Ecclesiastes 3

1 To 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 uproot,

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,

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 search and a time to count as lost, a time to keep and a time to discard,

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 mend, a time to be silent 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 does the worker gain from his toil?

Ko e hā ʻae lelei ʻoku maʻu ʻe ia ʻoku ngāue ʻi he meʻa ʻoku ne ngāue ai?

10 I have seen the burden that God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them.

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 the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom the work that God has done from beginning to 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 do good while 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 and also that every man should eat and drink and find satisfaction in all his labor—this 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 everything God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God does it so that they should fear 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 What exists has already been, and what will be has already been, for God will call to account what has passed.

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 Furthermore, I saw under the sun that in the place of judgment there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.

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, since there is a time for every activity and every deed.”

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 to myself, “As for the sons of men, God tests them so that they may see for themselves that they are but beasts.”

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 the fates of both men and beasts are the same: As one dies, so dies the other—they all have the same breath. Man has no advantage over the animals, since everything is futile.

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 come from dust, and all return to dust.

‌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 if the spirit of man rises upward and the spirit of the animal descends into 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 I have seen that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will come 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?