< Ecclesiastes 2 >

1 I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove you with mirth, and behold you good: and, behold, this is also vanity.
Naʻa ku pehē ki hoku loto, “Vakai eni, teu ʻahiʻahiʻi koe ki he fiengutuhua, ko ia ke ke fiefia koe ʻi he fakavā;” pea vakai, ko e vaʻinga foki eni.
2 I said to laughter, Madness: and to mirth, Why do you this:
Naʻaku pehē ki he kata, “Ko e faha ia”: pea ki he fiengutuhua, “ʻOku ʻaonga ia ki he hā?”
3 And I examined whether my heart would excite my flesh as [with] wine, (though my heart guided [me] in wisdom, ) and [I desired] to lay hold of mirth, until I should see of what kind is the good to the sons of men, which they should do under the sun all the days of their life.
Naʻaku fai ʻi hoku loto ke u faʻa inu uaine, kae kumi foki hoku loto ki he poto; pea ke puke atu ki he vale, koeʻuhi ke u ʻilo pe ko e hā ʻoku lelei ke fai ʻe he fānau ʻae tangata ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē ʻo ʻenau moʻui ʻi he lalo langi.
4 I enlarged my work; I built me houses; I planted me vineyards.
Naʻaku fai ʻae ngaahi ngāue lahi; naʻaku langa hoku ngaahi fale; pea naʻaku tō ʻeku ngaahi ngoue vaine:
5 I made me gardens and orchards, and planted in them every kind of fruit tree.
Naʻaku tō ʻeku ngaahi ngoue mo e ngaahi ʻakau ʻoku fua, pea naʻaku tō ʻi ai ʻae faʻahinga ʻakau fua kehekehe kotoa pē.
6 I made me pools of water, to water from them the timber-bearing wood.
Naʻaku ngaohi ʻae ngaahi anovai, ke fakatafe ki he potu ʻoku tupu ʻi ai ʻae ngaahi ʻakau:
7 I got servants and maidens, and servants were born to me in the house: also I had abundant possession of flocks and herds, beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem.
Naʻaku maʻu ʻae kau tamaioʻeiki mo e kau kaunanga, pea naʻe fanauʻi ʻae kau tamaioʻeiki ʻi hoku fale; pea naʻaku maʻu foki ʻo lahi ʻae fanga manu iiki, mo ia ʻoku lalahi, pea naʻe lahi hake ʻa ʻeku maʻumeʻa ʻiate kinautolu kotoa pē naʻe ʻi muʻa ʻiate au ʻi Selūsalema.
8 Moreover I collected for myself both silver and gold also, and the peculiar treasures of kings and provinces: I procured me singing men and singing women, and delights of the sons of men, a butler and female cupbearers.
Pea naʻaku tānaki foki kiate au ʻae siliva mo e koula, pea mo e koloa mahuʻinga lahi ʻoe ngaahi tuʻi mo e potu fonua kehekehe: pea u maʻu ʻae kau tangata faiva mo e kau fefine faiva, mo e meʻa fakafiefia kotoa pē ʻoe fānau ʻae tangata, mo e ngaahi meʻa faiva ʻi honau faʻahinga kehekehe.
9 So I became great, and advanced beyond all that were before in Jerusalem: also my wisdom was established to me.
Ko ia naʻaku hoko ko e lahi au, pea u tupu ʻo lahi hake ʻiate kinautolu kotoa pē naʻe ʻi muʻa ʻiate au ʻi Selūsalema: pea naʻe maʻu pe foki ʻa ʻeku poto ʻiate au.
10 And whatever mine eyes desired, I withheld not from them, I withheld not my heart from all my mirth: for my heart rejoiced in all my labor; and this was my portion of all my labor.
Pea ko e meʻa kotoa pē naʻe manako ki ai hoku mata naʻe ʻikai te u taʻofi ia mei ai, naʻe ʻikai te u taʻofi hoku loto mei ha fiefia; he naʻe fiefia hoku loto ʻi heʻeku ngāue kotoa pē: pea ko hoku ʻinasi ia ʻi heʻeku ngāue kotoa pē.
11 And I looked on all my works which my hands had wrought, and on my labor which I laboured to perform: and behold, all was vanity and waywardness of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun.
Pea naʻaku toki mamata ki he ngāue kotoa pē kuo fai ʻe hoku nima, mo e ngāue naʻaku ongosia ʻi hono fai: pea vakai, ko e vaʻinga ia kotoa pē mo e fakamamahi ki he laumālie, pea ʻoku ʻikai hano ʻaonga ʻi he lalo laʻā.
12 Then I looked on to see wisdom, and madness, and folly: for who is the man who will follow after counsel, in all things where in he employs it?
Pea naʻaku tafoki au ke mamata ki he poto, mo e hē, mo e vale: he ko e hā ha meʻa ʻe faʻa fai ʻe he tangata ʻoku muimui ki he tuʻi? ʻAia pe kuo ʻosi hono fai.
13 And I saw that wisdom excels folly, as much as light excels darkness.
“Pea naʻaku toki mamata ʻoku lelei lahi hake ʻae poto ʻi he vale, ʻo hangē ko e lelei hake ʻoe maama ki he poʻuli.
14 The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walks in darkness: and I perceived, even I, that one event shall happen to them all.
