Ecclesiastes 2
JPS Tanakh (Jewish Publication Society, 1917)
Tongan Bible, Revised West Version
1I said in my heart: 'Come now, I will try thee with mirth, and enjoy pleasure'; and, behold, this also was vanity.
1Naʻa ku pehē ki hoku loto, “Vakai eni, teu ʻahiʻahiʻi koe ki he fiengutuhua, ko ia ke ke fiefia koe ʻi he fakavā;” pea vakai, ko e vaʻinga foki eni.
2I said of laughter: 'It is mad'; and of mirth: 'What doth it accomplish?'
2Naʻaku pehē ki he kata, “Ko e faha ia”: pea ki he fiengutuhua, “ʻOku ʻaonga ia ki he hā?”
3I searched in my heart how to pamper my flesh with wine, and, my heart conducting itself with wisdom, how yet to lay hold on folly, till I might see which it was best for the sons of men that they should do under the heaven the few days of their life.
3Naʻaku fai ʻi hoku loto ke u faʻa inu uaine, kae kumi foki hoku loto ki he poto; pea ke puke atu ki he vale, koeʻuhi ke u ʻilo pe ko e hā ʻoku lelei ke fai ʻe he fānau ʻae tangata ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē ʻo ʻenau moʻui ʻi he lalo langi.
4I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;
4Naʻaku fai ʻae ngaahi ngāue lahi; naʻaku langa hoku ngaahi fale; pea naʻaku tō ʻeku ngaahi ngoue vaine:
5I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit;
5Naʻaku tō ʻeku ngaahi ngoue mo e ngaahi ʻakau ʻoku fua, pea naʻaku tō ʻi ai ʻae faʻahinga ʻakau fua kehekehe kotoa pē.
6I made me pools of water, to water therefrom the wood springing up with trees;
6Naʻaku ngaohi ʻae ngaahi anovai, ke fakatafe ki he potu ʻoku tupu ʻi ai ʻae ngaahi ʻakau:
7I acquired men-servants and maid-servants, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that were before me in Jerusalem;
7Naʻaku maʻu ʻae kau tamaioʻeiki mo e kau kaunanga, pea naʻe fanauʻi ʻae kau tamaioʻeiki ʻi hoku fale; pea naʻaku maʻu foki ʻo lahi ʻae fanga manu iiki, mo ia ʻoku lalahi, pea naʻe lahi hake ʻa ʻeku maʻumeʻa ʻiate kinautolu kotoa pē naʻe ʻi muʻa ʻiate au ʻi Selūsalema.
8I gathered me also silver and gold, and treasure such as kings and the provinces have as their own; I got me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, women very many.
8Pea naʻaku tānaki foki kiate au ʻae siliva mo e koula, pea mo e koloa mahuʻinga lahi ʻoe ngaahi tuʻi mo e potu fonua kehekehe: pea u maʻu ʻae kau tangata faiva mo e kau fefine faiva, mo e meʻa fakafiefia kotoa pē ʻoe fānau ʻae tangata, mo e ngaahi meʻa faiva ʻi honau faʻahinga kehekehe.
9So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom stood me in stead.
9Ko ia naʻaku hoko ko e lahi au, pea u tupu ʻo lahi hake ʻiate kinautolu kotoa pē naʻe ʻi muʻa ʻiate au ʻi Selūsalema: pea naʻe maʻu pe foki ʻa ʻeku poto ʻiate au.
10And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart had joy of all my labour; and this was my portion from all my labour.
10Pea ko e meʻa kotoa pē naʻe manako ki ai hoku mata naʻe ʻikai te u taʻofi ia mei ai, naʻe ʻikai te u taʻofi hoku loto mei ha fiefia; he naʻe fiefia hoku loto ʻi heʻeku ngāue kotoa pē: pea ko hoku ʻinasi ia ʻi heʻeku ngāue kotoa pē.
11Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do; and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
11Pea naʻaku toki mamata ki he ngāue kotoa pē kuo fai ʻe hoku nima, mo e ngāue naʻaku ongosia ʻi hono fai: pea vakai, ko e vaʻinga ia kotoa pē mo e fakamamahi ki he laumālie, pea ʻoku ʻikai hano ʻaonga ʻi he lalo laʻā.
12And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness and folly; for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.
12¶ Pea naʻaku tafoki au ke mamata ki he poto, mo e hē, mo e vale: he ko e hā ha meʻa ʻe faʻa fai ʻe he tangata ʻoku muimui ki he tuʻi? ʻAia pe kuo ʻosi hono fai.
13Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
13“Pea naʻaku toki mamata ʻoku lelei lahi hake ʻae poto ʻi he vale, ʻo hangē ko e lelei hake ʻoe maama ki he poʻuli.
