Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one's birth.
ʻOku lelei lahi ʻae hingoa ʻoku ongoongolelei ʻi he meʻa namu kakala ʻoku mahuʻinga lahi; pea ʻoku lelei ʻae ʻaho ʻoe mate ʻi he ʻaho ʻoe fanauʻi.
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men, and the living should take this to heart.
ʻOku ʻaonga lahi hake ʻae ʻalu ki he fale ʻoku ʻi ai ʻae tangilāulau, ʻi he ʻalu ki he fale ʻoku fai kātoanga: he ko e ikuʻanga ia ʻoe kakai kotoa pē; pea ʻe mamafa ia ki he loto ʻoʻona ʻoku kei moʻui.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.
ʻOku lelei lahi ʻae mamahi ʻi he kata, he ʻoku fakaʻāsili ʻae lelei ʻoe loto ʻi he mamahi ʻoe mata.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
ʻOku ʻi he fale ʻoe mamahi ʻae loto ʻoe poto; ka ʻoku ʻi he fale ʻoe fiefia ʻae loto ʻoe vale.
5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
ʻOku lelei hake ʻae fanongo ki he valoki mei he poto, ʻi he fanongo ʻae tangata ki he hivehiva ʻae kau vale.
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
He ʻoku hangē ko e makalakala ʻae ʻakau talatala ʻi he lalo kulo, ʻoku pehē ʻae kata ʻae vale: he ko e vaʻinga foki ia.
7 Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.
Ko e moʻoni ʻoka fakamālohi ʻae tangata poto ʻoku vale ai ia; pea ʻoku maumauʻi ʻae loto ʻi he maʻu ʻae foaki.
8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
ʻOku lelei hake ʻae ikuʻanga ʻo ha meʻa ʻi hono kamataʻanga: pea ʻoku lelei lahi ʻaia ʻoku loto faʻa kātaki ʻiate ia ʻoku loto fielahi.
9 Do not be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.
ʻOua naʻa ke ʻita vave ʻi ho laumālie: he ʻoku nofo ʻae ʻita ʻi he fatafata ʻoe kau vale.
10 Do not say, "Why were the former days better than these?" For you do not ask wisely about this.
ʻOua naʻa ke pehē, “Ko e hā naʻe lelei lahi ai ʻae ngaahi ʻaho ʻi muʻa ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho ko eni?” He ʻoku ʻikai te ke fai fakapotopoto ʻi hoʻo fehuʻi ki he meʻa ni.
11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent for those who see the sun.
ʻOku lelei ke maʻu ʻae tofiʻa pea maʻu mo e poto, pea ʻoku ʻaonga ia kiate kinautolu ʻoku mamata ki he laʻā.
12 For wisdom is a defense, even as money is a defense; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
He ko e poto ko e ungaʻanga ia, pea ko e koloa ko e ungaʻanga mo ia: ka ko hono lelei lahi ʻoe ʻilo, ʻoku foaki ʻe he poto ʻae moʻui kiate kinautolu ʻoku maʻu ia.
13 Consider the work of God, for who can make that straight, which he has made crooked?
Tokanga ki he ngāue ʻae ʻOtua: he ko hai ʻoku faʻa fakatotonu ʻaia kuo ne ngaohi ke pikopiko?
14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything after him.
Ke ke fiefia ʻi he ʻaho ʻoe lelei, ka ke fakalaulauloto ʻi he ʻaho ʻoe kovi: he kuo fokotuʻu foki ʻe he ʻOtua ʻae taha ki he taha koeʻuhi ke ʻoua naʻa ʻilo ʻe he tangata ha meʻa ʻe fai ʻamui.
15 All this have I seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.
Kuo u mamata ki he meʻa kotoa pē ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho ʻo ʻeku vale: ʻoku ai ʻae tangata ʻoku angatonu, ka ʻoku mate pe mo ʻene māʻoniʻoni, pea ʻoku ai ʻaia ʻoku angahala, ka ʻoku tolonga ʻa ʻene moʻui ʻi heʻene fai hala.
