Ecclesiastes 12
1 Remember also your Creator in days of your youth, While that the evil days do not come, Nor the years have arrived, that you 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 that the sun is not darkened, and the light, And the moon, and the stars, And the thick clouds returned 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 that keepers of the house tremble, And men of strength have bowed themselves, And grinders have ceased, because they have become few. And those looking out at the windows have become dim,
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 doors have been shut in the street. When the noise of the grinding is low, And [one] rises at the voice of the bird, And all daughters of song are bowed down.
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 Also of that which is high they are afraid, And of the low places in the way, And the almond-tree is despised, And the grasshopper has become a burden, And want is increased, For man is going to his perpetual home, And the mourners have gone around through 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 While that the silver cord is not removed, And the golden bowl broken, And the pitcher broken by the fountain, And the wheel broken at the well.
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 returns to the earth as it was, And the spirit returns 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, the whole [is] vanity.
“Vaʻinga ʻoe vaʻinga,” ʻoku pehē ʻe he Malanga. “ʻOku vaʻinga ʻae meʻa kotoa pē.”
9 And further, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge, and gave ear, and sought out—he made right many allegories.
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 to find out pleasing words, and [that] written [by] the upright—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 Words of the wise [are] as the goads, and as nails planted [by] the masters of collections, they have been given by 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 And further, from these, my son, be warned; the making of many scrolls has 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 The end of the whole matter let us hear: “Fear God, and keep His commands, for this [is] the whole of 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 every work God brings into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether good or bad.”
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.