14The wise man, his eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness. And I also perceived that one event happeneth to them all.
14Ko e mata ʻoe poto ʻoku ʻi hono ʻulu ka ʻoku ʻeveʻeva ʻae vale ʻi he poʻuli:” pea naʻaku mamata ʻeau ko e meʻa pe taha ʻoku hoko kiate kinautolu kotoa pē.
15Then said I in my heart: 'As it happeneth to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?' Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.
15Pea naʻaku toki pehē ai ʻi hoku loto, “Hangē ko ia ʻoku hoko ki he vale, ko ia foki ʻoku hoko kiate au; pea ko e hā ia kuo u poto lahi hake ai?” Pea naʻaku toki pehē ʻi hoku loto, “Tā ko e vaʻinga foki eni.”
16For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will long ago have been forgotten. And how must the wise man die even as the fool!
16He ʻoku ʻikai lahi hake ʻae fakamanatu ki he poto ʻi he manatu ki he vale ʻo taʻengata: koeʻuhi ko e meʻa ʻoku ai ni ʻe ngalo ia ʻi he ʻaho kimui. Pea ʻoku fēfē ʻae mate ʻae poto? ʻOku hangē pe ia ko e vale.
17So I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind.
17Ko ia naʻaku fehiʻa ki he moʻui; koeʻuhi ko e ngāue ʻoku fai ʻi he lalo laʻā ʻoku fakamamahi kiate au: he ko e vaʻinga ʻae meʻa kotoa pē mo e fakamamahi ki he laumālie.
18And I hated all my labour wherein I laboured under the sun, seeing that I must leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
18¶ ʻIo, naʻaku fehiʻa ki heʻeku ngāue kotoa pē naʻaku ongosia ai ʻi he lalo laʻā: koeʻuhi te u tuku pe ia ki he tangata ʻoku muimui ʻiate au.
19And who knoweth whether he will be a wise man or a fool? yet will he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
19Pea ko hai ʻoku ne ʻilo pe ko ha poto ia pe ko ha vale? Ka ʻe pule ʻe ia ki he ngāue kotoa pē kuo u ngāue ai mo fakahā ʻaki ʻa ʻeku poto ʻi he lalo laʻā. Ko e vaʻinga foki eni.
20Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour wherein I had laboured under the sun.
20Ko ia naʻaku ʻalu fano ai ke fakataʻeʻamanaki hoku loto ki heʻeku ngāue kotoa pē naʻaku fai ʻi he lalo laʻā.
21For there is a man whose labour is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skill; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
21He ʻoku ai ʻae tangata ʻoku fai ʻene ngāue ʻi he poto, mo e ʻilo, pea mo e totonu; ka te ne tuku pe ia ko e ʻinasi ʻo ha tangata ʻoku ʻikai ngāue ki ai. Ko e vaʻinga foki eni, pea ko e kovi lahi.
22For what hath a man of all his labour, and of the striving of his heart, wherein he laboureth under the sun?
22He ʻoku maʻu ʻae hā ʻe he tangata mei heʻene ngāue, mo e mamahi ʻa hono loto, ʻaia kuo ne ongosia ai ʻi he lalo laʻā?
23For all his days are pains, and his occupation vexation; yea, even in the night his heart taketh not rest. This also is vanity.
23He ko hono ngaahi ʻaho kotoa pē ko e mamahi ia, pea ko ʻene feinga ko e fakamāfasia; ʻio, naʻa mo e pō ʻoku ʻikai fakafiemālie hono loto. Ko e vaʻinga foki eni.
24There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy pleasure for his labour. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.
24¶ ʻOku ʻikai ha meʻa ʻoku lelei hake ki he tangata ka ko ʻene kai mo inu, pea ke fakafiefiaʻi hono loto ʻi he lelei ʻo ʻene ngāue. Naʻaku mamata foki ki he meʻa ni, kuo foaki mai ia mei he nima ʻoe ʻOtua.
25For who will eat, or who will enjoy, if not I?
25He ko hai ʻoku faʻa kai, pea ko hai ʻoku fakatoʻotoʻo lahi hake ki ai ʻiate au?
26For to the man that is good in His sight He giveth wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner He giveth the task, to gather and to heap up, that he may leave to him that is good in the sight of God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
26He ʻoku foaki ʻe he ʻOtua ki he tangata ʻaia ʻoku lelei ʻi hono ʻao, ko e poto, mo e ʻilo, mo e fiefia: ka ʻoku ne foaki ki he angahala ʻae feinga ke tānaki mo fokotuʻu, ka ne foaki ia kiate ia ʻoku lelei ʻi he ʻao ʻoe ʻOtua. Ko e vaʻinga foki eni mo e fakamamahi ki he laumālie.
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