Ecclesiastes 7
1 A [good] name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.
名は美膏に愈り 死る日は生るる日に愈る
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.
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
3 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made glad.
悲哀は嬉笑に愈る 其は面に憂色を帶るなれば心も善にむかへばなり
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
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
5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
賢き者の勸責を聽は愚なる者の歌詠を聽に愈るなり
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.
愚なる者の笑は釜の下に焚る荊棘の聲のごとし是また空なり
7 Surely extortion maketh a wise man foolish; and a gift destroyeth the understanding.
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壞なふ
8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: [and] the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
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
9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
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
10 Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.
昔の今にまさるは何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
11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance: yea, more excellent is it for them that see the sun.
智慧の上に財產をかぬれば善し 然れば日を見る者等に利益おほかるべし
12 For wisdom is a defence, even as money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom preserveth the life of him that hath it.
智慧も身の護庇となり銀子も身の護庇となる 然ど智惠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
13 Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?
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
14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God hath even made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out any thing [that shall be] after him.
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
15 All this have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth [his life] in his evil-doing.
我この空の世にありて各樣の事を見たり 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
16 Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
汝義に過るなかれまた賢に過るなかれ 汝なんぞ身を滅すべけんや
17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
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
18 It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.
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
19 Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers which are in a city.
智慧の智者を幇くることは邑の豪雄者十人にまさるなり
20 Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
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
21 Also take not heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee:
人の言出す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
22 for oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
汝も屡人を詛ふことあるは汝の心に知ところなり
23 All this have I proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
我智慧をもてこの一切の事を試み我は智者とならんと謂たりしが遠くおよばざるなり
24 That which is is far off, and exceeding deep; who can find it out?
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
25 I turned about, and my heart [was set] to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the reason [of things], and to know that wickedness is folly, and that foolishness is madness:
我は身をめぐらし心をもちひて物を知り事を探り 智慧と道理を索めんとし 又惡の愚たると愚癡の狂妄たるを知んとせり
26 And I find a thing more bitter than death, [even] the woman whose heart is snares and nets, [and] her hands [as] bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.
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
27 Behold, this have I found, saith the Preacher; [laying] one thing to another, to find out the account:
傳道者言ふ 視よ我その數を知んとして一々に算へてつひに此事を了る
28 which my soul still seeketh, but I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.
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
29 Behold, this only have I found, that God made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
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