16 Do not be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
ʻOua naʻa lahi fau hoʻo māʻoniʻoni; pea ʻoua naʻa ke kumi ki he poto lahi fau: he ko e hā te ke fakaʻauha ai koe ʻe koe pe?
17 Do not be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should you die before your time?
ʻOua naʻa lahi fau hoʻo fai kovi, pe te ke vale: he ko e hā te ke mate ai ʻi he teʻeki hoko ho ʻaho?
18 It is good that you should take hold of this. Yes, also from that do not withdraw your hand; for he who fears God will come forth from them all.
ʻOku lelei ke ke puke ki he meʻa ni: ʻio, ʻoua naʻa toʻo ho nima mei he meʻa ni he ko ia ʻoku manavahē ki he ʻOtua ʻe hao ia mei he ngaahi meʻa ni kotoa pē.
19 Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.
ʻOku lahi ʻae tokoni ʻe he poto kiate ia ʻoku poto, ʻi ha kau tangata mālohi ʻe toko hongofulu ʻoku nofo ʻi ha kolo.
20 Surely there is not a righteous man on earth, who does good and doesn't sin.
He ʻoku ʻikai ʻi māmani ha tangata angatonu ʻoku fai lelei, pea taʻehalaia.
21 Also do not take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you;
Pea ʻoua foki naʻa ke tui ki he lea kotoa pē ʻoku leaʻaki; telia naʻa ke fanongo ʻoku lauʻikoviʻi koe ʻe hoʻo tamaioʻeiki.
22 for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others.
He ʻoku ke ʻilo foki ʻi ho loto kuo liunga lahi ʻa hoʻo lauʻikovi ʻe koe ʻae kakai kehe.
23 All this have I proved in wisdom. I said, "I will be wise;" but it was far from me.
Ko e ngaahi meʻa ni kotoa pē kuo u ʻilo ʻi he poto: naʻaku pehē, te u poto au, ka naʻe mamaʻo ia ʻiate au.
24 That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out?
Ko e meʻa ʻoku mamaʻo atu, pea loloto lahi, ko hai ʻe faʻa ʻilo ki ai?
25 I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is madness.
Naʻaku tuku hoku loto ke ʻilo mo hakule, pea ke kumi atu ki he poto, mo hono ʻuhinga ʻoe ngaahi meʻa, pea ke ʻilo ʻae kovi ʻoe vale, ʻio, ʻae vale mo e hē.
26 I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.
Pea ʻoku ou ʻilo ʻoku kona lahi hake ʻi he mate ʻae fefine ko ia ʻoku tatau hono loto mo e tauhele mo e kupenga, pea ko hono nima ʻoku hangē ko e ngaahi haʻi: ka ko ia ia ʻoku lelei ʻi he ʻao ʻoe ʻOtua, ʻe hao ia mei ai; ka ʻe moʻua ʻae angahala kiate ia.
27 Look, this have I found, says the Preacher, one to another, to find out the scheme;
Vakai, kuo u ʻilo eni, ʻoku pehē ʻe he Tangata Malanga, ʻi heʻeku ʻahiʻahi taki taha ʻae meʻa kotoa pē, ke ʻilo hono ʻuhinga:
28 which my soul still seeks; but I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.
ʻAia ʻoku kei kumi ki ai ʻe hoku laumālie, ka ʻoku teʻeki ai te u maʻu: ko e tangata ʻe tokotaha kuo u ʻilo ʻi ha toko afe; ka ʻoku ʻikai te u ʻilo ʻiate kinautolu kotoa pē ha fefine ʻe tokotaha.
29 Look, this only have I found, that God made humankind upright, but they search for many schemes.
Vakai, ko eni pe ʻae meʻa kuo u ʻiloʻi, naʻe ngaohi ʻae tangata ʻe he ʻOtua ʻi he angatonu; ka kuo nau kumi ki he ngaahi filioʻi lahi.
