1¶ Ko te ingoa pai, pai atu i te hinu utu nui; ko te ra o te matenga, pai atu i te ra o to te tangata whanautanga.
1A [good] name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
2Ko te haere ki te whare tangihanga, pai atu i te haere ki te whare hakari; ko te mutunga hoki ia o nga tangata katoa; a ka rongoatia e te tangata ora ki roto ki tona ngakau.
2It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: in that that is the end of all men, and the living taketh it to heart.
3Ko te ngakau mamae, pai atu i te kata; ma te pouri hoki o te mata ka pai ai te ngakau.
3Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
4Kei te whare tangihanga te ngakau o te hunga whakaaro nui; kei te whare ia o te kata te ngakau o nga wairangi.
4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools in the house of mirth.
5Ko te whakarongo, ina riria te he e te tangata whakaaro nui, pai atu i ta te tangata whakarongo ki te waiata a nga wairangi.
5It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise, than to hear the song of fools.
6Rite tonu hoki ki te papatanga o nga tataramoa i raro i te kohua te kata a te wairangi. He horihori ano tenei.
6For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
7¶ He pono ma te pahua ka wairangi ai te tangata whakaaro nui, ma te mea homai noa hoki ka kore ai te ngakau mahara.
7Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad, and a gift destroyeth the heart.
8Ko te mutunga o te mea, pai atu i tona timatanga: pai atu te wairua manawanui i te wairua whakakake.
8Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; better is a patient spirit than a proud spirit.
9Kei hohoro tou wairua ki te riri: kei te uma hoki o nga wairangi te riri e noho ana.
9Be not hasty in thy spirit to be vexed; for vexation resteth in the bosom of fools.
10Kaua e mea, He aha nga rangi o mua i pai ake ai i enei? Kahore hoki he whakaaro nui ou i ui ai koe ki tena.
10Say not, How is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.
11¶ He pai tonu te whakaaro nui, ano he taonga tuku iho: ae ra, he pai rawa ake ki te hunga e kite ana i te ra.
11Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, and profitable to them that see the sun.
12Hei whakamarumaru iho te whakaaro nui, hei pera hoki i te moni te whakamarumaru: ko te pai ia o te matauranga koia tenei, ka ora i te whakaaro nui nga tangata nana.
12For wisdom is a defence [as] money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, [that] wisdom maketh them that possess it to live.
13Whakaaroa ta te Atua mahi: ko wai hoki hei mea kia tika tana i mea ai kia hape?
13Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked?
14I te ra pai kia koa, a i te ra kino whakaaro: kua mahia nei hoki e te Atua tetahi kia takoto tahi me tetahi, he mea kia kaua ai e kitea e te tangata tetahi mea i muri i a ia.
14In the day of prosperity enjoy good, and in the day of adversity consider: God hath also set the one beside the other, to the end that man should find out nothing [of what shall be] after him.
15Kua kite ahau i tenei katoa i nga ra oku i te horihori; he tangata tika tetahi, ngaro iho ia i runga i tona tika; he tangata kino tetahi, roa noa iho ia i te ao i runga i tona kino.
15All [this] have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous [man] that perisheth by his righteousness, and there is a wicked [man] that prolongeth [his days] by his wickedness.
16Kaua e whakanuia rawatia tou tika; kaua hoki e whakanuia rawatia ou whakaaro: he aha koe i whakangaro ai i a koe?
16Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
17Kaua e whakanuia rawatia tou kino, kaua ano hoki e wairangi: kia mate koe hei aha, i te mea kahore ano tou wa kia rite noa?
17Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
18He pai ki te puritia tenei kupu e koe; kaua hoki tou ringa e unuhia mai i tera; ko te tangata hoki e wehi ana i te Atua ka puta mai i roto i era katoa.
18It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God cometh forth from them all.
19Ko te whakaaro nui rahi ake tona kaha mo te tangata whakaaro i to nga rangatira kotahi tekau i roto i te pa.
19Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty [men] that are in a city.
20Kahore hoki he tangata tika i te whenua e mahi ana i te pai, a kahore ona hara.
20Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.
21Kaua ano e whakarongo ki nga mea katoa e korerotia ana; kei rongo koe ki tau pononga e kanga ana i a koe;
21Also give not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.
22He maha hoki nga wa, e mohio ana tou ngakau, i kanga ai koe ano i etahi.
22For also thine own heart knoweth that oftentimes thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
23¶ I whakamatauria e ahau tenei katoa, he mea whakaaro marie; i mea ahau, ka whakaaro nui ahau; otiia i matara noa atu tenei i ahau.
23All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
24Ko te mea onaianei he tawhiti rawa, he hohonu rawa hoki; ko wai hei kite?
24Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will find it out?
25I anga toku ngakau, i mea kia mohio, kia kimihia, kia rapua nga whakaaro nui me nga tikanga, kia mohio ano hoki he wairangi te kino, he porangi te wairangi:
25I turned, I and my heart, to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and reason, and to know wickedness to be folly, and foolishness to be madness;
26A ka kite ahau i te mea kawa atu i te mate, ara i te wahine, he rore nei, he kupenga tona ngakau, he rahiri hoki ona ringa: ko te tangata e paingia ana e te Atua ka mawhiti i a ia; ko te tangata hara ia ka mau i a ia.
26and I found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is nets and snares, [and] whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.
27Nana, kua kitea tenei e ahau, e ai ta te Kaikauwhau, he mea whakarite tetahi mea ki tetahi, kia kitea ai te tikanga:
27See this which I have found, saith the Preacher, [searching] one by one to find out the reason;
28He mea e rapua nei ano e toku wairua, a kahore ano i kitea: kotahi te tangata i kitea e ahau i roto i te mano; na i roto i enei katoa kahore ahau i kite i tetahi wahine.
28which my soul yet seeketh, and I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found, but a woman among all those have I not found.
29Nana, ko tenei anake i kitea e ahau, ara i tika te tangata i ta te Atua hanganga; engari he maha nga tikanga i rapua e ratou.
29Only see this which I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.