Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Ko e ngaahi lea eni ʻae Tangata Malanga, ko e foha ʻo Tevita, naʻe tuʻi ʻi Selūsalema.
2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; vanity of vanities, all is vanity.
“Vaʻinga ʻoe vaʻinga,” ʻoku pehē ʻe he Malanga, “Vaʻinga ʻoe vaʻinga, ʻoku vaʻinga ʻae meʻa kotoa pē.”
3 What profit hath man of all his labour wherein he laboureth under the sun?
Ko e hā hono ʻaonga ki he tangata ʻo ʻene ngāue kotoa pē ʻoku ne fai ʻi he lalo laʻā?
4 One generation goeth, and another generation cometh; and the earth abideth for ever.
ʻOku mole atu ʻae toʻutangata ʻe taha, kae haʻu ʻae toʻutangata kehe: ka ʻoku tuʻumaʻu aipē ʻa māmani.
5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he ariseth.
ʻOku hopo hake foki ʻae laʻā, pea ʻalu hifo, ʻoku ʻalu fakavave ia ki he potu naʻe hopo mei ai.
6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it turneth about continually in its course, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.
ʻOku ʻalu ʻae matangi ki he feituʻu tonga, pea toe liliu ki he tokelau: ʻoku fakatakamilo maʻuaipē ia, pea toe ʻalu foki ʻi hono ngaahi ʻaluʻanga.
7 All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again.
ʻOku tō atu ki tahi ʻae ngaahi vaitafe kotoa pē; ka ʻoku ʻikai ke pito ai ʻae tahi; pea ko e potu ʻoku tupu mei ai ʻae vaitafe ʻoku toe foki atu ia ki ai.
8 All things are full of weariness; man cannot utter [it]: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
ʻOku fonu ʻae meʻa kotoa pē ʻi he ngāue; ʻoku ʻikai faʻa fakamatala ia ʻe he tangata: pea ʻoku ʻikai fiu ʻae mata ʻi he sio, pe ko e telinga ʻi he fanongo.
9 That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
Ko e meʻa ʻaia ʻoku talu mei muʻa, ko ia ia ʻe kei ʻi ai; pea ko e meʻa ʻoku fai ni ko ia pe ʻe fai; pea ʻoku ʻikai ha meʻa foʻou ʻi he lalo laʻā.
10 Is there a thing whereof men say, See, this is new? it hath been already, in the ages which were before us.
He ʻoku ai ha meʻa ʻe totonu ke pehē ki ai, “Vakai, ko eni ʻae meʻa foʻou?” Naʻe ʻi ai pe ia ʻi he kuonga ʻi muʻa, ʻaia naʻe muʻa ʻiate kitautolu.
11 There is no remembrance of the former [generations]; neither shall there be any remembrance of the latter [generations] that are to come, among those that shall come after.
ʻOku ʻikai ha fakamanatu ki he ngaahi meʻa ʻi muʻa, pea ʻe ʻikai ha manatu ki he ngaahi meʻa ʻoku hoko mai ni, pe ko ia ʻe hoko ʻamui.
12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Ko au ko e Malanga, naʻaku tuʻi au ki ʻIsileli ʻi Selūsalema.
13 And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven: it is a sore travail that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.
Pea naʻaku fai ʻi hoku loto ke kumi pea hakule ke u poto ʻi he meʻa kotoa pē ʻoku fai ʻi he lalo langi: he kuo tuku ʻae feinga ni ʻe he ʻOtua ke fakamamahi ʻaki ʻae fānau ʻae tangata.
14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
Kuo u mamata ki he ngāue kotoa pē ʻoku fai ʻi he lalo laʻā; pea vakai, ko e vaʻinga ʻae meʻa kotoa pē mo e fakamamahi ki he laumālie.
15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
Ko e meʻa pikopiko ʻoku ʻikai faʻa fakatotonu, pea ko ia ʻoku ʻikai kātoa ʻe ʻikai faʻa lau ia.
16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have gotten me great wisdom above all that were before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
Naʻaku fakakaukau ʻi hoku loto ʻoʻoku, ʻo pehē, “Vakai, kuo u hoko ʻo maʻumeʻa lahi, pea ʻoku ou maʻu lahi hake ʻae poto ʻiate kinautolu kotoa pē naʻa nau ʻi muʻa ʻiate au ʻi Selūsalema; ʻio, naʻe fakapotoʻi lahi hoku loto ʻi he poto mo e ʻilo.”
17 And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.
Pea naʻaku tuku hoku loto ke ʻilo ʻae poto, pea ke ʻilo mo e hē mo e vale: pea u ʻiloʻi foki ia ko e fakamamahi ki he laumālie.
18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
He ʻoku lahi ʻae mamahi ʻi he poto ʻoku lahi: pea ko ia ʻoku fakatupu ʻa ʻene ʻilo ʻoku ne fakatupu mo e mamahi.
