Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure;” and behold, this also was vanity.
Naʻa ku pehē ki hoku loto, “Vakai eni, teu ʻahiʻahiʻi koe ki he fiengutuhua, ko ia ke ke fiefia koe ʻi he fakavā;” pea vakai, ko e vaʻinga foki eni.
2 I said of laughter, “It is foolishness;” and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?”
Naʻaku pehē ki he kata, “Ko e faha ia”: pea ki he fiengutuhua, “ʻOku ʻaonga ia ki he hā?”
3 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.
Naʻaku fai ʻi hoku loto ke u faʻa inu uaine, kae kumi foki hoku loto ki he poto; pea ke puke atu ki he vale, koeʻuhi ke u ʻilo pe ko e hā ʻoku lelei ke fai ʻe he fānau ʻae tangata ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē ʻo ʻenau moʻui ʻi he lalo langi.
4 I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards.
Naʻaku fai ʻae ngaahi ngāue lahi; naʻaku langa hoku ngaahi fale; pea naʻaku tō ʻeku ngaahi ngoue vaine:
5 I made myself gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit.
Naʻaku tō ʻeku ngaahi ngoue mo e ngaahi ʻakau ʻoku fua, pea naʻaku tō ʻi ai ʻae faʻahinga ʻakau fua kehekehe kotoa pē.
6 I made myself pools of water, to water the forest where trees were grown.
Naʻaku ngaohi ʻae ngaahi anovai, ke fakatafe ki he potu ʻoku tupu ʻi ai ʻae ngaahi ʻakau:
7 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.
Naʻaku maʻu ʻae kau tamaioʻeiki mo e kau kaunanga, pea naʻe fanauʻi ʻae kau tamaioʻeiki ʻi hoku fale; pea naʻaku maʻu foki ʻo lahi ʻae fanga manu iiki, mo ia ʻoku lalahi, pea naʻe lahi hake ʻa ʻeku maʻumeʻa ʻiate kinautolu kotoa pē naʻe ʻi muʻa ʻiate au ʻi Selūsalema.
8 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 of all sorts.
Pea naʻaku tānaki foki kiate au ʻae siliva mo e koula, pea mo e koloa mahuʻinga lahi ʻoe ngaahi tuʻi mo e potu fonua kehekehe: pea u maʻu ʻae kau tangata faiva mo e kau fefine faiva, mo e meʻa fakafiefia kotoa pē ʻoe fānau ʻae tangata, mo e ngaahi meʻa faiva ʻi honau faʻahinga kehekehe.
9 So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.
Ko ia naʻaku hoko ko e lahi au, pea u tupu ʻo lahi hake ʻiate kinautolu kotoa pē naʻe ʻi muʻa ʻiate au ʻi Selūsalema: pea naʻe maʻu pe foki ʻa ʻeku poto ʻiate au.
10 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.
Pea ko e meʻa kotoa pē naʻe manako ki ai hoku mata naʻe ʻikai te u taʻofi ia mei ai, naʻe ʻikai te u taʻofi hoku loto mei ha fiefia; he naʻe fiefia hoku loto ʻi heʻeku ngāue kotoa pē: pea ko hoku ʻinasi ia ʻi heʻeku ngāue kotoa pē.
11 Then I looked at all the works that my hands had worked, and at the labor that I had labored to do; and behold, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
Pea naʻaku toki mamata ki he ngāue kotoa pē kuo fai ʻe hoku nima, mo e ngāue naʻaku ongosia ʻi hono fai: pea vakai, ko e vaʻinga ia kotoa pē mo e fakamamahi ki he laumālie, pea ʻoku ʻikai hano ʻaonga ʻi he lalo laʻā.
12 I turned myself to consider wisdom, madness, and folly; for what can the king’s successor do? Just that which has been done long ago.
Pea naʻaku tafoki au ke mamata ki he poto, mo e hē, mo e vale: he ko e hā ha meʻa ʻe faʻa fai ʻe he tangata ʻoku muimui ki he tuʻi? ʻAia pe kuo ʻosi hono fai.
13 Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness.
“Pea naʻaku toki mamata ʻoku lelei lahi hake ʻae poto ʻi he vale, ʻo hangē ko e lelei hake ʻoe maama ki he poʻuli.
