Ecclesiastes 3

1 For every thing there is a fixed period, and an appointed time to every thing under heaven: —

‌ʻOku ai hono kuonga ʻoe meʻa kotoa pē, mo e ʻaho ki he ngāue kotoa pē ʻi he lalo langi:

2 A time to be born, and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted.

Ko e ʻaho ke fanauʻi ai, mo e ʻaho ke mate; ko e ʻaho ke tō, mo e ʻaho ke taʻaki ʻaia kuo tō;

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal. A time to breaking down, and a time to build up.

Ko e ʻaho ke tāmateʻi, mo e ʻaho ke fakamoʻui; ko e ʻaho ke holoki hifo, mo e ʻaho ke langa hake;

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh. A time to mourn, and a time to dance.

Ko e ʻaho ke tangi, mo e ʻaho ke kata; ko e ʻaho ke tangilāulau, mo e ʻaho ke meʻe;

5 A time to cast stones asunder, and a time to gather stones together. A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.

Ko e ʻaho ke liʻaki ʻae ngaahi maka, mo e ʻaho ke tānaki fakataha ʻae ngaahi maka; ko e ʻaho ke fāʻufua, mo e ʻaho ke vāmamaʻo;

6 A time to seek, and a time to lose. A time to keep, and a time to cast away.

Ko e ʻaho ke maʻu, mo e ʻaho ke mole ai; ko e ʻaho ke kuku maʻu, mo e ʻaho ke liʻaki atu;

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew. A time to keep silence, and a time to speak.

Ko e ʻaho ke mahaehae, mo e ʻaho ke tuitui; ko e ʻaho ke fakalongolongo, mo e ʻaho ke lea;

8 A time to love, and a time to hate. A time of war, and a time of peace.—

Ko e ʻaho ke ʻofa, mo e ʻaho ke fehiʻa; ko e ʻaho ke tau, mo e ʻaho ke melino.

9 What profit hath he who laboreth from that with which he wearieth himself?

Ko e hā ʻae lelei ʻoku maʻu ʻe ia ʻoku ngāue ʻi he meʻa ʻoku ne ngāue ai?

10 I have seen the business which God hath given to the sons of men to exercise themselves therewith.

Kuo u mamata ki he feinga ʻaia kuo tuku ʻe he ʻOtua ki he fānau ʻae tangata ke ʻahiʻahi ʻaki ʻakinautolu.

11 God maketh every thing good in its time; but he hath put the world into the heart of man, so that he understandeth not the work which God doeth, from the beginning to the end.

Kuo ngaohi ʻe ia ʻae meʻa kotoa pē ke fakaʻofoʻofa ʻi hono kuonga: pea kuo ne ʻai foki ʻae māmani ki honau loto, pea ko ia ʻoku ʻikai faʻa ʻilo ai ʻe ha tangata ʻae ngāue ʻoku fai ʻe he ʻOtua mei he kamataʻanga ʻo aʻu ki hono ngataʻanga.

12 I know that there is nothing better for a man than that he should rejoice and enjoy good his life long.

‌ʻOku ou ʻilo ʻoku ʻikai ha lelei ʻi ai, ka koeʻuhi ke fiefia ʻae tangata, pea ke fai lelei ʻi heʻene moʻui.

13 But when a man eateth and drinketh, and enjoyeth good through all his labor, this is the gift of God.

Pea ko e kai mo e inu ʻae tangata kotoa pē, mo e fiefia ʻi he lelei ʻo ʻene ngāue kotoa pē, ko e foaki ia ʻae ʻOtua.

14 I know that whatever God doeth, that shall be for ever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it; and God doeth it that men may fear before him.

‌ʻOku ou ʻilo, ko e meʻa kotoa pē ʻoku fai ʻe he ʻOtua, ʻe tuʻumaʻu ia ʻo taʻengata: ʻe ʻikai faʻa fakalahi ia, pea ʻe ʻikai faʻa toʻo mei ai ha meʻa; pea ʻoku fai eni ʻe he ʻOtua koeʻuhi ke manavahē ʻae kakai ʻi hono ʻao.

15 That which is, was long ago; and that which is to be, hath already been; and God recalleth that which is past.

Ko e meʻa naʻe ʻi ai, ʻoku ʻi ai ni; pea ko ia kuo tuʻutuʻuni ke hoko, kuo hili hono fai, pea ʻoku toe ʻomi ʻe he ʻOtua ʻae meʻa kuo mole atu.

16 Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice there was iniquity; and in the place of righteousness, iniquity.

Pea naʻaku mamata foki ʻi he lalo laʻā ki he potu ʻoe fakamaau, ʻoku ʻi ai ʻae angahala; mo e potu ʻoe māʻoniʻoni, ʻoku ʻi ai ʻae fai kovi.

17 Then said I in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked.” For there shall be a time for every matter and for every work.

Pea u pehē ʻi hoku loto, “ʻE fakamaau ʻe he ʻOtua ʻae māʻoniʻoni mo e angahala: he ʻoku ʻi ai pe hono ʻaho ki he tuʻutuʻuni kotoa pē mo e ngāue kotoa pē.”

18 I said in my heart concerning the sons of men, that God will prove them, in order that they may see that they are like the beasts.

Pea naʻaku pehē ʻi hoku loto koeʻuhi ko e anga ʻoe fānau ʻae tangata, ke fakahā ia ʻe he ʻOtua kiate kinautolu, pea nau ʻilo ai ʻoku nau hangē ko e fanga manu.

19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts: one lot befalleth both. As the one dieth, so dieth the other. Yea, there is one spirit in them, and a man hath no pre-eminence above a beast; for all is vanity.

He ko e meʻa ʻoku hoko ki he fānau ʻae tangata ʻoku hoko ia ki he fanga manu; ʻio, ko e meʻa pe taha ʻoku hoko ki ai fakatouʻosi: ʻo hangē ko e mate ʻae taha, ʻoku pehē pe ʻae mate ʻae taha; ʻio, ko e mānava pe taha ʻoku nau maʻu; pea ko ia ʻoku ʻikai māʻolunga ai ʻae tangata ʻi ha manu: he ʻoku vaʻinga ʻae meʻa kotoa pē.

20 All go to one place; all are from the dust, and all turn to dust again.

‌ʻOku lau kotoa pē ki he potu pe taha; he ʻoku mei he efu kotoa pē, pea ʻoku toe liliu kotoa pē ki he efu.

21 Who knoweth the spirit of man, whether it goeth upward, and the spirit of a beast, whether it goeth downward to the earth?

Ko hai ʻoku ne ʻilo ʻae laumālie ʻoe tangata ʻoku ʻalu ki ʻolunga, mo e moʻui ʻae manu ʻoku ʻalu hifo ki he kelekele?

22 And so I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his labors; for that is his portion. For who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?

Ko ia ʻoku hā mai kiate au, ʻoku ʻikai ha meʻa ʻoku lelei hake, ka ko e fiefia ʻae tangata ʻi heʻene ngaahi ngāue ʻaʻana; he ko hono ʻinasi ia: he ko hai te ne ʻomi ia ke ne mamata ki he meʻa ʻe hoko kimui ʻiate ia?