Ecclesiastes 2
1 So then I thought to myself, “Alright, let me examine pleasure and see how good that is.” But this too turned out to be something temporary that passes.
I IHO la au i ko'u naau iho, Ina kaua, e hoao iho au ia oe ma ka lealea, a e ike i ka olioli malaila; aia ka, he mea lapuwale keia.
2 I conclude that laughing your way through life is stupid, and pleasure—what use is that?
I iho la au no ka akaaka, He hehena ia; a no ka lealea, Heaha ka mea ana i hana'i?
3 Then I used my mind to examine the attraction of wine to my body. My mind still guiding me with wisdom, I took it until I acted like a fool, so that I might see whether this was good for people to do during their time here.
Ua imi au iloko o ko'u naau e hooikaika i ko'u kino i ka waina, e pili ana no nae ko'u naau i ke akamai; a e lalau hoi au i ka mea lapuwale, a ike au i ka maikai no na keiki a kanaka e hana'i malalo iho o ka lani, i na la a pau loa o ko lakou ola ana.
4 Then I tried great construction projects. I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself.
Hoonui au i ka'u mau mea i hana'i; kukulu iho la au i na hale no'u, a kanu iho la au no'u i na mala waina;
5 I made for myself gardens and parks, planting them with all kinds of fruit trees.
Ua hana aku la au no'u i na kihapai a me na wahi ululaau, a ua kanu iho la au iloko o ia mau wahi i na laau hua a pau;
6 I constructed for myself reservoirs to water all these growing trees.
Ua eli iho la au no'u i na punawai e hoopulu i kahi e ulu ai na laau;
7 I bought male and female slaves, and their children also belonged to me. I also owned many herds and flocks, more than anyone in Jerusalem before me.
Ua imi a loaa ia'u na kauwakane a me na kauwawahine, a ua hanau hoi iloko o ko'u hale na kauwa; a ia'u no hoi na holoholona nui a me na holoholona liilii he lehulehu, a oi aku i ka poe mamua ma Ierusalema.
8 I collected for myself great quantities of silver and gold, paid to me as tribute by kings and provinces. I brought in for myself male and female singers, and enjoyed many concubines—all a man could want!
Ua hooiliili no hoi au no'u i ke kala, a me ke gula a me ka waiwai o na'lii a o na aina hoi; ua imi ia'u a loaa kekahi poe kane mele, a me kekahi poe wahine mele, a me na mea e olioli ai na keiki a kanaka, he wahine a me na haiawahine.
9 I became great—greater than anyone in Jerusalem before me. All the while my wisdom stayed with me.
Pela, ua lilo au i mea nui a oi aku i na mea a pau i noho mamua ma Ierusalema; a o ko'u naauao, ua mau ia mea ia'u.
10 I didn't stop myself trying anything I wanted. Whatever I felt like enjoying, I did. I even enjoyed everything I had accomplished, a reward for all my work.
O na mea a pau a ko'u mau maka i makemake ai, aole au i hoole ia lakou; aole aua au i ko'u naau i ka olioli a pau, no ka mea, olioli ko'u naau i ka'u hana a pau; a oia ka uku no'u i ka'u hana a pau.
11 But when I thought about what I had worked so hard to achieve, everything I'd done, it was so short-lived—as significant as someone trying to catch the wind. There really is no enduring benefit here on earth.
Ua nana au i na mea a pau a ko'u mau lima i hana'i, a me ka hana a'u i hooluhi ai ia'u iho; aia hoi, he mea lapuwale a pau a me ka luhi hewa, aohe mea e pono ai malalo iho o ka la.
12 So I started to think about wisdom—and madness and foolishness. For what can anyone who comes after the king do that hasn't already been done?
A haliu au e ike i ka naauao, a me ka uhauha, a me ka lapuwale; no ka mea, heaha ka mea a ke kanaka [e hana'i] i kiki mai mahope o ke alii? O ka mea wale no i hanaia mamua.
13 I recognized that wisdom is better than foolishness just as light is better than darkness.
Alaila, ike iho la au, ua oi aku ka naauao mamua o ka naaupo, me he malamalama la mamua o ka pouli.