Ko e mata ʻoe poto ʻoku ʻi hono ʻulu ka ʻoku ʻeveʻeva ʻae vale ʻi he poʻuli:” pea naʻaku mamata ʻeau ko e meʻa pe taha ʻoku hoko kiate kinautolu kotoa pē.
15 And I said in my heart, As the event of the fool is, so shall it be to me, even to me: and to what purpose have I gained wisdom? I said moreover in my heart, This is also vanity, because the fool speaks of his abundance.
Pea naʻaku toki pehē ai ʻi hoku loto, “Hangē ko ia ʻoku hoko ki he vale, ko ia foki ʻoku hoko kiate au; pea ko e hā ia kuo u poto lahi hake ai?” Pea naʻaku toki pehē ʻi hoku loto, “Tā ko e vaʻinga foki eni.”
16 For there is no remembrance of the wise man with the fool for ever; forasmuch as now [in] the coming days all things are forgotten: and how shall the wise man die with the fool?
He ʻoku ʻikai lahi hake ʻae fakamanatu ki he poto ʻi he manatu ki he vale ʻo taʻengata: koeʻuhi ko e meʻa ʻoku ai ni ʻe ngalo ia ʻi he ʻaho kimui. Pea ʻoku fēfē ʻae mate ʻae poto? ʻOku hangē pe ia ko e vale.
17 So I hated life; because the work that was wrought under the sun was evil before me: for all is vanity and waywardness of spirit.
Ko ia naʻaku fehiʻa ki he moʻui; koeʻuhi ko e ngāue ʻoku fai ʻi he lalo laʻā ʻoku fakamamahi kiate au: he ko e vaʻinga ʻae meʻa kotoa pē mo e fakamamahi ki he laumālie.
18 And I hated the whole of my labor which I took under the sun; because I must leave it to the man who will come after me.
ʻIo, naʻaku fehiʻa ki heʻeku ngāue kotoa pē naʻaku ongosia ai ʻi he lalo laʻā: koeʻuhi te u tuku pe ia ki he tangata ʻoku muimui ʻiate au.
19 And who knows whether he will be a wise [man] or a fool? and whether he will have power over all my labor in which I laboured, and wherein I grew wise under the sun? this is also vanity.
Pea ko hai ʻoku ne ʻilo pe ko ha poto ia pe ko ha vale? Ka ʻe pule ʻe ia ki he ngāue kotoa pē kuo u ngāue ai mo fakahā ʻaki ʻa ʻeku poto ʻi he lalo laʻā. Ko e vaʻinga foki eni.
20 so I went about to dismiss from my heart all my labor wherein I had laboured under the sun.
Ko ia naʻaku ʻalu fano ai ke fakataʻeʻamanaki hoku loto ki heʻeku ngāue kotoa pē naʻaku fai ʻi he lalo laʻā.
21 For there is [such] a man that his labor is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in fortitude; [yet] this man shall give his portion to one who has not laboured therein. This is also vanity and great evil.
He ʻoku ai ʻae tangata ʻoku fai ʻene ngāue ʻi he poto, mo e ʻilo, pea mo e totonu; ka te ne tuku pe ia ko e ʻinasi ʻo ha tangata ʻoku ʻikai ngāue ki ai. Ko e vaʻinga foki eni, pea ko e kovi lahi.
22 For it happens to a man in all his labor, and in the purpose of his heart wherein he labors under the sun.
He ʻoku maʻu ʻae hā ʻe he tangata mei heʻene ngāue, mo e mamahi ʻa hono loto, ʻaia kuo ne ongosia ai ʻi he lalo laʻā?
23 For all his days [are days] of sorrows, and vexation of spirit is his; in the night also his heart rests not. This is also vanity.
He ko hono ngaahi ʻaho kotoa pē ko e mamahi ia, pea ko ʻene feinga ko e fakamāfasia; ʻio, naʻa mo e pō ʻoku ʻikai fakafiemālie hono loto. Ko e vaʻinga foki eni.
24 A man has nothing [really] good to eat, and to drink, and to show his soul [as] good in his trouble. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.
ʻOku ʻikai ha meʻa ʻoku lelei hake ki he tangata ka ko ʻene kai mo inu, pea ke fakafiefiaʻi hono loto ʻi he lelei ʻo ʻene ngāue. Naʻaku mamata foki ki he meʻa ni, kuo foaki mai ia mei he nima ʻoe ʻOtua.
25 For who shall eat, or who shall drink, without him?
He ko hai ʻoku faʻa kai, pea ko hai ʻoku fakatoʻotoʻo lahi hake ki ai ʻiate au?
26 For [God] has given to the man who is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but he has given to the sinner trouble, to add and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God; for this is also vanity and waywardness of spirit.
He ʻoku foaki ʻe he ʻOtua ki he tangata ʻaia ʻoku lelei ʻi hono ʻao, ko e poto, mo e ʻilo, mo e fiefia: ka ʻoku ne foaki ki he angahala ʻae feinga ke tānaki mo fokotuʻu, ka ne foaki ia kiate ia ʻoku lelei ʻi he ʻao ʻoe ʻOtua. Ko e vaʻinga foki eni mo e fakamamahi ki he laumālie.

< Ecclesiastes 2 >