Kekahuna 4
1 A LAILA, haliu au a ike aku la i na mea luhi i hanaia malalo iho o ka la, aia hoi, na waimaka o ka poe i hooluhiia, aohe mea nana lakou e kokua mai; a ma ka aoao o ka poe nana lakou i hooluhi, he ikaika; aka, aohe mea nana lakou e kokua mai.
Again I looked, and I considered all the oppression taking place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; the power lay in the hands of their oppressors, and there was no comforter.
2 No ia mea, hoomaikai aku la au i ka poe make, ka poe i make i ka wa i hala aku nei, mamua o ka poe ola, ka poe ola i keia wa e noho nei kakou.
So I admired the dead, who had already died, above the living, who are still alive.
3 Oia hoi, ua oi aku mamua o laua a elua ka maikai o ka mea i hanau ole ia, ka mea i ike ole i ka hana ino i hanaia malalo iho o ka la.
But better than both is he who has not yet existed, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.
4 Ua ike au i na mea luhi a pau, a me na hana pololei a pau, aia hoi, no ia mau mea, ua huahuaia mai ke kanaka e kona hoalauna. He mea lapuwale keia a me ka luhi hewa.
I saw that all labor and success spring from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
5 Ua hookui mai la ka mea naaupo i kona mau lima, a ai iho la i kona io iho.
The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh.
6 Ua oi aku ka piha ana o ka lima hookahi me ka noho oluolu mamua o ko na lima elua me ka hana kaumaha, a me ka luhi hewa.
Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and pursuit of the wind.
7 Alaila, haliu hou ae la au, a ike i ka mea lapuwale malalo iho o ka la.
Again, I saw futility under the sun.
8 Aia, he mea hookahi, aole ona lua, aole ana keiki, aole ona hoahanau; aka, o kana hana ana, aole e pau, aole pili iki kona mau maka i ka nana i ka waiwai, aole ia i ninau iho, No wai ko'u e hana nei, a i hoonele i ko'u uhane i ka maikai? He mea lapuwale keia, a he mea luhi loa no hoi.
There is a man all alone, without even a son or brother. And though there is no end to his labor, his eyes are still not content with his wealth: “For whom do I toil and bereave my soul of enjoyment?” This too is futile—a miserable task.
9 Ua oi aku ka maikai o na mea elua mamua o ka mea hoohahi; no ka mea, ia laua ka uku maikai no ka laua hana ana.
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.
10 No ka mea, ina e haule kekahi, e hoala kekahi i kona hoa; aka, auwe hoi ka mea hookahi i kona haule ana, no ka mea, aohe mea nana ia e hooala mai.
For if one falls down, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to help him up!
11 Ina i moe pu na mea elua e pumehana no laua; aka hoi, pehea a mehana ai ka mea hookahi?
Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone?
12 Ina e hana eha ia mai kekahi, e hiki no i na mea elua ke lanakila maluna o ia mea, a o ke kaula kaakolu, aole ia e moku koke.
And though one may be overpowered, two can resist. Moreover, a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
13 Oi aku ka maikai o ke keiki ilihune me ka naauao, mamua o ke alii elemakule me ka naaupo, ka mea hiki ole ke aoia mai.
Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take a warning.
14 No ka mea, puka mai ia mai ka hale hooluhi o alii ai; aka, o ka mea i hanau alii ia ua lilo ia i mea ilihune.
For the youth has come from the prison to the kingship, though he was born poor in his own kingdom.
15 Ike iho la au i ka poe ola a pau e hele ana malalo iho o ka la, me ka lua o ke keiki, i ku i kona hakahaka.
I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed this second one, the youth who succeeded the king.
16 Aole pau i ka heluia na kanaka, ka poe mamua o lakou; a o ka poe mahope, aole lakou olioli ia ia. He mea lapu wale keia, a me ka luhi hewa.
There is no limit to all the people who were before them. Yet the successor will not be celebrated by those who come even later. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
