Ecclesiastes 4

1 And I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors was power, and they had no comforter.

Ko ia naʻaku tafoki mai, pea u tokanga ki he fakamālohi kotoa pē ʻoku fai ʻi he lalo laʻā: pea vakai ko e loʻimata ʻonautolu kuo fakamālohiʻi, pea ʻikai hanau fakafiemālie; pea naʻe ʻi he nima ʻonautolu naʻe fakamālohi ʻae mālohi, ka naʻe ʻikai hanau fakafiemālie.

2 Then I praised the dead who are already dead more than the living who are yet alive;

Ko ia naʻaku leleiʻia moʻoni ʻi he mate kuo mate, ʻi he moʻui ʻoku kei moʻui.

3 and more fortunate than both is he who hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

‌ʻIo, pea ʻoku lelei hake ia ʻiate kinaua fakatouʻosi, ʻaia ʻoku teʻeki ai fakatupu pe mamata ki he ngāue kovi ʻoku fai ʻi he lalo laʻā.

4 And I saw all labour, and all success of work, that it is man's jealousy of his neighbour. This also is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

Pea ko eni, naʻaku fakalaulauloto ki he feinga mo e ngāue lelei kotoa pē, he ko e meʻa ia ʻoku fakatupu meheka ki ha tangata mei hono kaungāʻapi. Ko e vaʻinga foki eni mo e fakamamahi ki he laumālie.

5 The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.

‌ʻOku fehulunaki ʻae nima ʻoe vale, pea ʻoku ne kai hono kakano ʻoʻona.

6 Better is a handful with quietness, than both hands full with labour and pursuit of the wind.

‌ʻOku lelei hake ke fonu ʻae nima ʻe taha mo e fiemālie, ʻi he fonu fakatouʻosi ʻoe nima kae feinga mo mamahi ʻae laumālie.

7 And I returned and saw vanity under the sun.

Pea naʻaku toki tafoki mai, pea naʻaku mamata ki he vaʻinga ʻi he lalo laʻā.

8 There is one [alone] and without a second; also he hath neither son nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour, neither is his eye satisfied with riches, and [he saith not], For whom then am I labouring, and depriving my soul of good? This also is vanity and a grievous occupation.

‌ʻOku ai ʻaia ʻoku tokotaha pe, pea ʻoku ʻikai hono toko ua; ʻio, ʻoku ʻikai haʻane fānau pe kāinga: ka ʻoku ʻikai ngata ʻene ngāue; pea ʻoku ʻikai fiu hono mata ki he koloa; pea ʻoku ʻikai pehē ʻe ia, Ko ʻeku ngāue eni maʻa hai, kau fakamasivaʻi ʻa hoku laumālie ʻi he lelei? Ko e vaʻinga foki eni, ʻio, ko e fakamamahi lahi.

9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

ʻOku lelei hake ʻae toko ua ʻi he tokotaha; he ʻoku ai ʻae totongi lelei ʻi heʻena ngāue.

10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, and who hath not another to lift him up!

He kapau te na tō ki lalo, ʻe hiki ki ʻolunga ʻe he tokotaha ʻa hono kāinga: ka ʻe kovi lahi kiate ia ʻoku tō ki lalo ʻi heʻene tokotaha pe; he ʻoku ʻikai ha tokotaha ke tokoni hake ia ki ʻolunga.

11 Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one alone be warm?

Ko eni foki, kapau ʻe takoto ʻae toko ua te na mafana; ka ʻe mafana fēfeeʻi ha taha ʻi heʻene tokotaha pe?

12 And if a [man] overpower the one, the two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Pea kapau ʻe mālohi ha tokotaha ki he tokotaha, ka ʻe faʻa ikuʻi ia ʻe he toko ua; pea ko e afo tuʻo tolu ʻoku motungataʻa ia.

13 Better is a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth no more how to be admonished.

ʻOku lelei hake ʻae tamasiʻi ʻoku masiva mo poto, ʻi ha tuʻi ʻoku motuʻa kae vale, ʻaia ʻoku ʻikai tui ki he valoki.

14 For out of the prison-house he came forth to reign, although he was born poor in his kingdom.

He ʻoku haʻu ia mei he fale fakapōpula ki he pule; ka ko ia kuo fanauʻi ko e pule ʻoku hoko ia ʻo masiva.

15 I saw all the living that walk under the sun, with the child, the second, that should stand up in his stead.

Naʻaku mamata ki he kakai moʻui kotoa pē ʻoku ʻaʻeva ʻi he lalo laʻā, mo hono foha ʻe hoko, ʻaia ʻe tuʻu hake ʻi hono potu ko hono fetongi.

16 [There is] no end of all the people, of all that stood before them; those however that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after the wind.

‌ʻOku ʻikai hano ngataʻanga ʻoe kakai kotoa pē, ʻakinautolu foki naʻe ʻi muʻa ʻiate kinautolu: pea ʻe ʻikai fiefia ʻiate ia ʻakinautolu ʻe tupu kimui. Ko e moʻoni ko e vaʻinga foki eni mo e fakamamahi ki he laumālie.