Ecclesiastes 8

1 The wisdom of a man shineth in his countenance, and the most mighty will change his face.

Ko hai ʻoku hangē ko e tangata poto? Pea ko hai ʻoku ne ʻilo ʻae fakamatala ʻo ha meʻa? Ko e meʻa ʻi he poto ʻoku malama mai ʻae mata ʻoe tangata, pea ʻe liliu ai ʻae mālohi ʻa hono mata.

2 I observe the mouth of the king, and the commandments of the oath of God.

‌ʻOku ou enginakiʻi koe ke ke fai ki he fekau ʻae tuʻi, pea ke fai ia koeʻuhi ko e fuakava ʻae ʻOtua.

3 Be not hasty to depart from his face, and do not continue in an evil work: for he will do all that pleaseth him:

‌ʻOua naʻa ʻalu atu fakavave ʻi hono ʻao: ʻoua naʻa ke kau ʻi ha meʻa kovi; he ʻoku fai ʻe ia ʻa ʻene faʻiteliha.

4 And his word is full of power: neither can any man say to him: Why dost thou so?

Ko e meʻa ʻoku lea ki ai ʻae tuʻi ʻoku ʻi ai ʻae mālohi: pea ko hai ʻe faʻa pehē kiate ia, “Ko e hā ʻoku ke fai?”

5 He that keepeth the commandments shall find no evil. The heart of a wise man understandeth time and answer.

Ko ia ʻoku fai ki he fekau ʻe ʻikai ʻilo ʻe ia ha kovi: pea ʻoku ʻiloʻi ʻe he loto ʻoe poto ʻae ʻaho tuʻutuʻumālie pea mo e fakamaau.

6 There is a time and opportunity for every business, and great affliction for man:

Koeʻuhi ʻoku ai ʻae ʻaho mo e fakamaau ʻoe ngāue kotoa pē, ko ia ʻoku mamafa ai ʻae kovi ʻae tangata kiate ia.

7 Because he is ignorant of things past, and things to come he cannot know by any messenger.

He ʻoku ʻikai te ne ʻilo ʻae meʻa ʻe hoko: pea ko hai ʻoku faʻa tala kiate ia pe ʻe hoko afe?

8 It is not in man’s power to stop the spirit, neither hath he power in the day of death, neither is he suffered to rest when war is at hand, neither shall wickedness save the wicked.

‌ʻOku ʻikai ha tangata ʻoku maʻu ʻae mālohi ki he laumālie ke ne taʻofi maʻu ki he laumālie; pea ʻoku ʻikai ʻiate ia ha mālohi ʻi he ʻaho ʻoe mate: pea ʻoku ʻikai ha tukuange mei he tau ko ia; pea ʻe ʻikai fakahaofi ʻe he kovi ʻakinautolu kuo nau maheni ai.

9 All these things I have considered, and applied my heart to all the works that are done under the sun. Sometimes one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.

Ko e meʻa ni kotoa pē kuo u mamata ki ai, pea u tuku hoku loto ki he ngāue kotoa pē ʻoku fai ʻi he lalo laʻā: ʻoku ai ʻae ʻaho ʻoku pule ʻae tangata ʻe tokotaha ki he tokotaha ka ʻe kovi ai ia.

10 I saw the wicked buried: who also when they were yet living were in the holy place, and were praised in the city as men of just works: but this also is vanity.

Pea naʻaku mamata foki ki he tanu ʻoe angahala, ʻaia naʻe faʻa ʻalu mo haʻu mei he potu ʻoe māʻoniʻoni, pea naʻe ngalo ʻakinautolu ʻi he kolo naʻa nau fai pehē ai: ko e vaʻinga foki eni.

11 For because sentence is not speedily pronounced against the evil, the children of men commit evils without any fear.

Koeʻuhi ʻoku ʻikai fakatoʻotoʻo ʻae fai ʻoe tautea ki he ngāue kovi, ko ia ʻoku tukupau ai ʻae loto ʻoe fānau ʻae tangata ke fai kovi.

12 But though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and by patience be borne withal, I know from thence that it shall be well with them that fear God, who dread his face.

Ka neongo ʻae fai ke liunga teau ʻae kovi ʻae angahala, pea fakatolonga hono ʻaho, ka ʻoku ou ʻilo moʻoni ʻe hoko ʻae lelei kiate kinautolu ʻoku manavahē ki he ʻOtua, ʻakinautolu ʻoku manavahē ʻi hono ʻao.

13 But let it not be well with the wicked, neither let his days be prolonged, but as a shadow let them pass away that fear not the face of the Lord.

Ka ʻe ʻikai ha lelei ki he angahala, pea ʻe ʻikai tolonga maʻuaipē hono ngaahi ʻaho, he ko e ʻata ia: koeʻuhi ʻoku ʻikai te ne manavahē ʻi he ʻao ʻoe ʻOtua.

14 There is also another vanity, which is done upon the earth. There are just men to whom evils happen, as though they had done the works of the wicked: and there are wicked men, who are as secure, as though they had the deeds of the just: but this also I judge most vain.

‌ʻOku ai ʻae vaʻinga ʻoku fai ʻi he māmani: ʻa eni, ʻoku ai ʻae kakai angatonu, ʻoku hoko ʻae meʻa kiate kinautolu ʻo fakatatau ki he ngāue ʻae angahala; pea pehē, ʻoku ai ʻae kakai angahala, ʻoku hoko kiate kinautolu ʻo fakatatau ki he ngāue ʻae māʻoniʻoni: pea naʻaku pehē, ko e vaʻinga foki eni.

15 Therefore I commended mirth, because there was no good for a man under the sun, but to eat, and drink, and be merry, and that he should take nothing else with him of his labour in the days of his life, which God hath given him under the sun.

Pea naʻaku toki fakamālō ki he fakafiemālie, koeʻuhi ʻoku ʻikai ha meʻa ʻoku lelei hake ki he tangata ʻi he lalo laʻā, ka ko ʻene kai, mo inu, mo fakafiefia: he ko ia ʻe nofomaʻu mo ia ʻi heʻene ngāue ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē ʻo ʻene moʻui, ʻaia ʻoku foaki ʻe he ʻOtua kiate ia ʻi he lalo laʻā.

16 And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to understand the distraction that is upon earth: for there are some that day and night take no sleep with their eyes.

ʻI heʻeku tuku hoku loto ke ʻilo ʻae poto, pea mamata ki he ngāue kotoa pē ʻoku fai ʻi he māmani: (he ʻoku ai ʻaia ʻoku ʻikai sio hono mata ki he mohe ʻi he ʻaho pe ʻi he pō: )

17 And I understood that man can find no reason of all those works of God that are done under the sun: and the more he shall labour to seek, so much the less shall he find: yea, though the wise man shall say, that he knoweth it, he shall not be able to find it.

Pea naʻaku mamata ki he ngāue kotoa pē ʻae ʻOtua, ʻoku ʻikai faʻa ʻiloʻi ʻe he tangata ʻae ngāue ʻoku fai ʻi he lalo laʻā: he neongo ʻae fai feinga hono kumi ʻe he tangata, ʻe ʻikai te ne ʻilo ia; ko eni foki; naʻa mo e tangata poto ʻoku mahalo te ne ʻiloʻi, ʻe ʻikai faʻa maʻu ia ʻe ia.