?
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
23 All his days are sorrow, and his work is full of grief. Even in the night his heart has no rest. This again is to no purpose.
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
24 There is nothing better for a man than taking meat and drink, and having delight in his work. This again I saw was from the hand of God.
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
25 Who may take food or have pleasure without him?
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
26 To the man with whom he is pleased, God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the work of getting goods together and storing up wealth, to give to him in whom God has pleasure. This again is to no purpose and desire for wind.
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
