Ecclesiastes 11
1 Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again.
Lii atu hoʻo mā ki he fukahi vai: he ka hili ʻae ngaahi ʻaho lahi te ke toe ʻilo ia.
2 Divide your portion among seven, or even eight, for you do not know what disaster may befall the land.
Tufa ʻae ʻinasi ki he toko fitu, pea ki he toko valu foki; he ʻoku ʻikai te ke ʻilo ʻae kovi ʻe hoko ki he māmani.
3 If the clouds are full, they will pour out rain upon the earth; whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there it will lie.
ʻOka pito ʻae ngaahi ʻao ʻi he ʻuha, ʻoku fakamaha ia ki he kelekele: pea kapau ʻe hinga ha ʻakau ki he feituʻu tonga pe ki he tokelau, ko e potu ʻoku hinga ki ai ʻae ʻakau, ʻe ʻi ai pe ia.
4 He who watches the wind will fail to sow, and he who observes the clouds will fail to reap.
Ko ia ʻoku faʻa sio ki he matangi ʻe ʻikai te ne tūtuuʻi; pea ko ia ʻoku faʻa tokanga ki he ngaahi ʻao ʻe ʻikai te ne utu mai.
5 As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the bones are formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.
ʻO hangē ko hoʻo taʻeʻilo ki he anga ʻoe laumālie, mo e tupu ʻoe hui ʻi he manāva ʻoʻona ʻoku feitama: ʻoku pehē, ʻoku ʻikai te ke ʻilo ʻae ngāue ʻae ʻOtua ʻaia ʻoku ne ngaohi ʻae meʻa kotoa pē.
6 Sow your seed in the morning, and do not rest your hands in the evening, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or if both will equally prosper.
Tūtuuʻi hoʻo tenga ʻi he pongipongi, pea ʻi he efiafi ʻoua naʻa taʻofi ho nima: he ʻoku ʻikai te ke ʻilo pe ko e fē ʻe tupu lelei, ʻa eni pe ko ʻena, pe te na lelei fakatouʻosi pe.
7 Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.
Ko e moʻoni, ko e meʻa lelei fau ʻae maama, pea ko e meʻa fakafiefia ke sio ʻae mata ki he laʻā:
8 So if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all. But let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything to come is futile.
Ka ko eni, kapau ʻe moʻui ha tangata ʻi he ngaahi taʻu lahi, ʻo ne fiefia ʻi ai kotoa pē; ka ʻoku lelei ke ne manatu foki ki he ngaahi ʻaho ʻoe fakapoʻuli; koeʻuhi ʻe lahi ia. Ko e meʻa kotoa pē ʻoku hoko mai ko e vaʻinga ia.
9 Rejoice, O young man, while you are young, and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and in the sight of your eyes, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment.
ʻE tangata talavou, ke ke fiefia ʻi hoʻo kei talavou, pea ke fakafiefiaʻi ho loto ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho ʻo hoʻo kei talavou, pea ke ʻeveʻeva ʻi he anga ʻo ho loto, pea ʻi he holi ʻa ho mata ʻoʻou: ka ke ʻilo, ko e ngaahi meʻa ni kotoa pē ʻe ʻomi ai koe ʻe he ʻOtua ki he fakamaau.
10 So banish sorrow from your heart, and cast off pain from your body, for youth and vigor are fleeting.
Ko ia ke ke hiki ai ʻae ʻita mei ho loto, mo e fai kovi mei ho kakano: he ko e kei tamasiʻi mo e kei talavou ko e vaʻinga ia.