14 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.
Ko e mata ʻoe poto ʻoku ʻi hono ʻulu ka ʻoku ʻeveʻeva ʻae vale ʻi he poʻuli:” pea naʻaku mamata ʻeau ko e meʻa pe taha ʻoku hoko kiate kinautolu kotoa pē.
15 Then I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity.
Pea naʻaku toki pehē ai ʻi hoku loto, “Hangē ko ia ʻoku hoko ki he vale, ko ia foki ʻoku hoko kiate au; pea ko e hā ia kuo u poto lahi hake ai?” Pea naʻaku toki pehē ʻi hoku loto, “Tā ko e vaʻinga foki eni.”
16 For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no memory forever, since in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. Indeed, the wise man must die just like the fool!
He ʻoku ʻikai lahi hake ʻae fakamanatu ki he poto ʻi he manatu ki he vale ʻo taʻengata: koeʻuhi ko e meʻa ʻoku ai ni ʻe ngalo ia ʻi he ʻaho kimui. Pea ʻoku fēfē ʻae mate ʻae poto? ʻOku hangē pe ia ko e vale.
17 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.
Ko ia naʻaku fehiʻa ki he moʻui; koeʻuhi ko e ngāue ʻoku fai ʻi he lalo laʻā ʻoku fakamamahi kiate au: he ko e vaʻinga ʻae meʻa kotoa pē mo e fakamamahi ki he laumālie.
18 I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.
ʻIo, naʻaku fehiʻa ki heʻeku ngāue kotoa pē naʻaku ongosia ai ʻi he lalo laʻā: koeʻuhi te u tuku pe ia ki he tangata ʻoku muimui ʻiate au.
19 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.
Pea ko hai ʻoku ne ʻilo pe ko ha poto ia pe ko ha vale? Ka ʻe pule ʻe ia ki he ngāue kotoa pē kuo u ngāue ai mo fakahā ʻaki ʻa ʻeku poto ʻi he lalo laʻā. Ko e vaʻinga foki eni.
20 Therefore I began to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor in which I had labored under the sun.
Ko ia naʻaku ʻalu fano ai ke fakataʻeʻamanaki hoku loto ki heʻeku ngāue kotoa pē naʻaku fai ʻi he lalo laʻā.
21 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.
He ʻoku ai ʻae tangata ʻoku fai ʻene ngāue ʻi he poto, mo e ʻilo, pea mo e totonu; ka te ne tuku pe ia ko e ʻinasi ʻo ha tangata ʻoku ʻikai ngāue ki ai. Ko e vaʻinga foki eni, pea ko e kovi lahi.
22 For what does a man have of all his labor and of the striving of his heart, in which he labors under the sun?
He ʻoku maʻu ʻae hā ʻe he tangata mei heʻene ngāue, mo e mamahi ʻa hono loto, ʻaia kuo ne ongosia ai ʻi he lalo laʻā?
23 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.
He ko hono ngaahi ʻaho kotoa pē ko e mamahi ia, pea ko ʻene feinga ko e fakamāfasia; ʻio, naʻa mo e pō ʻoku ʻikai fakafiemālie hono loto. Ko e vaʻinga foki eni.
24 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.
ʻOku ʻikai ha meʻa ʻoku lelei hake ki he tangata ka ko ʻene kai mo inu, pea ke fakafiefiaʻi hono loto ʻi he lelei ʻo ʻene ngāue. Naʻaku mamata foki ki he meʻa ni, kuo foaki mai ia mei he nima ʻoe ʻOtua.
25 For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?
He ko hai ʻoku faʻa kai, pea ko hai ʻoku fakatoʻotoʻo lahi hake ki ai ʻiate au?
26 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.
He ʻoku foaki ʻe he ʻOtua ki he tangata ʻaia ʻoku lelei ʻi hono ʻao, ko e poto, mo e ʻilo, mo e fiefia: ka ʻoku ne foaki ki he angahala ʻae feinga ke tānaki mo fokotuʻu, ka ne foaki ia kiate ia ʻoku lelei ʻi he ʻao ʻoe ʻOtua. Ko e vaʻinga foki eni mo e fakamamahi ki he laumālie.
