< Ecclesiastes 5 >

1 Keep thy foot, when thou goest unto the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than dullards to offer sacrifice, —for they make no acknowledgment of doing wrong.
Tauhi ho vaʻe ʻoka ke ka ʻalu ki he fale ʻoe ʻOtua, pea lahi hake hoʻo fiefanongo ʻi hoʻo fai ʻae feilaulau ʻae vale: he ʻoku ʻikai te nau tokanga ki he kovi ʻoku nau fai.
2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and, with thy heart, be not in haste to bring forth a word, before God, —for, God, is in the heavens, and, thou, upon the earth, for this cause, let thy words be few.
‌ʻOua naʻa ke ʻohonoa ʻaki ho ngutu, pea ʻoua naʻa vave ho loto ke fakahā ha meʻa ʻi he ʻao ʻoe ʻOtua: he ʻoku ʻi he langi ʻae ʻOtua, ka ʻoku ke ʻi māmani ko ē: ko ia ke siʻi ai hoʻo lea.
3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business, —and, the voice of a dullard, is with a multitude of words.
He ʻoku tupu ʻae misi mei he femouʻekina ki he ngāue; pea ʻoku ʻilo ʻae leʻo ʻoe vale ʻi he lahi ʻo ʻene lea.
4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, do not defer to pay it, for there is no pleasure in dullards, —what thou vowest, pay!
‌ʻOka ke ka fuakava ki he ʻOtua, ʻoua naʻa ke fakatuai hoʻo fai ki ai; he ʻoku ʻikai te ne leleiʻia ʻi he vale; fai koe ki he meʻa kuo ke fuakava ki ai.
5 Better that thou shouldest not vow, —than vow, and not pay.
‌ʻOku lelei hake ke ʻoua ʻaupito naʻa ke fuakava, ʻi hoʻo fuakava kae ʻikai fai ki ai.
6 Do not let thy mouth cause thy flesh to sin, —neither say thou, before the messenger, that it was, a mistake, —wherefore should God be indignant at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?
‌ʻOua naʻa tuku ke fakahalaʻi koe ʻe ho ngutu; pea ʻoua naʻa ke pehē ʻi he ʻao ʻoe ʻāngelo, ko hoʻo fai hala: ko e hā ʻoku ke fakahouhauʻi ʻae ʻOtua ʻaki ho leʻo, pea te ne fakaʻauha ʻae ngāue ʻa ho nima?
7 For [it was done] amidst a multitude of dreams, and vanities, and many words, —but, towards God, be thou reverent.
He ʻoku lahi ʻae vaʻinga foki ʻi he lahi ʻoe misi mo e lea ʻoku lahi: ka ke manavahē koe ki he ʻOtua.
8 If, the oppression of the poor, and the wresting of justice and righteousness, thou see in the province, do not be astonished over the matter, —for, one high above the highest, is watching, yea, the Most High, is over them.
Kapau ʻoku ke mamata ki he fakamālohiʻi ʻoe masiva, pea mo e mioʻi fakamālohi ʻae fakamaau mo e fai totonu ʻi ha vahefonua, ʻoua naʻa ke ofo ai: he ko ia ʻoku māʻolunga taha ʻi he māʻolunga kotoa pē ʻoku ne ʻafioʻi ia; koeʻuhi ʻoku ai ʻaia ʻoku māʻolunga hake ʻiate kinautolu.
9 And, the profit of the earth, is, for all, —a king, by the field, is served.
Kaeʻumaʻā foki ko e tupu ʻoe kelekele, ko e meʻa maʻa e kakai kotoa pē: naʻa mo e tuʻi ʻoku tauhi ia mei he ngoue.
10 He that loveth silver, shall not be satisfied with silver nor, he that loveth abundance, with revenue, —even this, was vanity.
Ko ia ʻoku manako ki he siliva ʻe ʻikai ke ne fiemālie ʻi he siliva; pe ko ia ʻoku manako ki he koloa ʻi he tupulaki ʻo ʻene meʻa: ko e vaʻinga foki eni.
11 When blessings are increased, increased are the eaters thereof, —what profit, then, to the owner of them saving the sight of his eyes?
