伝道者の書 2
1 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
I said in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with mirth: therefore enjoy pleasure;" and look, this also was vanity.
2 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
I said of laughter, "It is foolishness;" and of mirth, "What does it accomplish?"
3 我心に智慧を懐きて居つつ酒をもて肉身を肥さんと試みたり 又世の人は天が下において生涯如何なる事をなさば善らんかを知んために我は愚なる事を行ふことをせり
I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold of folly, until I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their lives.
4 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
I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards.
5 園をつくり囿をつくり 又菓のなる諸の樹を其處に植ゑ
I made myself gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit.
6 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
I made myself pools of water, to water from it the forest where trees were reared.
7 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
I bought male servants and female servants, and had servants born in my house. I also had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all who were before me in Jerusalem;
8 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
I also gathered silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men—musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
9 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
So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.
10 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 即ち我はわが諸の勞苦によりて快樂を得たり 是は我が諸の勞苦によりて得たるところの分なり
Whatever my eyes desired, I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor, and this was my portion from all my labor.
11 我わが手にて爲たる諸の事業および我が勞して事を爲たる勞苦を顧みるに 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
Then I looked at all the works that my hands had worked, and at the labor that I had labored to do; and look, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
12 我また身を轉らして智慧と狂妄と愚癡とを觀たり 抑王に嗣ぐところの人は如何なる事を爲うるや その旣になせしところの事に過ざるべし
I turned myself to consider wisdom, madness, and folly. For what can the man who comes after the king do? Just that which he has already done.
13 光明の黑暗にまさるがごとく智慧は愚癡に勝るなり 我これを暁れり
Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness.
14 智者の目はその頭にあり愚者は黑暗に歩む 然ど我しる其みな遇ふところの事は同一なり
The wise man's eyes are in his head, and the fool walks in darkness—and yet I perceived that one event happens to them all.
15 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
Then said I in my heart, "As it happens to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?" Then said I in my heart that this also is vanity.
16 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旣に忘らるるなり 嗚呼智者の愚者とおなじく死るは是如何なる事ぞや
For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no memory for ever, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. Indeed, the wise man must die just like the fool.
17 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
So I hated life, because the work that is worked under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
18 我は日の下にわが勞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
I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who comes after me.
19 其人の智愚は誰かこれを知らん然るにその人は日の下に我が勞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
Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all of my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
20 我身をめぐらし日の下にわが勞して爲たる諸の動作のために望を失へり
Therefore I began to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor in which I had labored under the sun.
21 今茲に人あり 智慧と知識と才能をもて勞して事をなさんに終には之がために勞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
For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, with knowledge, and with skillfulness; yet he shall leave it for his portion to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.
22 夫人はその日の下に勞して爲ところの諸の動作とその心勞によりて何の得ところ有るや
For what has a man of all his labor, and of the striving of his heart, in which he labors under the sun?
23 その世にある日には常に憂患あり その勞苦は苦し その心は夜の間も安んずることあらず 是また空なり
For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.
24 人の食飮をなしその勞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
There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.
25 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
For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, apart from him?
26 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勞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ふるがごとし
For to the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
