< Ecclesiastes 10 >
1 [A few] dead flies in [a bottle of] perfume cause [all] the perfume to stink. Similarly [SIM], a small amount of acting foolishly can have a greater effect than acting wisely.
O NA nalo make, he mea ia e pilau ai ka laau hamo a ka mea hana laau, pela no ka hana uhauha iki ana, ka mea i manaoia he naauao, a he hanohano hoi.
2 If people think sensibly, it will lead them to do what is right; if they think foolishly, it causes them to do what is wrong.
O ka naau o ka mea naauao, aia no ia ma kona lima akau; aka hoi, o ka naau o ka mea naaupo, aia no ia ma kona lima hema.
3 Even while foolish people walk along the road, they show that they do not have good sense; they show everyone that they are not wise.
Aia hoi i ka hele ana o ka mea naaupo ma ke alanui, ua nalowale kona ike, a ua i iho la ia no na mea a pau, he naaupo ia.
4 Do not quit working for a ruler when he is angry with you; if you remain calm, he will [probably] stop being angry.
Ina e ku o ia oe ka manao o ke alii, mai haalele i kou wahi; no ka mea, o ka noho malie, oia ka mea e hooluolu aku ai ka huhu nui.
5 There is something [else] that I have seen here on this earth, something that rulers sometimes do that is wrong/inappropriate:
Aia ka hewa au i ike iho ai malalo iho o ka la, e like me ka hewa i puka mai ai mai ke alii mai.
6 They appoint foolish people to have important positions, while they appoint rich [people] to have unimportant positions.
Ua hoonohoia ka naaupo ma na wahi kiokie, a o ka mea waiwai, ua noho oia ma kahi haahaa.
7 They allow slaves [to ride] on horses [like rich people usually do], [but] they force officials to walk [like slaves usually do].
Ua ike au i na kauwa maluna o na lio, a i na'lii e hele wawae ana ma ka honua, me he poe kauwa la.
8 [It is possible that] those who dig pits will fall into one of those pits. [It is possible that] someone who tears down a wall will be bitten by a snake [that is in that wall].
O ka mea i eli i ka lua, e haule auanei oia iloko; a o ka mea i wawahi i ka pa, e nahu mai ka nahesa ia ia.
9 If you work in a quarry, [it is possible that] a stone [will fall on you and] injure you. [It is possible that] men who split logs will be injured by one of those logs.
O ka mea e uneune i na pohaku, e eha auanei oia ia lakou; a o ka mea i kaka iho i ka wahie, e moku auanei ia ilaila.
10 If your axe is not sharp [DOU], you will need to work harder [to cut down a tree], but by being wise, you will succeed.
Ina kumumu ka hao, aole hoi ia e hookala i kona maka, alaila pono ke hoonui i ka ikaika; aka, he pono ka naauao i mea e hoopomaikai ai.
11 If a snake bites a man before he charms/tames it, his ability to charm snakes will not benefit him.
Oiaio, e nahu mai ka nahesa ke hoowalewale ole ia mai; aole hoi i oi aku ka maikai o ka mea holoholo olelo.
12 Wise people say [MTY] what is sensible, and because of that, people honor them; but foolish people are destroyed by what they say [MTY].
O na olelo a ka waha o ka mea naauao, ua lokomaikai no, aka, o na lehelehe o ka mea naaupo, e ale auanei ia ia iho.
13 When foolish people start to talk, they say things that are foolish, and they end by saying things that are both wicked and foolish.
O ka mua o na olelo a kona waha, he mea lapuwale ia; a o ka hope o kona waha, he huhu kolohe no ia.
14 They talk (too much/without ceasing). None of us knows what will happen in the future, or what will happen after we die.
Ua hoomahuahua ka mea naaupo i kana mau olelo; aole nae i ike ke kanaka i na mea e hiki mai ana; a o na mea e hiki mai ana mahope ona, nawai e hai aku ia ia?
15 Foolish people become [so] exhausted by the work that they do that they are unable to find the road to their town/homes.
O ka hana a ka poe naaupo, he mea ia e hoomaluhiluhi ai ia lakou, no ka mea, aole ia i ike i ka hele i ke kulanakauhale.
16 Terrible things will happen to the people of a nation whose ruler is a foolish young man, and whose [other] leaders continually eat, all day long, every day.
Auwe oe, e ka aina, i ka wa i noho ai he keiki i alii nou, a e ai ai hoi kou poe kaukaualii i ke kakahiaka!
17 [But] a nation will prosper if its ruler is from a (noble/well-educated) family, and if its [other] leaders feast [only] at the proper times, and [if they eat and drink only] to be strong, not to become drunk.
Pomaikai oe, e ka aina, i ka wa i noho ai ke keiki a na'lii i alii nou, a e ai ai kau poe kaukaualii i ka wa pono, no ka ikaika, aole no ka uhauha.
18 Some men are very lazy [and do not repair the rafters], with the result that the rafters sag [and collapse]; and if they do not repair the roof, water will leak into the house [when it rains].
No ka palaualelo, ua popopo na kaola; a no ka molowa o na lima, ua kulu ka hale.
19 Eating food and drinking wine causes us to laugh and be happy, [but] we are able to enjoy those things only if we have money [to buy them].
O ka ahaaina he mea ia e akaaka ai, a o ka waina, he mea ia e olioli ai; aka, o ke kala, he mea ia e hiki ai na mea a pau.
20 Do not even think about cursing the king, or cursing rich [people, even] when you are [alone] in your bedroom, because [it is possible that] a little bird will hear [what you are saying], [and] tell those people what you said [about them].
Mai hoino aku oe i ke alii, aole hoi ma kou manao; mai hoino aku hoi i ka poe waiwai iloko o kou keena moe, no ka mea, o na manu o ka lewa, e lawe aku lakou i ka leo, a o na mea eheu, na lakou hoi e hai aku ia mea.