Ecclesiastes 9
1 All these things have I considered in my heart, that I might carefully understand them: there are just men and wise men, and their works are in the hand of God: and yet man knoweth not whether he be worthy of love, or hatred:
He naʻaku tokanga ʻi hoku loto ki he meʻa ni kotoa pē ke u fakahā kotoa pē ia, ʻoku ʻi he nima ʻoe ʻOtua ʻae māʻoniʻoni, mo e poto, pea mo ʻenau ngāue: ʻoku ʻikai ʻilo ʻe he tangata pe ko e ʻofeina ia pe ko e fehiʻanekina ʻi he meʻa ʻoku hoko mai kiate ia.
2 But all things are kept uncertain for the time to come, because all things equally happen to the just and to the wicked, to the good and to the evil, to the clean and to the unclean, to him that offereth victims, and to him that despiseth sacrifices. As the good is, so also is the sinner: as the perjured, so he also that sweareth truth.
He ʻoku hoko tatau ʻae meʻa fulipē ki he kakai kotoa pē: ko e meʻa ʻe taha ʻoku hoko ki he māʻoniʻoni mo e angahala; ki he angalelei mo ia kuo fakamaʻa, pea ki he taʻemaʻa; kiate ia ʻoku feilaulau, mo ia ʻoku ʻikai fai ha feilaulau: ʻoku hangē ko ia ʻoku angalelei, ʻoku pehē ʻaia ʻoku angahala, pea ko ia ʻoku fuakava, ʻo hangē ko ia ʻoku manavahē ki he fuakava.
3 This is a very great evil among all things that are done under the sun, that the same things happen to all men: whereby also the hearts of the children of men are filled with evil, and with contempt while they live, and afterwards they shall be brought down to hell. (questioned)
Ko e kovi eni ʻe taha ʻi he meʻa kotoa pē ʻoku fai ʻi he lalo laʻā, ʻae hoko tatau ʻae meʻa ki he kakai kotoa pē: ʻio, ʻoku fonu ʻi he kovi ʻae loto ʻoe fānau ʻae tangata, ʻoku ʻi honau loto ʻae vale ʻi heʻenau kei moʻui, pea hili ia ʻoku nau ʻalu ki he mate.
4 There is no man that liveth always, or that hopeth for this: a living dog is better than a dead lion.
He ʻoku ai ʻae ʻamanaki lelei kiate ia ʻoku kei kau ki he moʻui: he ʻoku lelei hake ʻae kulī ʻoku moʻui ʻi ha laione kuo mate.
5 For the living know that they shall die, but the dead know nothing more, neither have they a reward any more: for the memory of them is forgotten.
He ʻoku ʻilo ʻe he kakai moʻui te nau mate: ka ʻoku ʻikai siʻi ʻilo ha meʻa ʻe he mate, pea ʻoku ʻikai te nau kei maʻu ha totongi: he kuo ngalo ʻa honau fakamanatu.
6 Their love also, and their hatred, and their envy are all perished, neither have they any part in this world, and in the work that is done under the sun.
Pea ko ʻenau ʻofa, mo ʻenau fehiʻa, mo ʻenau meheka, kuo ʻosi ia; pea ʻoku ʻikai te nau kei maʻu honau tufakanga ʻi ha meʻa ʻoku fai ʻi he lalo laʻā ʻo taʻengata.
7 Go then, and eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with gladness: because thy works please God.
ʻAlu koe ʻi ho hala, pea kai hoʻo mā ʻi he fiefia, pea inu hoʻo uaine ʻi he loto fiemālie; he kuo maʻu ʻe he ʻOtua hoʻo ngaahi ngāue.
8 At all times let thy garments be white, and let not oil depart from thy head.
Ke hinehina maʻuaipē ho ngaahi kofu; pea ʻoua naʻa masiva ho ʻulu ʻi he pani.
9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest, all the days of thy unsteady life, which are given to thee under the sun, all the time of thy vanity: for this is thy portion in life, and in thy labour wherewith thou labourest under the sun.
