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.
I thought some more about all the suffering that people are caused to experience on the earth [MTY]. I saw the tears of people who were (oppressed/treated cruelly) and who had no one to comfort/encourage them. Those who oppressed them had power, and there was absolutely no one who was able to comfort those who were being oppressed.
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 thought that those who are already dead are more fortunate than those 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.
And those who have not been born yet are more fortunate than those who are still alive and those who have died, [because] those who have not been born have not seen all the evil things that are done on the earth.
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 also thought about all the hard work that people do and the skills that they have. And I thought about how they compete with each other because they are envious of others, [and I concluded that] this also is something that is not accomplishing anything useful, [like] chasing the wind.
5 Ua hookui mai la ka mea naaupo i kona mau lima, a ai iho la i kona io iho.
Foolish people [refuse to work]; they sit idly, with their hands folded, [and do not work]. [So] they ruin themselves.
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.
[So I say], “It is better to be content with not having much money, than to work very hard and try to get a lot of money, which is [as useless as] chasing the wind.”
7 Alaila, haliu hou ae la au, a ike i ka mea lapuwale malalo iho o ka la.
I thought about something else that happens on the earth [MTY] that seems senseless.
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 are men who live alone; they do not have a wife or children or any brothers living with them; every day they work [very hard], without stopping, to get a lot of money, but they are never satisfied with the things that they have. They never ask [themselves], “Why am I working very hard to earn more money? Why am I not doing things that would cause me to be happy?” What they do also seems senseless.
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.
Having someone [work] with you is better than being by yourself [all the time]. If you have a friend, he can help you to do your work.
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.
If you fall down, he can help you get up again. But if you fall down when you are alone, it will be difficult for you, because there will be no one to help you stand up.
11 Ina i moe pu na mea elua e pumehana no laua; aka hoi, pehea a mehana ai ka mea hookahi?
Similarly, if two people sleep together, they can keep each other warm. But someone who sleeps alone will certainly not [RHQ] be warm.
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.
Someone who is alone can easily be attacked and defeated by another person, but two people can help each other and (resist/defend themselves against) someone who attacks them. [Three people can defend themselves even more easily], [like] a rope that is made from three cords is harder to break [than a rope made from two cords].
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.
A young man who is poor but wise is a better person than a foolish old king who refuses to pay attention when people try to give him good advice.
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.
It is possible for a young man like that to succeed and some day become king, even if his parents were poor or even if he was in prison some of the time.
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.
But then some other young man becomes king, and everyone (starts to support/is pleased with) him.
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.
Large crowds of people crowd around him. But after a few years, they will reject him, [too]. So it is all senseless, [like] chasing after the wind.
