Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dying flies spoil the sweetness of the ointment. Wisdom and glory is more precious than a small and shortlived folly.
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 a wise man is in his right hand, and the heart of a fool is in his left hand.
Ko e loto ʻoe tangata poto ʻoku ʻi hono nima toʻomataʻu; ka ʻoku ʻi hono toʻohema ʻae loto ʻoe vale.
3 Yea, and the fool when he walketh in the way, whereas be himself is a fool, esteemeth all men fools.
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 spirit of him that hath power, ascend upon thee, leave not thy place: because care will make the greatest sins to cease.
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 that I have seen under the sun, as it were by an error proceeding from the face of the prince:
ʻOku ai ʻae kovi kuo u mamata ki ai ʻi he lalo laʻā, ko e fai hala ʻoe pule:
6 A fool set in high dignity, and the rich sitting beneath.
Kuo hakeakiʻi ʻae vale ke māʻolunga, pea nofo ʻae koloaʻia ʻi he potu māʻulalo.
7 I have seen servants upon horses: and princes walking on the ground 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 that diggeth a pit, shall fall into it: and he that breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
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 that removeth stones, shall be hurt by them: and he that cutteth trees, shall be wounded by them.
Ko ia ʻoku hiki ʻae ngaahi maka ʻe lavea ai ia; pea ko ia ʻoku tā ʻakau ʻe tuʻutāmaki ai.
10 If the iron be blunt, and be not as before, but be made blunt, with much labour it shall be sharpened: and after industry shall follow wisdom.
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 serpent bite in silence, he is nothing better that backbiteth secretly.
Ko e moʻoni ʻe uʻu ʻae ngata ʻoka ʻikai fakalalata; pea ʻoku tatau mo ia ʻae tangata faʻa lea.
12 The words of the mouth of a wise man are grace: but the lips of a fool shall throw him down headlong.
ʻOku lelei ʻae lea mei he ngutu ʻoe tangata poto; ka ʻe fakaʻauha ʻae vale ʻe hono loungutu ʻoʻona.
13 The beginning of his words is folly, and the end of his talk is a mischievous error.
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 A fool multiplieth words. A man cannot tell what hath been before him: and what shall be after him, who can tell 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 labour of fools shall afflict them that know not bow to go to the city.
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 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and when the princes eat 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 Blessed is the land, whose king is noble, and whose princes eat in due season for refreshment, and not for riotousness.
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 By slothfulness a building shall be brought down, and through the weakness of hands, the house shall drop through.
Ko e meʻa ʻi he fakapikopiko lahi ʻoku fakaʻaʻau ke motuʻa ʻae fale; pea ʻi he taʻengāue ʻae nima ʻoku tutulu ʻae fale.
19 For laughter they make bread, and wine that the living may feast: and all things obey money.
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 Detract not the king, no not in thy thought; and speak not evil of the rich man in thy private chamber: because even the birds of the air will carry thy voice, and he that hath wings will tell what thou hast said.
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.
