Ecclesiastes 9
1 I have drawn all these things through my heart, so that I might carefully understand. There are just men as well as wise men, and their works are in the hand of God. And yet a man does not know so much as whether he is worthy of love or of hatred.
He naʻaku tokanga ʻi hoku loto ki he meʻa ni kotoa pē ke u fakahā kotoa pē ia, ʻoku ʻi he nima ʻoe ʻOtua ʻae māʻoniʻoni, mo e poto, pea mo ʻenau ngāue: ʻoku ʻikai ʻilo ʻe he tangata pe ko e ʻofeina ia pe ko e fehiʻanekina ʻi he meʻa ʻoku hoko mai kiate ia.
2 But all things in the future remain uncertain, because all things happen equally to the just and to the impious, to the good and to the bad, to the pure and to the impure, to those who offer sacrifices and to those who despise sacrifices. As the good are, so also are sinners. As those who commit perjury are, so also are those who swear to the truth.
He ʻoku hoko tatau ʻae meʻa fulipē ki he kakai kotoa pē: ko e meʻa ʻe taha ʻoku hoko ki he māʻoniʻoni mo e angahala; ki he angalelei mo ia kuo fakamaʻa, pea ki he taʻemaʻa; kiate ia ʻoku feilaulau, mo ia ʻoku ʻikai fai ha feilaulau: ʻoku hangē ko ia ʻoku angalelei, ʻoku pehē ʻaia ʻoku angahala, pea ko ia ʻoku fuakava, ʻo hangē ko ia ʻoku manavahē ki he fuakava.
3 This is a very great burden among all things that are done under the sun: that the same things happen to everyone. And when the hearts of the sons of men are filled with malice and contempt in their lives, afterwards they shall be dragged down to hell. (questioned)
Ko e kovi eni ʻe taha ʻi he meʻa kotoa pē ʻoku fai ʻi he lalo laʻā, ʻae hoko tatau ʻae meʻa ki he kakai kotoa pē: ʻio, ʻoku fonu ʻi he kovi ʻae loto ʻoe fānau ʻae tangata, ʻoku ʻi honau loto ʻae vale ʻi heʻenau kei moʻui, pea hili ia ʻoku nau ʻalu ki he mate.
4 There is no one who lives forever, or who even has confidence in this regard. A living dog is better than a dead lion.
He ʻoku ai ʻae ʻamanaki lelei kiate ia ʻoku kei kau ki he moʻui: he ʻoku lelei hake ʻae kulī ʻoku moʻui ʻi ha laione kuo mate.
5 For the living know that they themselves will die, yet truly the dead know nothing anymore, nor do they have any recompense. For the memory of them is forgotten.
He ʻoku ʻilo ʻe he kakai moʻui te nau mate: ka ʻoku ʻikai siʻi ʻilo ha meʻa ʻe he mate, pea ʻoku ʻikai te nau kei maʻu ha totongi: he kuo ngalo ʻa honau fakamanatu.
6 Likewise, love and hatred and envy have all perished together, nor have they any place in this age and in the work which is done under the sun.
Pea ko ʻenau ʻofa, mo ʻenau fehiʻa, mo ʻenau meheka, kuo ʻosi ia; pea ʻoku ʻikai te nau kei maʻu honau tufakanga ʻi ha meʻa ʻoku fai ʻi he lalo laʻā ʻo taʻengata.
7 So then, go and eat your bread with rejoicing, and drink your wine with gladness. For your works are pleasing to God.
ʻAlu koe ʻi ho hala, pea kai hoʻo mā ʻi he fiefia, pea inu hoʻo uaine ʻi he loto fiemālie; he kuo maʻu ʻe he ʻOtua hoʻo ngaahi ngāue.
8 Let your garments be white at all times, and let not oil be absent from your head.
Ke hinehina maʻuaipē ho ngaahi kofu; pea ʻoua naʻa masiva ho ʻulu ʻi he pani.
9 Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your uncertain life which have been given to you under the sun, during all the time of your vanity. For this is your portion in life and in your labor, with which you labor under the sun.
