Ecclesiastes 8
1 Who can compare to the truly wise? Who knows how to interpret things? If you have wisdom your face lights up, and your stern look is softened.
Ko hai ʻoku hangē ko e tangata poto? Pea ko hai ʻoku ne ʻilo ʻae fakamatala ʻo ha meʻa? Ko e meʻa ʻi he poto ʻoku malama mai ʻae mata ʻoe tangata, pea ʻe liliu ai ʻae mālohi ʻa hono mata.
2 My advice is to do what the king says, since that's what you promised God.
ʻOku ou enginakiʻi koe ke ke fai ki he fekau ʻae tuʻi, pea ke fai ia koeʻuhi ko e fuakava ʻae ʻOtua.
3 Don't be quick to walk out on the king without thinking what you're doing, and don't get involved with those who plot against him, for the king can do what he pleases.
ʻOua naʻa ʻalu atu fakavave ʻi hono ʻao: ʻoua naʻa ke kau ʻi ha meʻa kovi; he ʻoku fai ʻe ia ʻa ʻene faʻiteliha.
4 The king's orders have supreme authority—who is going to question him, saying, “What are you doing?”
Ko e meʻa ʻoku lea ki ai ʻae tuʻi ʻoku ʻi ai ʻae mālohi: pea ko hai ʻe faʻa pehē kiate ia, “Ko e hā ʻoku ke fai?”
5 Those who follow his commands will not be involved in doing evil. Wise people think, recognizing there's a right time, and a right way.
Ko ia ʻoku fai ki he fekau ʻe ʻikai ʻilo ʻe ia ha kovi: pea ʻoku ʻiloʻi ʻe he loto ʻoe poto ʻae ʻaho tuʻutuʻumālie pea mo e fakamaau.
6 For there's a right time and a right way for everything, even when things are going badly for you.
Koeʻuhi ʻoku ai ʻae ʻaho mo e fakamaau ʻoe ngāue kotoa pē, ko ia ʻoku mamafa ai ʻae kovi ʻae tangata kiate ia.
7 No one knows what's going to happen, so who can say what the future holds?
He ʻoku ʻikai te ne ʻilo ʻae meʻa ʻe hoko: pea ko hai ʻoku faʻa tala kiate ia pe ʻe hoko afe?
8 No one can hold onto the breath of life; no one can prevent the day when they die. There's no way of escaping that battle, and the wicked won't be saved by their wickedness!
ʻOku ʻikai ha tangata ʻoku maʻu ʻae mālohi ki he laumālie ke ne taʻofi maʻu ki he laumālie; pea ʻoku ʻikai ʻiate ia ha mālohi ʻi he ʻaho ʻoe mate: pea ʻoku ʻikai ha tukuange mei he tau ko ia; pea ʻe ʻikai fakahaofi ʻe he kovi ʻakinautolu kuo nau maheni ai.
9 I examined all these things, and thought about all that happens here on earth, and the damage that's caused when people dominate others.
Ko e meʻa ni kotoa pē kuo u mamata ki ai, pea u tuku hoku loto ki he ngāue kotoa pē ʻoku fai ʻi he lalo laʻā: ʻoku ai ʻae ʻaho ʻoku pule ʻae tangata ʻe tokotaha ki he tokotaha ka ʻe kovi ai ia.
10 Yes, I have seen wicked people buried with great honor. They used to go to the holy place, and were praised in the very city where they did their evil. This is hard to understand!
Pea naʻaku mamata foki ki he tanu ʻoe angahala, ʻaia naʻe faʻa ʻalu mo haʻu mei he potu ʻoe māʻoniʻoni, pea naʻe ngalo ʻakinautolu ʻi he kolo naʻa nau fai pehē ai: ko e vaʻinga foki eni.
11 When people are not punished quickly for their crimes they are even more determined to do wrong.
Koeʻuhi ʻoku ʻikai fakatoʻotoʻo ʻae fai ʻoe tautea ki he ngāue kovi, ko ia ʻoku tukupau ai ʻae loto ʻoe fānau ʻae tangata ke fai kovi.
12 Even though a sinner may do wrong a hundred times, and live a long life, I'm convinced that those who do what God says will be better off.
Ka neongo ʻae fai ke liunga teau ʻae kovi ʻae angahala, pea fakatolonga hono ʻaho, ka ʻoku ou ʻilo moʻoni ʻe hoko ʻae lelei kiate kinautolu ʻoku manavahē ki he ʻOtua, ʻakinautolu ʻoku manavahē ʻi hono ʻao.
13 In fact, the wicked will not live long, passing like a shadow, because they refuse to follow God.
Ka ʻe ʻikai ha lelei ki he angahala, pea ʻe ʻikai tolonga maʻuaipē hono ngaahi ʻaho, he ko e ʻata ia: koeʻuhi ʻoku ʻikai te ne manavahē ʻi he ʻao ʻoe ʻOtua.
14 Another thing that is hard to understand is this: good people are treated as the wicked should be, and the wicked are treated as good people should be. As I say, this is difficult to comprehend!
ʻOku ai ʻae vaʻinga ʻoku fai ʻi he māmani: ʻa eni, ʻoku ai ʻae kakai angatonu, ʻoku hoko ʻae meʻa kiate kinautolu ʻo fakatatau ki he ngāue ʻae angahala; pea pehē, ʻoku ai ʻae kakai angahala, ʻoku hoko kiate kinautolu ʻo fakatatau ki he ngāue ʻae māʻoniʻoni: pea naʻaku pehē, ko e vaʻinga foki eni.
15 So I recommend enjoying life. There's nothing better for us here on earth than to eat and drink and be happy. Such an attitude will go with us as we work, and as we live our lives that God gives us here on earth.
Pea naʻaku toki fakamālō ki he fakafiemālie, koeʻuhi ʻoku ʻikai ha meʻa ʻoku lelei hake ki he tangata ʻi he lalo laʻā, ka ko ʻene kai, mo inu, mo fakafiefia: he ko ia ʻe nofomaʻu mo ia ʻi heʻene ngāue ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē ʻo ʻene moʻui, ʻaia ʻoku foaki ʻe he ʻOtua kiate ia ʻi he lalo laʻā.
16 When I applied my mind to discovering wisdom and observing everything people do here on earth, I couldn't get any sleep, day or night.
ʻI heʻeku tuku hoku loto ke ʻilo ʻae poto, pea mamata ki he ngāue kotoa pē ʻoku fai ʻi he māmani: (he ʻoku ai ʻaia ʻoku ʻikai sio hono mata ki he mohe ʻi he ʻaho pe ʻi he pō: )
17 Then I studied everything God does, and I realized that no one can fully understand what happens here. However, hard they try, however wise they claim to be, they can't really comprehend it.
Pea naʻaku mamata ki he ngāue kotoa pē ʻae ʻOtua, ʻoku ʻikai faʻa ʻiloʻi ʻe he tangata ʻae ngāue ʻoku fai ʻi he lalo laʻā: he neongo ʻae fai feinga hono kumi ʻe he tangata, ʻe ʻikai te ne ʻilo ia; ko eni foki; naʻa mo e tangata poto ʻoku mahalo te ne ʻiloʻi, ʻe ʻikai faʻa maʻu ia ʻe ia.
