Ecclesiastes 12

1 And remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of evil come, and the years overtake [you] in which you shall say, I have no pleasure in them.

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 While the sun and light are not darkened, nor the moon and the stars; nor 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 in the day wherein the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the mighty men shall become bent, and the grinding [women] cease because they have become few, and the [women] looking out at the windows be dark;

‌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 marketplace, because of the weakness of the voice of her that grinds [at the mill]; and he shall rise up at the voice of the sparrow, and all the daughters of song shall be brought low;

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 look up, and fears [shall be] in the way, and the almond tree shall blossom, and the locust shall increase, and the caper shall be scattered: because man has gone to his eternal home, and the mourners have gone about the market:

‌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 [let go], or the choice gold be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel run down to 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 [before] the dust also return to the earth as 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 the Preacher; all is vanity.

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

9 And because the Preacher was wise above [others, so it was] that he taught man excellent knowledge, and the ear will trace out the 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 The Preacher sought diligently to find out acceptable words, and a correct writing, [even] words 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 firmly fastened, which have been given from one shepherd by agreement.

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 And moreover, my son, guard yourself by means of them: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness 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 Hear the end of the matter, the sun: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole 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 For God will bring every work into judgment, with everything that has been overlooked, whether [it be] good, or whether [it be] 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.