Ecclesiastes 12

1 Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the time of affliction come, and the years draw nigh of which thou shalt say: They please me not:

Manatu eni ki ho Tupuʻanga ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho ʻo hoʻo kei siʻi, ʻi he teʻeki ke hoko ʻae ngaahi ʻaho ʻoe kovi, pe ʻunuʻunu mai ʻae ngaahi taʻu, ʻaia te ke pehē ai, “ʻOku ʻikai te u maʻu ʻi ai ha fiemālie;”

2 Before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars be darkened, and the clouds return after the rain:

‌ʻI he teʻeki ai ke fakapoʻuli ʻae laʻā, pe ko e maama, pe ko e māhina, pe ko e ngaahi fetuʻu, pea ʻuha maʻu pe ʻae ngaahi ʻao:

3 When the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall stagger, and the grinders shall be idle in a small number, and they that look through the holes shall be darkened:

‌ʻI he ʻaho ʻe tetetete ʻae kau tauhi fale, pea ʻe fakatōmapeʻe ʻae kau tangata mālohi, pea kuo tuku ʻae momosi ʻae kau momosi koeʻuhi kuo siʻi, pea ʻe fakapoʻuli ʻakinautolu ʻoku sio atu ʻi he matapā sioʻata.

4 And they shall shut the doors in the street, when the grinder’s voice shall be low, and they shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall grow deaf.

Pea ʻe tāpuni ʻae ngaahi matapā ʻi he hala, ʻoka siʻi ʻae longoaʻa ʻoe meʻa momosi, pea ʻe tuʻu hake ia ʻi he leʻo ʻoe manupuna, pea ʻe vaivai hifo ʻae ngaahi ʻofefine ʻoku fasi hiva;

5 And they shall fear high things, and they shall be afraid in the way, the almond tree shall flourish, the locust shall be made fat, and the caper tree shall be destroyed: because man shall go into the house of his eternity, and the mourners shall go round about in the street.

‌ʻOka nau ka manavahē foki ki he meʻa māʻolunga, pea ʻoku ʻi he hala ʻae ngaahi fakailifia, pea ʻe matamatalelei ʻae ʻakau ko e alamoni, pea ʻe mamafa ʻae heʻe, pea ʻe ʻosi ʻae tokanga: koeʻuhi ʻoku ʻalu ʻae tangata ki hono nofoʻanga tolonga, pea ʻoku ʻalu fano ʻi he ngaahi hala ʻae kau tangilāulau:

6 Before the silver cord be broken, and the golden fillet shrink back, and the pitcher be crushed at the fountain, and the wheel be broken upon the cistern,

‌ʻI he teʻeki vete ʻae afo siliva, pe laiki ʻae ipu koula, pe maumauʻi ʻae ipu ohu ʻi he veʻe matavai, pe maumauʻi ʻae meʻa tākai ʻi he ngutu ʻoe vaikeli.

7 And the dust return into its earth, from whence it was, and the spirit return to God, who gave it.

Ka ʻe toki liliu ʻae efu ki he kelekele ʻo hangē ko ʻene ʻi ai: pea ʻe foki atu ʻae laumālie ki he ʻOtua ʻaia naʻa ne foaki ia.

8 Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, and all things are vanity.

“Vaʻinga ʻoe vaʻinga,” ʻoku pehē ʻe he Malanga. “ʻOku vaʻinga ʻae meʻa kotoa pē.”

9 And whereas Ecclesiastes was very wise, he taught the people, and declared the things that he had done: and seeking out, he set forth many parables.

Pea ko eni, koeʻuhi naʻe poto lahi ʻae Malanga, ko ia naʻa ne akonakiʻi ai ʻae kakai ki he poto; ʻio, naʻa ne tokanga lahi ʻo ne kumi atu mo ne fokotuʻu ʻae ngaahi lea fakatātā lahi.

10 He sought profitable words, and wrote words most right, and full of truth.

Naʻe kumi ʻe he Malanga ke ne maʻu ʻae lea lelei: pea ko ia kuo tohi ʻoku totonu ia, pea ko e ngaahi lea ia ʻoe moʻoni.

11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails deeply fastened in, which by the counsel of masters are given from one shepherd.

Ko e ngaahi lea ʻae poto ʻoku tatau ia mo e meʻa māsila, mo e faʻo ʻoku tuki ke maʻu ʻe he ʻEiki ʻoe ngaahi fakataha, ʻaia ʻoku foaki mei he tauhi pe taha.

12 More than these, my son, require not. Of making many books there is no end: and much study is an affliction of the flesh.

Pea ko eni, ʻE hoku foha, ke valokiʻi koe ʻe he ngaahi meʻa ni: ʻoku ʻikai hano ngataʻanga ʻoe ngaohi ʻoe tohi; pea ko e lau lahi ʻi he tohi ko e meʻa fakamāfasia ia ki he kakano.

13 Let us all hear together the conclusion of the discourse. Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is all man:

Ke tau fanongo ki he fakaʻosi ʻoe ngaahi meʻa ni kotoa pē: Ke ke manavahē ki he ʻOtua, pea ke fai ki heʻene ngaahi fekau: he ʻoku kātoa ʻi he meʻa ni ʻae ngāue totonu ʻae tangata.

14 And all things that are done, God will bring into judgment for every error, whether it be good or evil.

Koeʻuhi ʻe ʻomi ʻe he ʻOtua ʻae ngāue kotoa pē ki he fakamaau, mo e meʻa fufū kotoa pē, pe ko ha meʻa lelei ia pe kovi.