Ecclesiastes 4:1-16
4 Then mi tingting raonem evri nogud samting wea pipol duim for spoelem narawan wea gohed anda lo sun. Mi lukim tias blo olketa wea safa, and no eniwan for comfortim olketa. And pipol wea spoelem olketa hia garem paoa, and no eniwan for comfortim olketa.
2 And mi luksavve dat olketa wea dae finis olketa gud winim olketa wea laef yet.
3 And man wea gud winim tufala hia hem man wea no born yet, wea no lukim olketa barava nogud samting wea pipol gohed duim anda lo sun.
4 And mi lukim dat pipol barava waka hard and garem skill lo waka blo olketa bikos olketa laek compete witim olketa narawan. Diswan tu hem iusles nomoa, hem olsem man aftarem wind.
5 Stupid man hem foldim hand blo hem and lo semtaem body blo hem gohed katdaon.*
6 Hem beta for rest lelebet winim for barava waka hard bikos diswan hem olsem man aftarem wind.
7 Mi tingting raonem example blo nara iusles samting anda lo sun:
8 Wanfala man stap seleva nomoa, hem no garem eni fren, hem no garem eni son or eni brata, bat hem gohed waka hard nomoa. Eye blo hem nating satisfae witim riches. Bat hao, enitaem hem ting olsem, ‘Hu nao mi waka hard for hem and why nao mi stopem miseleva* from olketa gud samting’? Diswan tu hem iusles nomoa and hem waka wea mekem man sorre.
9 Tufala hem beta winim wanfala bikos tufala savve kasem gud reward* for hard waka blo tufala.
10 Bikos sapos wanfala lo tufala foldaon, narawan savve helpem partner blo hem for getap. Bat wat nao bae happen lo datwan wea foldaon sapos no eniwan for helpem hem getap?
11 And tu, if tufala leidaon tugeta, bae tufala feel warm, bat hao nao bae wanfala seleva hem feel warm?
12 And samwan maet winim wanfala lo faet, bat tufala tugeta savve winim hem. And thrifala rope wea join tugeta hem no isi for brek.
13 Pikinini wea poor bat wise hem beta winim wanfala king wea olo bat stupid wea no laek for followim advaes moa.
14 Bikos hem* go aot from prison for kamap king, nomata hem poor taem hem born anda lo rul blo datfala king wea olo.
15 Mi ting abaotem evriwan wea laef wea wakabaot anda lo sun, and tu datfala young king wea changem narawan.
16 Nomata staka pipol nao sapotim hem, olketa wea kam bihaen bae no hapi lo hem. Diswan tu hem iusles nomoa, hem olsem man hem aftarem wind.
Olketa footnote
^ Heb., “hem kaikaim flesh blo hemseleva.”
^ Or, “soul blo mi.”
^ Or, “staka gud samting.”
^ Maet diswan hem datfala wise pikinini.
