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 fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one’s 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 the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; for that is the end of all men, and the living should take this to heart.
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
Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.
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 in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
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 hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools.
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 as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
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
Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.
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
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
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
Don’t be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.
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
Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not ask wisely about this.
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 is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent 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 wisdom is a defence, even as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
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 work of God, for who can make that straight which he has made crooked?
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 the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything after 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
All this I have seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.
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
Don’t be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
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
Don’t be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should 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 that you should take hold of this. Yes, also don’t withdraw your hand from that; for he who fears God will come out of them all.
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 is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in 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
Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and doesn’t 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
Also don’t take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse 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 often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed 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
All this I have proved in wisdom. I said, “I will be wise;” but it was far 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
That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out?
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 turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is madness.
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
I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared 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, I have found this,” says the Preacher, “to one another, to find an 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, but I have not found. I have found one man amongst a thousand, but I have not found a woman amongst all those.
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
Behold, I have only found this: that God made mankind upright; but they search for many inventions.”
