伝道者の書 1
1 ダビデの子 ヱルサレムの王 傳道者の言
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 傳道者言く 空の空 空の空なる哉 都て空なり
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities, all is vanity.
3 日の下に人の勞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 by all his labor with which he wearieth himself under the sun?
4 世は去り世は來る 地は永久に長存なり
One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; while 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 riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteneth to the place whence it 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 to the north; round and round goeth the wind, and returneth to its 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; to the place whence the rivers come, thither they return.
8 萬の物は勞苦す 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 words become weary; man cannot express it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 曩に有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 is that which shall be, and that which hath been 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旣に久しくありたる者なり
Is there any thing of which one may say, “Behold, this is new”? It was long ago, in the times which were 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, and of things that are to come there shall be no remembrance to those who live afterwards.
12 われ傳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 at 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勞せしめたまふ者なり
And I gave my mind to seek and to search out with wisdom concerning all things which are done under heaven; an evil business, which God hath given to the sons of men, in which to employ themselves.
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 saw all the things which are done under the sun; and, behold, it was all vanity, and striving after wind.
15 曲れる者は直からしむるあたはず缺たる者は數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 my heart, saying, “Behold, I have gained more and greater wisdom than all who have been before me at Jerusalem; yea, my mind hath seen much 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 mind to know wisdom, and to know senselessness and folly; I perceived that this also is striving after wind.
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 vexation, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