14 The wise see where they're going, but fools walk in darkness. But I also realized that they all come to the same end.
O ka mea naauao, aia kona mau maka i kona poo, aka, e hele ana ka mea naaupo ma ka pouli; a ike no hoi au e loaa ia lakou a pau ka hopena hookahi.
15 Then I thought to myself, “If I'm going to end up the same as a fool, what's the point of being so wise?” So I thought to myself, “This is also hard to understand!”
I iho la au iloko o ko'u naau, E like me ka mea i loaa i ka mea naaupo, pela no ka mea i loaa mai ia'u. A no ke aha la i oi kuu naauao? I iho la au iloko o ko'u naau, He mea lapuwale hoi keia.
16 Nobody remembers the wise or the fool for very long—in the future everything will be forgotten. Whether wise or foolish, they both die.
A ma neia hope aku, aole i hoomanaoia ke kanaka naauao mamua o ka mea naaupo, no ka mea, o na mea e noho nei, i na la e hiki mai ana, e pau ia i ka hoopoinaia. A pehea ka make ana o ka mea naauao? Ua like no me ko ka mea naaupo.
17 So I ended up feeling disgusted with life because everything that happens here on earth is so distressing. It's so incomprehensible, like trying to control the wind.
No ia mea, ua hoopailua au i ko'u ola ana, no ka mea, ua kaumaha au i ka hana i hanaia malalo iho o ka la; no ka mea, ua pau na mea i ka lapuwale a me ka luhi hewa.
18 I even ended up hating what I had achieved here on earth because I have to hand it over to whoever comes after me.
Ua hoopailua hoi au i ka hana a pau a'u i hana'i malalo iho o ka la; no ka mea, e waiho auanei au ia mea no ke kanaka e hiki mai ana mahope o'u.
19 And who knows whether he will be wise or foolish? Yet he will rule over everything I accomplished through my wisdom here on earth. This is just so frustrating, so hard to understand!
A owai la ka mea i ike, he mea naauao paha oia, he mea naaupo paha? aka, oia no ia maluna o na mea a pau a'u i hana naauao ai malalo iho o ka lani. He mea lapuwale keia.
20 I decided to give up, my mind in despair over the significance of all my life's achievements.
Alaila imi iho la au e hoopauaho i kuu naau i ka hana a pau a'u i hana'i malalo iho o ka la.
21 For you can work wisely, knowledgably, and with skill—and who benefits? Someone who hasn't worked for it! This is both frustrating and totally unjust!
No ka mea, aia no ke kanaka nana e hana ma ka naauao, a me ke akamai, a me ka pomaikai, aka, e waiho no oia i kana i ke kanaka nana i hana ole i keia mau mea, i hooilina nona. He mea lapuwale keia, a me ka luhi hewa.
22 What do you get here on earth for all your hard work and worry?
No ka mea, heaha ka mea i loaa i ke kanaka i kana hana a pau, a me ka makemake o kona naau, ka mea ana i hana'i malalo iho o ka la?
23 Your working life is full of trouble and strife—even at night your thoughts keep you awake. This is tough to comprehend!
No ka mea, ua kaumaha kona mau la a pau loa, a ua luhi kana hana ana, aole nae i maha kona naau i ka po. He mea lapuwale keia.
24 So what's the best thing to do? Eat, drink, and enjoy your work, recognizing as I did that these things are given to us by God,
Aohe mea maikai i ke kanaka e like me keia, e ai ai oia, a e inu ai hoi, a e hoohauoli ai i kona naau iho i ka maikai ma kana hana ana. Ua ike au, no ko ke Akua lima mai no ia.
25 for who can eat or enjoy life apart from him?
No ka mea, owai ka mea e ai ai, a owai ka mea e lealea ai malaila, i ole au?
26 To those who are good, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy. But to the sinner God gives the task of gathering and collecting wealth, only to hand it over to someone who pleases God. This also shows how fleeting life is, and hard to understand—like trying to understand how the wind blows.
No ka mea, ua haawi mai ke Akua i ke kanaka maikai imua ona, i naauao, a me ke akamai, a me ka olioli; aka, i ke kanaka hewa haawi mai ia i ka hana kaumaha, nana e hooiliili a e hoahu hoi, e haawi aku i ke kanaka maikai imua o ke Akua. He mea lapuwale keia, a me ka luhi hewa.
