Ecclesiastes 5

1 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 do not know that they do evil.

Tauhi ho vaʻe ʻoka ke ka ʻalu ki he fale ʻoe ʻOtua, pea lahi hake hoʻo fiefanongo ʻi hoʻo fai ʻae feilaulau ʻae vale: he ʻoku ʻikai te nau tokanga ki he kovi ʻoku nau fai.

2 Do not be rash with your mouth, and do not 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.

‌ʻOua naʻa ke ʻohonoa ʻaki ho ngutu, pea ʻoua naʻa vave ho loto ke fakahā ha meʻa ʻi he ʻao ʻoe ʻOtua: he ʻoku ʻi he langi ʻae ʻOtua, ka ʻoku ke ʻi māmani ko ē: ko ia ke siʻi ai hoʻo lea.

3 For as a dream comes with a multitude of cares, so a fool’s speech with a multitude of words.

He ʻoku tupu ʻae misi mei he femouʻekina ki he ngāue; pea ʻoku ʻilo ʻae leʻo ʻoe vale ʻi he lahi ʻo ʻene lea.

4 When you vow a vow to God, do not defer to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you vow.

‌ʻOka ke ka fuakava ki he ʻOtua, ʻoua naʻa ke fakatuai hoʻo fai ki ai; he ʻoku ʻikai te ne leleiʻia ʻi he vale; fai koe ki he meʻa kuo ke fuakava ki ai.

5 It is better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay.

‌ʻOku lelei hake ke ʻoua ʻaupito naʻa ke fuakava, ʻi hoʻo fuakava kae ʻikai fai ki ai.

6 Do not allow your mouth to lead you into sin. Do not protest before the messenger that this was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?

‌ʻOua naʻa tuku ke fakahalaʻi koe ʻe ho ngutu; pea ʻoua naʻa ke pehē ʻi he ʻao ʻoe ʻāngelo, ko hoʻo fai hala: ko e hā ʻoku ke fakahouhauʻi ʻae ʻOtua ʻaki ho leʻo, pea te ne fakaʻauha ʻae ngāue ʻa ho nima?

7 For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, as well as in many words; but you must fear God.

He ʻoku lahi ʻae vaʻinga foki ʻi he lahi ʻoe misi mo e lea ʻoku lahi: ka ke manavahē koe ki he ʻOtua.

8 If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a district, do not marvel at the matter, for one official is eyed by a higher one, and there are officials over them.

Kapau ʻoku ke mamata ki he fakamālohiʻi ʻoe masiva, pea mo e mioʻi fakamālohi ʻae fakamaau mo e fai totonu ʻi ha vahefonua, ʻoua naʻa ke ofo ai: he ko ia ʻoku māʻolunga taha ʻi he māʻolunga kotoa pē ʻoku ne ʻafioʻi ia; koeʻuhi ʻoku ai ʻaia ʻoku māʻolunga hake ʻiate kinautolu.

9 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all. The king profits from the field.

Kaeʻumaʻā foki ko e tupu ʻoe kelekele, ko e meʻa maʻa e kakai kotoa pē: naʻa mo e tuʻi ʻoku tauhi ia mei he ngoue.

10 He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.

Ko ia ʻoku manako ki he siliva ʻe ʻikai ke ne fiemālie ʻi he siliva; pe ko ia ʻoku manako ki he koloa ʻi he tupulaki ʻo ʻene meʻa: ko e vaʻinga foki eni.

11 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?

Koeʻuhi ʻi he tupulekina ʻae meʻa, ʻoku tupu foki ʻakinautolu ʻoku nau kai ia: pea ko e hā hono lelei kiate kinautolu ʻoku ʻanautolu ia, ka ko ʻenau mamata pe ki ai ʻaki honau mata?

12 The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep.

‌ʻOku fiemālie ʻae mohe ʻae tangata ngāue, neongo pe ʻoku siʻi pe ʻoku lahi ʻa ʻene kai: ka ko e lahi ʻoe meʻa ʻae koloaʻia, ko ia ʻoku ʻikai ke nau faʻa mohe ai.

13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.

‌ʻOku ai ʻae kovi lahi kuo u mamata ki ai ʻi he lalo laʻā, ʻa eni, ʻae tauhi koloa ke kovi ai ʻakinautolu ʻoku ʻanautolu pe ia.

14 Those riches perish by misfortune, and if he has fathered a son, there is nothing in his hand.

Ka ʻoku maumau ʻae koloa ko ia ʻi he feinga kovi; pea ʻoku tupu ʻiate ia ʻae foha, ka ʻoku ʻikai ha meʻa ʻi hono nima.

15 As he came out of his mother’s womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand.

‌ʻO hangē ko ʻene haʻu mei he manāva ʻo ʻene faʻē, ʻe pehē ʻa ʻene ʻalu telefua atu ʻo hangē ko ʻene haʻu, pea ʻe ʻikai ha tupu ʻo ʻene ngāue te ne maʻu ke ʻave ʻi hono nima.

16 This also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit does he have who labors for the wind?

Pea ko e kovi foki eni ʻoku lahi, ʻa ʻene ʻalu ʻo tatau ʻi he meʻa kotoa pē mo ʻene haʻu: pea ko e hā ʻae lelei ʻoku maʻu ʻe ia ʻoku ngāue ki he matangi?

17 All his days he also eats in darkness, he is frustrated, and has sickness and wrath.

‌ʻOku kai ʻe ia ʻi he fakapoʻuli ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē, pea ʻoku lahi ʻae mamahi mo e tautea ʻoku hoko kiate ia ʻi hono mahaki.

18 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 labor, in which he labors under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; for this is his portion.

Vakai ki he meʻa kuo u mamata ki ai: ʻoku lelei mo totonu ki he tangata ke kai mo inu, pea ke fiefia ʻi he lelei kotoa pē ʻo ʻene ngāue, ʻaia ʻoku ne fai ʻi he lalo laʻā, ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē ʻo ʻene moʻui, ʻaia kuo foaki ʻe he ʻOtua kiate ia; he ko hono ʻinasi ia.

19 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 labor—this is the gift of God.

Pea ko e tangata kotoa pē ʻaia ʻoku foaki ki ai ʻe he ʻOtua ʻae maʻumeʻa mo e koloa lahi, pea mo e mālohi ke ne kai mei ai, pea ke maʻu hono ʻinasi, pea ke fiefia ʻi heʻene ngāue; ko e foaki ia ʻae ʻOtua.

20 For he shall not often reflect on the days of his life, because God occupies him with the joy of his heart.

Pea ʻe ʻikai te ne tokanga mamahi ia ki he ngaahi ʻaho ʻo ʻene moʻui; koeʻuhi ʻoku tauhi ia ʻe he ʻOtua, pea ko ia ʻoku fiefia ai hono loto.