Koeʻuhi ʻi he tupulekina ʻae meʻa, ʻoku tupu foki ʻakinautolu ʻoku nau kai ia: pea ko e hā hono lelei kiate kinautolu ʻoku ʻanautolu ia, ka ko ʻenau mamata pe ki ai ʻaki honau mata?
12 Sweet the sleep of the labourer, whether, little or much, he eat, —but, the surfeit of the rich man, will not suffer him to sleep.
‌ʻOku fiemālie ʻae mohe ʻae tangata ngāue, neongo pe ʻoku siʻi pe ʻoku lahi ʻa ʻene kai: ka ko e lahi ʻoe meʻa ʻae koloaʻia, ko ia ʻoku ʻikai ke nau faʻa mohe ai.
13 Here was an incurable evil, I had seen under the sun, riches kept by the owner thereof, to his hurt;
‌ʻOku ai ʻae kovi lahi kuo u mamata ki ai ʻi he lalo laʻā, ʻa eni, ʻae tauhi koloa ke kovi ai ʻakinautolu ʻoku ʻanautolu pe ia.
14 and those riches perish, by being ill employed, —and though he begetteth a son, yet is there in his hand nothing at all.
Ka ʻoku maumau ʻae koloa ko ia ʻi he feinga kovi; pea ʻoku tupu ʻiate ia ʻae foha, ka ʻoku ʻikai ha meʻa ʻi hono nima.
15 As he came from his mother’s womb, naked, he again departeth, as he came, —and, nothing, can he take of his toil, which he can carry in his hand.
‌ʻO hangē ko ʻene haʻu mei he manāva ʻo ʻene faʻē, ʻe pehē ʻa ʻene ʻalu telefua atu ʻo hangē ko ʻene haʻu, pea ʻe ʻikai ha tupu ʻo ʻene ngāue te ne maʻu ke ʻave ʻi hono nima.
16 Even this, moreover, is an incurable evil, altogether as he came, so, shall he depart, —what profit then shall he have who toileth for the wind?
Pea ko e kovi foki eni ʻoku lahi, ʻa ʻene ʻalu ʻo tatau ʻi he meʻa kotoa pē mo ʻene haʻu: pea ko e hā ʻae lelei ʻoku maʻu ʻe ia ʻoku ngāue ki he matangi?
17 Even all his days, [are spent] in darkness and mourning, —and he is very morose, and is sad and angry.
‌ʻOku kai ʻe ia ʻi he fakapoʻuli ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē, pea ʻoku lahi ʻae mamahi mo e tautea ʻoku hoko kiate ia ʻi hono mahaki.
18 Lo! what, I myself, have seen—Better that it should be excellent to eat and to drink and to see blessedness, in all one’s toil wherein one toileth under the sun, for the number of the days of his life, in that God hath given it him, for, that, is his portion:
Vakai ki he meʻa kuo u mamata ki ai: ʻoku lelei mo totonu ki he tangata ke kai mo inu, pea ke fiefia ʻi he lelei kotoa pē ʻo ʻene ngāue, ʻaia ʻoku ne fai ʻi he lalo laʻā, ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē ʻo ʻene moʻui, ʻaia kuo foaki ʻe he ʻOtua kiate ia; he ko hono ʻinasi ia.
19 yet, as regardeth every man, to whom God hath given wealth and goods, and granted him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to find gladness in his toil, this, is, the gift of God.
Pea ko e tangata kotoa pē ʻaia ʻoku foaki ki ai ʻe he ʻOtua ʻae maʻumeʻa mo e koloa lahi, pea mo e mālohi ke ne kai mei ai, pea ke maʻu hono ʻinasi, pea ke fiefia ʻi heʻene ngāue; ko e foaki ia ʻae ʻOtua.
20 Though it be not much, let him remember the days of his life, —for, God, beareth witness, by the gladness of his heart.
Pea ʻe ʻikai te ne tokanga mamahi ia ki he ngaahi ʻaho ʻo ʻene moʻui; koeʻuhi ʻoku tauhi ia ʻe he ʻOtua, pea ko ia ʻoku fiefia ai hono loto.

< Ecclesiastes 5 >