伝道者の書 5
1 汝ヱホバの室にいたる時にはその足を愼め 進みよりて聽聞は愚なる者の犠牲にまさる 彼等はその惡をおこなひをることを知ざるなり
Guard your steps when you go to God’s house; for to draw near to listen is better than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they don’t know that they do evil.
2 汝神の前にありては軽々し口を開くなかれ 心を攝めて妄に言をいだすなかれ 其は神は天にいまし汝は地にをればなり 然ば汝の言詞を少からしめよ
Don’t be rash with your mouth, and don’t let your heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and you on earth. Therefore let your words be few.
3 夫夢は事の繁多によりて生じ 愚なる者の聲は言の衆多によりて識るなり
For as a dream comes with a multitude of cares, so a fool’s speech with a multitude of words.
4 汝神に誓願をかけなば之を還すことを怠るなかれ 神は愚なる者を悦びたまはざるなり 汝はそのかけし誓願を還すべし
When you vow a vow to God, don’t defer to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you vow.
5 誓願をかけてこれを還さざるよりは寧ろ誓願をかけざるは汝に善し
It is better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay.
6 汝の口をもて汝の身に罪を犯さしむるなかれ 亦使者の前に其は過誤なりといふべからず 恐くは神汝の言を怒り汝の手の所爲を滅したまはん
Don’t allow your mouth to lead you into sin. Don’t protest before the messenger that this was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?
7 夫夢多ければ空なる事多し 言詞の多きもまた然り 汝ヱホバを畏め
For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, as well as in many words; but you must fear God.
8 汝國の中に貧き者を虐遇る事および公道と公義を枉ることあるを見るもその事あるを怪むなかれ 其はその位高き人よりも高き者ありてその人を伺へばなり又其等よりも高き者あるなり
If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a district, don’t marvel at the matter, for one official is eyed by a higher one, and there are officials over them.
9 國の利益は全く是にあり 即ち王者が農事に勤むるにあるなり
Moreover the profit of the earth is for all. The king profits from the field.
10 銀を好む者は銀に飽こと無し 豊富ならんことを好む者は得るところ有らず 是また空なり
He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.
11 貨財増せばこれを食む者も増すなり その所有主は唯目にこれを看るのみ その外に何の益かあらん
When goods increase, those who eat them are increased; and what advantage is there to its owner, except to feast on them with his eyes?
12 勞する者はその食ふところは多きも少きも快く睡るなり 然れども富者はその貨財の多きがために睡ることを得せず
The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep.
13 我また日の下に患の大なる者あるを見たり すなはち財寶のこれを蓄ふる者の身に害をおよぼすことある是なり
There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.
14 その財寶はまた災難によりて失落ことあり 然ばその人子を擧ることあらんもその手には何物もあることなし
Those riches perish by misfortune, and if he has fathered a son, there is nothing in his hand.
15 人は母の胎より出て來りしごとくにまた裸體にして皈りゆくべし その勞苦によりて得たる者を毫厘も手にとりて携へゆくことを得ざるなり
As he came out of his mother’s womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.
16 人は全くその來りしごとくにまた去ゆかざるを得ず 是また患の大なる者なり 抑風を追て勞する者何の益をうること有んや
This also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit does he have who labours for the wind?
17 人は生命の涯黑暗の中に食ふことを爲す また憂愁多かり 疾病身にあり 憤怒あり
All his days he also eats in darkness, he is frustrated, and has sickness and wrath.
18 視よ我は斯觀たり 人の身にとりて善かつ美なる者は 神にたまはるその生命の極食飮をなし 且その日の下に勞して働ける勞苦によりて得るところの福禄を身に享るの事なり是その分なればなり
Behold, that which I have seen to be good and proper is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labour, in which he labours under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; for this is his portion.
19 何人によらず神がこれに富と財を與へてそれに食ことを得せしめ またその分を取りその勞苦によりて快樂を得ることをせさせたまふあれば その事は神の賜物たるなり
Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour—this is the gift of God.
20 かかる人はその年齢の日を憶ゆること深からず 其は神これが心の喜ぶところにしたがひて應ることを爲したまへばなり
For he shall not often reflect on the days of his life, because God occupies him with the joy of his heart.
