Ecclesiastes 1
1 Words of a preacher, 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, said the Preacher, Vanity of vanities: the whole [is] vanity.
“Vaʻinga ʻoe vaʻinga,” ʻoku pehē ʻe he Malanga, “Vaʻinga ʻoe vaʻinga, ʻoku vaʻinga ʻae meʻa kotoa pē.”
3 What advantage [is] to man by all his labour that he laboureth at under the sun?
Ko e hā hono ʻaonga ki he tangata ʻo ʻene ngāue kotoa pē ʻoku ne fai ʻi he lalo laʻā?
4 A generation is going, and a generation is coming, and the earth to the age is standing.
ʻOku mole atu ʻae toʻutangata ʻe taha, kae haʻu ʻae toʻutangata kehe: ka ʻoku tuʻumaʻu aipē ʻa māmani.
5 Also, the sun hath risen, and the sun hath gone in, and unto its place panting it is rising there.
ʻOku hopo hake foki ʻae laʻā, pea ʻalu hifo, ʻoku ʻalu fakavave ia ki he potu naʻe hopo mei ai.
6 Going unto the south, and turning round unto the north, turning round, turning round, the wind is going, and by its circuits the wind hath returned.
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 streams are going unto the sea, and the sea is not full; unto a place whither the streams are going, thither they are turning back to go.
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 these things are wearying; a man is not able to speak, the eye is not satisfied by seeing, nor filled is the ear from 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 What [is] that which hath been? it [is] that which is, and what [is] that which hath been done? it [is] that which is done, and there is not an entirely 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 There is a thing of which [one] saith: 'See this, it [is] new!' already it hath been in the ages that 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 not a remembrance of former [generations]; and also of the latter that are, there is no remembrance of them with those that are at the last.
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, a preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Ko au ko e Malanga, naʻaku tuʻi au ki ʻIsileli ʻi Selūsalema.
13 And I have given my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that hath been done under the heavens. It [is] a sad travail God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.
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 have been done under the sun, and lo, the whole [is] vanity and vexation of spirit!
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 A crooked thing [one] is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to be numbered.
Ko e meʻa pikopiko ʻoku ʻikai faʻa fakatotonu, pea ko ia ʻoku ʻikai kātoa ʻe ʻikai faʻa lau ia.
16 I — I spake with my heart, saying, 'I, lo, I have magnified and added wisdom above every one who hath been before me at Jerusalem, and my heart hath seen abundantly 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 give my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I have known that even this [is] vexation of spirit;
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 abundance of wisdom [is] abundance of sadness, and he who addeth knowledge addeth pain.'
He ʻoku lahi ʻae mamahi ʻi he poto ʻoku lahi: pea ko ia ʻoku fakatupu ʻa ʻene ʻilo ʻoku ne fakatupu mo e mamahi.
