伝道者の書 7
1 名は美膏に愈り 死る日は生るる日に愈る
A good name is better than precious ointments, and a day of death is better than a day of birth.
2 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
It is better to go to a house of mourning, than to a house of feasting. For in the former, we are admonished about the end of all things, so that the living consider what may be in the future.
3 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
Anger is better than laughter. For through the sadness of the countenance, the soul of one who offends may be corrected.
4 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
The heart of the wise is a place of mourning, and the heart of the foolish is a place of rejoicing.
5 賢き者の勸責を聽は愚なる者の歌詠を聽に愈るなり
It is better to be corrected by a wise man, than to be deceived by the false praise of the foolish.
6 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
For, like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot, so is the laughter of the foolish. But this, too, is emptiness.
7 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
A false accusation troubles the wise man and saps the strength of his heart.
8 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
The end of a speech is better than the beginning. Patience is better than arrogance.
9 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
Do not be quickly moved to anger. For anger resides in the sinews of the foolish.
10 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
You should not say: “What do you think is the reason that the former times were better than they are now?” For this type of question is foolish.
11 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
Wisdom with riches is more useful and more advantageous, for those who see the sun.
12 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
For as wisdom protects, so also does money protect. But learning and wisdom have this much more: that they grant life to one who possesses them.
13 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
Consider the works of God, that no one is able to correct whomever he has despised.
14 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
In good times, enjoy good things, but beware of an evil time. For just as God has established the one, so also the other, in order that man may not find any just complaint against him.
15 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
I also saw this, in the days of my vanity: a just man perishing in his justice, and an impious man living a long time in his malice.
16 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
Do not try to be overly just, and do not try to be more wise than is necessary, lest you become stupid.
17 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
Do not act with great impiety, and do not choose to be foolish, lest you die before your time.
18 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
It is good for you to support a just man. Furthermore, you should not withdraw your hand from him, for whoever fears God, neglects nothing.
19 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
Wisdom has strengthened the wise more than ten princes of a city.
20 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
But there is no just man on earth, who does good and does not sin.
21 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
So then, do not attach your heart to every word that is spoken, lest perhaps you may hear your servant speaking ill of you.
22 汝も屡人を詛ふことあるは汝の心に知ところなり
For your conscience knows that you, too, have repeatedly spoken evil of others.
23 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
I have tested everything in wisdom. I have said: “I will be wise.” And wisdom withdrew farther from me,
24 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
so much more than it was before. Wisdom is very profound, so who shall reveal her?
25 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
I have examined all things in my soul, so that I may know, and consider, and seek out wisdom and reason, and so that I may recognize the impiety of the foolish, and the error of the imprudent.
26 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
And I have discovered a woman more bitter than death: she who is like the snare of a hunter, and whose heart is like a net, and whose hands are like chains. Whoever pleases God shall flee from her. But whoever is a sinner shall be seized by her.
27 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
Behold, Ecclesiastes said, I have discovered these things, one after another, in order that I might discover the explanation
28 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
which my soul still seeks and has not found. One man among a thousand, I have found; a woman among them all, I have not found.
29 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
This alone have I discovered: that God made man righteous, and yet he has adulterated himself with innumerable questions. Who is so great as the wise? And who has understood the meaning of the word?
