¹¶ Ki te tino kaiwhakatangi. He himene ma nga tama a Koraha. Whakarongo ki tenei, e nga iwi katoa: tahuri mai o koutou taringa, e nga tangata katoa o te ao.

¹Hear this, all you peoples. Listen, all you inhabitants of the world,

²E nga tangata iti, koutou ko nga tangata rahi, e te tangata taonga korua ko te rawakore.

²both low and high, rich and poor together.

³Ka whakapuakina he matauranga e toku mangai: a he ata ngarahu te whakaaro o toku ngakau.

³My mouth will speak words of wisdom. My heart shall utter understanding.

⁴Ka titaha toku taringa ki te kupu whakarite; ka puaki taku pepeha i runga i te hapa.

⁴I will incline my ear to a proverb. I will open my riddle on the harp.

⁵Kia wehi ahau ki te aha i nga ra o te kino, ina karapotia ahau e te kino kei oku rekereke?

⁵Why should I fear in the days of evil, when iniquity at my heels surrounds me?

⁶¶ Ko te hunga e whakawhirinaki ana ki o ratou taonga, e whakamanamana ana ki te nui o o ratou rawa;

⁶Those who trust in their wealth, and boast in the multitude of their riches—

⁷E kore tetahi o ratou e ahei te hoko i tona teina, te hoatu ranei i tetahi utu mona ki te Atua;

⁷none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give God a ransom for him.

⁸He nui hoki te utu mo to ratou wairua, a me whakarere atu ake ake;

⁸For the redemption of their life is costly, no payment is ever enough,

⁹Kia ora tonu ai ia ake ake: kia kaua e kite i te pirau.

⁹That he should live on forever, that he should not see corruption.

¹⁰E kite ana hoki ia e matemate ana nga tangata whakaaro nui, e ngaro ngatahi ana te poauau me te whakaarokore, a mahue iho o ratou taonga ki etahi atu.

¹⁰For he sees that wise men die; likewise the fool and the senseless perish, and leave their wealth to others.

¹¹Ki to ratou whakaaro puku, tera e pumau tonu o ratou whare me o ratou nohoanga, ki nga whakatupuranga katoa: huaina iho o ratou whenua ki o ratou ingoa.

¹¹Their inward thought is that their houses will endure forever, and their dwelling places to all generations. They name their lands after themselves.

¹²Heoi kahore te tangata e noho tonu i roto i te honore: ko tona rite kei nga kararehe ka moti nei.

¹²But man, despite his riches, doesn’t endure. He is like the animals that perish.

¹³Ko to ratou ara tenei, ara ko to ratou poauau: heoi e whakapai ana to ratou uri ki a ratou korero. (Hera.

¹³This is the destiny of those who are foolish, and of those who approve their sayings. Selah.

¹⁴Kei te hipi te rite: ko te wahi mo ratou ko te reinga; ko te mate hei hepara mo ratou, hei rangatira ano te hunga tika mo ratou i te ata; ko to ratou ataahua ma te reinga e whakamoti, kia kore ai he whare mona.

¹⁴They are appointed as a flock for Sheol Sheol is the place of the dead. . Death shall be their shepherd. The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning. Their beauty shall decay in Sheol Sheol is the place of the dead. , far from their mansion.

¹⁵¶ Ma te Atua ia toku wairua e hoko mai i te reinga: ko ia hoki hei tukunga atu moku. (Hera.

¹⁵But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol Sheol is the place of the dead. , for he will receive me. Selah.

¹⁶Kaua e wehi ua whai taonga te tangata, ina nui haere te kororia o tona whare;

¹⁶Don’t be afraid when a man is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased.

¹⁷Kahore hoki ana mea e mau atu ai ia ina mate; e kore tona kororia e tuku iho i muri i a ia.

¹⁷For when he dies he shall carry nothing away. His glory shall not descend after him.

¹⁸Whakapai noa ia i tona wairua i a ia e ora ana; a ka whakamoemititia koe ua pai au mahi ki a koe ano.

¹⁸Though while he lived he blessed his soul— and men praise you when you do well for yourself—

¹⁹Ka haere ia ki te whakatupuranga o ona tupuna: e kore rawa ratou e kite i te marama.

¹⁹he shall go to the generation of his fathers. They shall never see the light.

²⁰Ko te tangata e whakahonoretia ana, a kahore e whai whakaaro, kei nga kararehe ka moti nei tona rite.

²⁰A man who has riches without understanding, is like the animals that perish.