Ke ke moʻui fiefia mo ho uaifi, ʻaia ʻoku ke ʻofa ai ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē ʻo hoʻo moʻui vaʻinga, ʻaia kuo ne foaki kiate koe ʻi he lalo laʻā, ʻae ngaahi ʻaho kotoa pē ʻo hoʻo vaʻinga: he ko ho ʻinasi ia ʻi he moʻui ni, mo e ngāue kuo ke fai ʻi he lalo laʻā.
10 Whatsoever thy hand is able to do, do it earnestly: for neither work, nor reason, nor wisdom, nor knowledge shall be in hell, whither thou art hastening. (Sheol h7585)
Ko ia kotoa pē ʻoku ʻilo ʻe ho nima ke fai, fai ia ʻaki ho mālohi kotoa pē; he ʻoku ʻikai ha ngāue, pe ha filioʻi, pe ha ʻilo, pe ha poto ʻi he faʻitoka, ʻaia ʻoku ke ʻalu ki ai. (Sheol h7585)
11 I turned me to another thing, and I saw that under the sun, the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the learned, nor favour to the skillful: but time and chance in all.
Naʻaku tafoki mai, pea u mamata ʻi he lalo laʻā, ko e pue ʻoku ʻikai kiate ia ʻoku veʻe vave, pe ko e tau kiate ia ʻoku mālohi, pe ko e meʻakai kiate ia ʻoku poto, pe ko e koloa ki he kakai ʻoku faʻa fakakaukau, pe ko e ongoongolelei ki he kakai poto; he ʻoku maʻu taki taha kotoa pē hono ʻaho mo hono tuʻutuʻuni.
12 Man knoweth not his own end: but as fishes are taken with the hook, and as birds are caught with the snare, so men are taken in the evil time, when it shall suddenly come upon them.
He ʻoku ʻikai ʻilo foki ʻe he tangata ʻa hono ʻaho: ʻoku hangē ko e maʻu fakafokifā ʻoe ika ʻi he kupenga, pea hangē ko e maʻu ʻae manupuna ʻi he tauhele; ʻoku pehē ʻae tauheleʻi ʻae fānau ʻae tangata ʻi he ʻaho ʻoe kovi, ʻoka hoko fakafokifā ia kiate kinautolu.
13 This wisdom also I have seen under the sun, and it seemed to me to be very great:
Ko e poto ni foki kuo u mamata ki ai ʻi he lalo laʻā, pea naʻe matamata lahi ia kiate au.
14 A little city, and few men in it: there came against it a great king, and invested it, and built bulwarks round about it, and the siege was perfect.
Naʻe ai ʻae kihiʻi kolo, pea tokosiʻi ʻae kau tangata naʻe ʻi ai; pea naʻe haʻu ʻae tuʻi lahi ke ne tauʻi ia, pea naʻa ne kāpui ia, pea lahi ʻaupito ʻa ʻene tanu puke ki ai.
15 Now there was found in it a man poor and wise, and he delivered the city by his wisdom, and no man afterward remembered that poor man.
Ka ko eni, naʻe ʻilo ʻi ai ʻae tangata masiva mo poto, pea ko e meʻa ʻi heʻene poto naʻe hao ai ʻae kolo; ka naʻe ʻikai manatuʻi ʻe ha tokotaha ʻae tangata masiva ko ia.
16 And I said that wisdom is better than strength: how then is the wisdom of the poor man slighted, and his words not heard?
Pea naʻaku toki pehē ai, ʻOku lelei hake ʻae poto ʻi he mālohi; ka ʻoku manukiʻi ʻae poto ʻoe tangata masiva, pea ʻoku ʻikai ongoʻi ʻene ngaahi lea.
17 The words of the wise are heard in silence, more than the cry of a prince among fools.
ʻOku ongo lahi mai ʻae fanafana ʻae poto ʻi he kalanga ʻo ia ʻoku pule ʻi he lotolotonga ʻoe vale.
18 Better is wisdom, than weapons of war: and he that shall offend in one, shall lose many good things.
ʻOku lelei hake ʻae poto ʻi he mahafutau: ka ʻoku maumauʻi ʻe he angahala ʻe tokotaha ʻae lelei lahi.