Ke ke moʻui fiefia mo ho uaifi, ʻaia ʻoku ke ʻofa ai ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē ʻo hoʻo moʻui vaʻinga, ʻaia kuo ne foaki kiate koe ʻi he lalo laʻā, ʻae ngaahi ʻaho kotoa pē ʻo hoʻo vaʻinga: he ko ho ʻinasi ia ʻi he moʻui ni, mo e ngāue kuo ke fai ʻi he lalo laʻā.
10 Whatever your hand is able to do, do it earnestly. For neither work, nor reason, nor wisdom, nor knowledge will exist in death, toward which you are hurrying. (Sheol h7585)
Ko ia kotoa pē ʻoku ʻilo ʻe ho nima ke fai, fai ia ʻaki ho mālohi kotoa pē; he ʻoku ʻikai ha ngāue, pe ha filioʻi, pe ha ʻilo, pe ha poto ʻi he faʻitoka, ʻaia ʻoku ke ʻalu ki ai. (Sheol h7585)
11 I turned myself toward another thing, and I saw that under the sun, the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor wealth to the learned, nor grace to the skillful: but there is a time and an end for all these things.
Naʻaku tafoki mai, pea u mamata ʻi he lalo laʻā, ko e pue ʻoku ʻikai kiate ia ʻoku veʻe vave, pe ko e tau kiate ia ʻoku mālohi, pe ko e meʻakai kiate ia ʻoku poto, pe ko e koloa ki he kakai ʻoku faʻa fakakaukau, pe ko e ongoongolelei ki he kakai poto; he ʻoku maʻu taki taha kotoa pē hono ʻaho mo hono tuʻutuʻuni.
12 Man does not know his own end. But, just as fish are caught with a hook, and birds are captured with a snare, so are men seized in the evil time, when it will suddenly overwhelm them.
He ʻoku ʻikai ʻilo foki ʻe he tangata ʻa hono ʻaho: ʻoku hangē ko e maʻu fakafokifā ʻoe ika ʻi he kupenga, pea hangē ko e maʻu ʻae manupuna ʻi he tauhele; ʻoku pehē ʻae tauheleʻi ʻae fānau ʻae tangata ʻi he ʻaho ʻoe kovi, ʻoka hoko fakafokifā ia kiate kinautolu.
13 This wisdom, likewise, I have seen under the sun, and I have examined it intensely.
Ko e poto ni foki kuo u mamata ki ai ʻi he lalo laʻā, pea naʻe matamata lahi ia kiate au.
14 There was a small city, with a few men in it. There came against it a great king, who surrounded it, and built fortifications all around it, and the blockade was completed.
Naʻe ai ʻae kihiʻi kolo, pea tokosiʻi ʻae kau tangata naʻe ʻi ai; pea naʻe haʻu ʻae tuʻi lahi ke ne tauʻi ia, pea naʻa ne kāpui ia, pea lahi ʻaupito ʻa ʻene tanu puke ki ai.
15 And there was found within it, a poor and wise man, and he freed the city through his wisdom, and nothing was recorded afterward of that poor man.
Ka ko eni, naʻe ʻilo ʻi ai ʻae tangata masiva mo poto, pea ko e meʻa ʻi heʻene poto naʻe hao ai ʻae kolo; ka naʻe ʻikai manatuʻi ʻe ha tokotaha ʻae tangata masiva ko ia.
16 And so, I declared that wisdom is better than strength. But how is it, then, that the wisdom of the poor man is treated with contempt, and his words are not heeded?
Pea naʻaku toki pehē ai, ʻOku lelei hake ʻae poto ʻi he mālohi; ka ʻoku manukiʻi ʻae poto ʻoe tangata masiva, pea ʻoku ʻikai ongoʻi ʻene ngaahi lea.
17 The words of the wise are heard in silence, more so than the outcry of a prince among the foolish.
ʻOku ongo lahi mai ʻae fanafana ʻae poto ʻi he kalanga ʻo ia ʻoku pule ʻi he lotolotonga ʻoe vale.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war. And whoever offends in one thing, shall lose many good things.
ʻOku lelei hake ʻae poto ʻi he mahafutau: ka ʻoku maumauʻi ʻe he angahala ʻe tokotaha ʻae lelei lahi.
