Ecclesiastes 3
1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:
ʻOku ai hono kuonga ʻoe meʻa kotoa pē, mo e ʻaho ki he ngāue kotoa pē ʻi he lalo langi:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
Ko e ʻaho ke fanauʻi ai, mo e ʻaho ke mate; ko e ʻaho ke tō, mo e ʻaho ke taʻaki ʻaia kuo tō;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
Ko e ʻaho ke tāmateʻi, mo e ʻaho ke fakamoʻui; ko e ʻaho ke holoki hifo, mo e ʻaho ke langa hake;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
Ko e ʻaho ke tangi, mo e ʻaho ke kata; ko e ʻaho ke tangilāulau, mo e ʻaho ke meʻe;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
Ko e ʻaho ke liʻaki ʻae ngaahi maka, mo e ʻaho ke tānaki fakataha ʻae ngaahi maka; ko e ʻaho ke fāʻufua, mo e ʻaho ke vāmamaʻo;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
Ko e ʻaho ke maʻu, mo e ʻaho ke mole ai; ko e ʻaho ke kuku maʻu, mo e ʻaho ke liʻaki atu;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
Ko e ʻaho ke mahaehae, mo e ʻaho ke tuitui; ko e ʻaho ke fakalongolongo, mo e ʻaho ke lea;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
Ko e ʻaho ke ʻofa, mo e ʻaho ke fehiʻa; ko e ʻaho ke tau, mo e ʻaho ke melino.
9 What profit has he who works in that in which he labors?
Ko e hā ʻae lelei ʻoku maʻu ʻe ia ʻoku ngāue ʻi he meʻa ʻoku ne ngāue ai?
10 I have seen the burden which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.
Kuo u mamata ki he feinga ʻaia kuo tuku ʻe he ʻOtua ki he fānau ʻae tangata ke ʻahiʻahi ʻaki ʻakinautolu.
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their hearts, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God has done from the beginning even to the end.
Kuo ngaohi ʻe ia ʻae meʻa kotoa pē ke fakaʻofoʻofa ʻi hono kuonga: pea kuo ne ʻai foki ʻae māmani ki honau loto, pea ko ia ʻoku ʻikai faʻa ʻilo ai ʻe ha tangata ʻae ngāue ʻoku fai ʻe he ʻOtua mei he kamataʻanga ʻo aʻu ki hono ngataʻanga.
12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good as long as they live.
ʻOku ou ʻilo ʻoku ʻikai ha lelei ʻi ai, ka koeʻuhi ke fiefia ʻae tangata, pea ke fai lelei ʻi heʻene moʻui.
13 Also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God.
Pea ko e kai mo e inu ʻae tangata kotoa pē, mo e fiefia ʻi he lelei ʻo ʻene ngāue kotoa pē, ko e foaki ia ʻae ʻOtua.
14 I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; and God has done it, that men should fear before him.
ʻOku ou ʻilo, ko e meʻa kotoa pē ʻoku fai ʻe he ʻOtua, ʻe tuʻumaʻu ia ʻo taʻengata: ʻe ʻikai faʻa fakalahi ia, pea ʻe ʻikai faʻa toʻo mei ai ha meʻa; pea ʻoku fai eni ʻe he ʻOtua koeʻuhi ke manavahē ʻae kakai ʻi hono ʻao.
15 That which is has been long ago, and that which is to be has been long ago. God seeks again that which is passed away.
Ko e meʻa naʻe ʻi ai, ʻoku ʻi ai ni; pea ko ia kuo tuʻutuʻuni ke hoko, kuo hili hono fai, pea ʻoku toe ʻomi ʻe he ʻOtua ʻae meʻa kuo mole atu.
16 Moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.
Pea naʻaku mamata foki ʻi he lalo laʻā ki he potu ʻoe fakamaau, ʻoku ʻi ai ʻae angahala; mo e potu ʻoe māʻoniʻoni, ʻoku ʻi ai ʻae fai kovi.
17 I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”
Pea u pehē ʻi hoku loto, “ʻE fakamaau ʻe he ʻOtua ʻae māʻoniʻoni mo e angahala: he ʻoku ʻi ai pe hono ʻaho ki he tuʻutuʻuni kotoa pē mo e ngāue kotoa pē.”
18 I said in my heart, “As for the sons of men, God tests them, so that they may see that they themselves are like animals.
Pea naʻaku pehē ʻi hoku loto koeʻuhi ko e anga ʻoe fānau ʻae tangata, ke fakahā ia ʻe he ʻOtua kiate kinautolu, pea nau ʻilo ai ʻoku nau hangē ko e fanga manu.
19 For that which happens to the sons of men happens to animals. Even one thing happens to them. As the one dies, so the other dies. Yes, they have all one breath; and man has no advantage over the animals, for all is vanity.
He ko e meʻa ʻoku hoko ki he fānau ʻae tangata ʻoku hoko ia ki he fanga manu; ʻio, ko e meʻa pe taha ʻoku hoko ki ai fakatouʻosi: ʻo hangē ko e mate ʻae taha, ʻoku pehē pe ʻae mate ʻae taha; ʻio, ko e mānava pe taha ʻoku nau maʻu; pea ko ia ʻoku ʻikai māʻolunga ai ʻae tangata ʻi ha manu: he ʻoku vaʻinga ʻae meʻa kotoa pē.
20 All go to one place. All are from the dust, and all turn to dust again.
ʻOku lau kotoa pē ki he potu pe taha; he ʻoku mei he efu kotoa pē, pea ʻoku toe liliu kotoa pē ki he efu.
21 Who knows the spirit of man, whether it goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, whether it goes downward to the earth?”
Ko hai ʻoku ne ʻilo ʻae laumālie ʻoe tangata ʻoku ʻalu ki ʻolunga, mo e moʻui ʻae manu ʻoku ʻalu hifo ki he kelekele?
22 Therefore I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his works, for that is his portion; for who can bring him to see what will be after him?
Ko ia ʻoku hā mai kiate au, ʻoku ʻikai ha meʻa ʻoku lelei hake, ka ko e fiefia ʻae tangata ʻi heʻene ngaahi ngāue ʻaʻana; he ko hono ʻinasi ia: he ko hai te ne ʻomi ia ke ne mamata ki he meʻa ʻe hoko kimui ʻiate ia?
