Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dead flies make the oil of the perfumer give out an evil smell; more valued is a little wisdom than the great glory of the foolish.
ʻOku fakanamukū ʻe he lango kuo mate ʻae meʻa namu lelei ʻae tangata faitoʻo: pea ʻoku pehē ʻae vale siʻi ʻo ha taha ʻoku ongoongoa ʻa ʻene poto mo ʻene angatonu.
2 The heart of the wise man goes in the right direction; but the heart of a foolish man in the wrong.
Ko e loto ʻoe tangata poto ʻoku ʻi hono nima toʻomataʻu; ka ʻoku ʻi hono toʻohema ʻae loto ʻoe vale.
3 And when the foolish man is walking in the way, he has no sense and lets everyone see that he is foolish.
ʻIo, ko e moʻoni, ʻoka ʻeveʻeva ʻae vale ʻi he hala kuo mole hono loto, pea ʻoku ne tala ki he kakai kotoa pē ko e vale pe ia.
4 If the wrath of the ruler is against you, keep in your place; in him who keeps quiet even great sins may be overlooked.
Kapau ʻe tuputāmaki ʻae loto ʻoe pule kiate koe, ʻoua naʻa ke hiki mei hoʻo ngāue; he ʻoku fakamolemole ʻae kovi lahi ʻe he tali angavaivai.
5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, like an error which comes by chance from a ruler:
ʻOku ai ʻae kovi kuo u mamata ki ai ʻi he lalo laʻā, ko e fai hala ʻoe pule:
6 The foolish are placed in high positions, but men of wealth are kept low.
Kuo hakeakiʻi ʻae vale ke māʻolunga, pea nofo ʻae koloaʻia ʻi he potu māʻulalo.
7 I have seen servants on horses, and rulers walking on the earth as servants.
Kuo u mamata ki he heka hoosi ʻae kau tamaioʻeiki, kae ʻeveʻeva ʻi he funga kelekele ʻae fānau ʻae tuʻi ʻo hangē ha kau tamaioʻeiki.
8 He who makes a hole for others will himself go into it, and for him who makes a hole through a wall the bite of a snake will be a punishment.
Ko ia ʻoku keli ʻae luo ʻe tō ia ki ai; pea ko ia ʻoku maumauʻi ʻae ʻā, ʻe uʻu ia ʻe he ngata fekai.
9 He who gets out stones from the earth will be damaged by them, and in the cutting of wood there is danger.
Ko ia ʻoku hiki ʻae ngaahi maka ʻe lavea ai ia; pea ko ia ʻoku tā ʻakau ʻe tuʻutāmaki ai.
10 If the iron has no edge, and he does not make it sharp, then he has to put out more strength; but wisdom makes things go well.
Kapau ʻoku peku ʻae toki, pea ʻikai fakaʻalo, ʻoku totonu ke ne ʻai ʻaki ia ʻae mālohi lahi; ka ʻoku ʻaonga ʻae poto ke fakahinohino.
11 If a snake gives a bite before the word of power is said, then there is no longer any use in the word of power.
Ko e moʻoni ʻe uʻu ʻae ngata ʻoka ʻikai fakalalata; pea ʻoku tatau mo ia ʻae tangata faʻa lea.
12 The words of a wise man's mouth are sweet to all, but the lips of a foolish man are his destruction.
ʻOku lelei ʻae lea mei he ngutu ʻoe tangata poto; ka ʻe fakaʻauha ʻae vale ʻe hono loungutu ʻoʻona.
13 The first words of his mouth are foolish, and the end of his talk is evil crime.
Ko e kamataʻanga ʻoe lea ʻa hono ngutu ko e vale ia; pea ko e ikuʻanga ʻo ʻene lea ko e pauʻu mo e faha.
14 The foolish are full of words; man has no knowledge of what will be; and who is able to say what will be after him?
ʻOku fonu foki ʻae vale ʻi he lea: ʻoku ʻikai faʻa fakahā mai ʻe ha tangata ʻae meʻa ʻe hoko; pea ko e meʻa ʻe hoko ʻi he hili ʻa ʻene moʻui ni, ko hai ha taha ʻe faʻa tala ia kiate ia?
15 The work of the foolish will be a weariness to him, because he has no knowledge of the way to the town.
ʻOku ongosia ʻae vale taki taha kotoa pē ʻi heʻene ngāue, koeʻuhi ʻoku ʻikai te ne ʻilo pe ʻoku fēfē ʻene ʻalu ki he kolo.
16 Unhappy is the land whose king is a boy, and whose rulers are feasting in the morning.
ʻE fonua, ʻe malaʻia ʻa koe, ʻi he kei tamasiʻi ʻa ho tuʻi, pea keinanga ʻi he kei pongipongi ʻa ho houʻeiki pule!
17 Happy is the land whose ruler is of noble birth, and whose chiefs take food at the right time, for strength and not for feasting.
ʻE fonua, ʻoku ke monūʻia, ʻo kapau ko ho tuʻi ko e foha ia ʻoe houʻeiki, pea keinanga ho houʻeiki ʻi he feituʻulaʻā totonu, ke nau mālohi kae ʻikai ke konā ai!
18 When no work is done the roof goes in, and when the hands do nothing water comes into the house.
Ko e meʻa ʻi he fakapikopiko lahi ʻoku fakaʻaʻau ke motuʻa ʻae fale; pea ʻi he taʻengāue ʻae nima ʻoku tutulu ʻae fale.
19 A feast is for laughing, and wine makes glad the heart; but by the one and the other money is wasted.
ʻOku ngaohi ʻae kātoanga ke tupu ai ʻae kata, pea ʻoku fakafiefia ʻe he uaine; ka ʻoku ʻaonga ʻae paʻanga ki he meʻa kotoa pē.
20 Say not a curse against the king, even in your thoughts; and even secretly say not a curse against the man of wealth; because a bird of the air will take the voice, and that which has wings will give news of it.
ʻOua naʻa lea kovi ki he tuʻi, ʻoua ʻaupito naʻa ke mahalo ki ai; pea ʻoua naʻa lea kovi ki he koloaʻia ʻi ho potu mohe: koeʻuhi ʻe fakaongo atu ho leʻo ʻe he manupuna ʻoe ʻatā, pea ʻe tala ʻae meʻa ʻe he manu ʻoku kapakau.
