Ecclesiastes 5

1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God; for to draw nigh to hear is better than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they know not that they do evil.

Tauhi ho vaʻe ʻoka ke ka ʻalu ki he fale ʻoe ʻOtua, pea lahi hake hoʻo fiefanongo ʻi hoʻo fai ʻae feilaulau ʻae vale: he ʻoku ʻikai te nau tokanga ki he kovi ʻoku nau fai.

2 Be not rash with thy month, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

‌ʻOua naʻa ke ʻohonoa ʻaki ho ngutu, pea ʻoua naʻa vave ho loto ke fakahā ha meʻa ʻi he ʻao ʻoe ʻOtua: he ʻoku ʻi he langi ʻae ʻOtua, ka ʻoku ke ʻi māmani ko ē: ko ia ke siʻi ai hoʻo lea.

3 For a dream cometh with a multitude of business; and a fool’s voice with a multitude of words.

He ʻoku tupu ʻae misi mei he femouʻekina ki he ngāue; pea ʻoku ʻilo ʻae leʻo ʻoe vale ʻi he lahi ʻo ʻene lea.

4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou vowest.

‌ʻOka ke ka fuakava ki he ʻOtua, ʻoua naʻa ke fakatuai hoʻo fai ki ai; he ʻoku ʻikai te ne leleiʻia ʻi he vale; fai koe ki he meʻa kuo ke fuakava ki ai.

5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

‌ʻOku lelei hake ke ʻoua ʻaupito naʻa ke fuakava, ʻi hoʻo fuakava kae ʻikai fai ki ai.

6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?

‌ʻOua naʻa tuku ke fakahalaʻi koe ʻe ho ngutu; pea ʻoua naʻa ke pehē ʻi he ʻao ʻoe ʻāngelo, ko hoʻo fai hala: ko e hā ʻoku ke fakahouhauʻi ʻae ʻOtua ʻaki ho leʻo, pea te ne fakaʻauha ʻae ngāue ʻa ho nima?

7 For [thus it cometh to pass] through the multitude of dreams and vanities and many words: but fear thou God.

He ʻoku lahi ʻae vaʻinga foki ʻi he lahi ʻoe misi mo e lea ʻoku lahi: ka ke manavahē koe ki he ʻOtua.

8 If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for one higher than the high regardeth; and there be higher than they.

Kapau ʻoku ke mamata ki he fakamālohiʻi ʻoe masiva, pea mo e mioʻi fakamālohi ʻae fakamaau mo e fai totonu ʻi ha vahefonua, ʻoua naʻa ke ofo ai: he ko ia ʻoku māʻolunga taha ʻi he māʻolunga kotoa pē ʻoku ne ʻafioʻi ia; koeʻuhi ʻoku ai ʻaia ʻoku māʻolunga hake ʻiate kinautolu.

9 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king [himself] is served by the field.

Kaeʻumaʻā foki ko e tupu ʻoe kelekele, ko e meʻa maʻa e kakai kotoa pē: naʻa mo e tuʻi ʻoku tauhi ia mei he ngoue.

10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this also is vanity.

Ko ia ʻoku manako ki he siliva ʻe ʻikai ke ne fiemālie ʻi he siliva; pe ko ia ʻoku manako ki he koloa ʻi he tupulaki ʻo ʻene meʻa: ko e vaʻinga foki eni.

11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, saving the beholding [of them] with his eyes?

Koeʻuhi ʻi he tupulekina ʻae meʻa, ʻoku tupu foki ʻakinautolu ʻoku nau kai ia: pea ko e hā hono lelei kiate kinautolu ʻoku ʻanautolu ia, ka ko ʻenau mamata pe ki ai ʻaki honau mata?

12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the fulness of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

‌ʻOku fiemālie ʻae mohe ʻae tangata ngāue, neongo pe ʻoku siʻi pe ʻoku lahi ʻa ʻene kai: ka ko e lahi ʻoe meʻa ʻae koloaʻia, ko ia ʻoku ʻikai ke nau faʻa mohe ai.

13 There is a grievous evil, which I have seen under the sun, [namely], riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt:

‌ʻOku ai ʻae kovi lahi kuo u mamata ki ai ʻi he lalo laʻā, ʻa eni, ʻae tauhi koloa ke kovi ai ʻakinautolu ʻoku ʻanautolu pe ia.

14 and those riches perish by evil adventure; and if he hath begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand.

Ka ʻoku maumau ʻae koloa ko ia ʻi he feinga kovi; pea ʻoku tupu ʻiate ia ʻae foha, ka ʻoku ʻikai ha meʻa ʻi hono nima.

15 As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.

‌ʻO hangē ko ʻene haʻu mei he manāva ʻo ʻene faʻē, ʻe pehē ʻa ʻene ʻalu telefua atu ʻo hangē ko ʻene haʻu, pea ʻe ʻikai ha tupu ʻo ʻene ngāue te ne maʻu ke ʻave ʻi hono nima.

16 And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that he laboureth for the wind?

Pea ko e kovi foki eni ʻoku lahi, ʻa ʻene ʻalu ʻo tatau ʻi he meʻa kotoa pē mo ʻene haʻu: pea ko e hā ʻae lelei ʻoku maʻu ʻe ia ʻoku ngāue ki he matangi?

17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he is sore vexed and hath sickness and wrath.

‌ʻOku kai ʻe ia ʻi he fakapoʻuli ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē, pea ʻoku lahi ʻae mamahi mo e tautea ʻoku hoko kiate ia ʻi hono mahaki.

18 Behold, that which I have seen to be good and to be comely is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labour, wherein he laboureth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for this is his portion.

Vakai ki he meʻa kuo u mamata ki ai: ʻoku lelei mo totonu ki he tangata ke kai mo inu, pea ke fiefia ʻi he lelei kotoa pē ʻo ʻene ngāue, ʻaia ʻoku ne fai ʻi he lalo laʻā, ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē ʻo ʻene moʻui, ʻaia kuo foaki ʻe he ʻOtua kiate ia; he ko hono ʻinasi ia.

19 Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.

Pea ko e tangata kotoa pē ʻaia ʻoku foaki ki ai ʻe he ʻOtua ʻae maʻumeʻa mo e koloa lahi, pea mo e mālohi ke ne kai mei ai, pea ke maʻu hono ʻinasi, pea ke fiefia ʻi heʻene ngāue; ko e foaki ia ʻae ʻOtua.

20 For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth [him] in the joy of his heart.

Pea ʻe ʻikai te ne tokanga mamahi ia ki he ngaahi ʻaho ʻo ʻene moʻui; koeʻuhi ʻoku tauhi ia ʻe he ʻOtua, pea ko ia ʻoku fiefia ai hono loto.