< Tangata Malanga 5 >

1 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.
Be careful when you go into God's house. It's better to listen and respond rather than offer meaningless sacrifices. People who do that don't even know they are doing wrong.
2 ‌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.
Don't say rash things, and think before you speak to God. For God is in heaven, and you are on earth, so keep it short.
3 He ʻoku tupu ʻae misi mei he femouʻekina ki he ngāue; pea ʻoku ʻilo ʻae leʻo ʻoe vale ʻi he lahi ʻo ʻene lea.
When you worry too much, you get nightmares; when you talk too much, you say foolish things.
4 ‌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.
When you make a vow to God, with a curse on you if you don't keep it, don't be slow in keeping it, for he is not happy with foolish behavior. So do what you promised!
5 ‌ʻOku lelei hake ke ʻoua ʻaupito naʻa ke fuakava, ʻi hoʻo fuakava kae ʻikai fai ki ai.
Better not to make any vows at all than to make vow you don't keep.
6 ‌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?
Don't let your mouth cause you to sin. And don't tell the priest that your vow was a mistake, for why would you antagonize God by breaking your promise? He could bring your own curse down on you.
7 He ʻoku lahi ʻae vaʻinga foki ʻi he lahi ʻoe misi mo e lea ʻoku lahi: ka ke manavahē koe ki he ʻOtua.
There are certainly many dreams, questions of meaning, and lots of different ideas, but you are to follow God.
8 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.
If you see poor people somewhere being oppressed, or truth and justice violated, don't be shocked at it, for every official is responsible to others higher up, and there are officials over them as well.
9 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.
However, what the land produces is for everyone—even the king benefits from what is grown.
10 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.
People who love money never have enough money; those who love wealth never have enough income. This too is so temporary and makes little sense.
11 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?
The more you earn, the more you have eating into your income. It only looks like you have more!
12 ‌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.
Those who work hard sleep well, whether they have a little to eat or plenty, but the rich own so much they don't get any rest.
13 ‌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.
I observed something here that is really sickening: people who hoard money damage themselves.
14 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.
They put their money into bad investments and lose everything. Now when we're born, we don't bring anything into the world.
15 ‌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.
When we die, we leave just as naked as when we were born, taking nothing with us from all we've worked for.
16 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?
This also makes me sick! What do people gain, working for the wind?
17 ‌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.
They live their lives in darkness, very frustrated, sick, and resentful.
18 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.
But I observed that what is good and right is to eat, drink, and to find enjoyment in the work God gives us here in this life. This is God's gift to us.
19 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.
In addition, everyone to whom God gives wealth and possessions he also gives the ability to enjoy these gifts, to be grateful for what they are given, and to enjoy the work they do. This is also God's gift to us.
20 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.
In fact such people have little time to think about life because God keeps them busy with all that makes them happy.

< Tangata Malanga 5 >