Ecclesiastes 3
1 To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:
He taima ano kua takoto mo nga mea katoa, me te wa mo nga meatanga katoa i raro i te rangi:
2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
He wa e whanau ai, he wa e mate ai; he wa e whakato ai, he wa e hutia ai te mea i whakatokia;
3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build,
He wa e patu ai, he wa e rongoa ai; he wa e wawahi iho ai, he wa e hanga ake ai;
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
He wa e tangi ai, he wa e kata ai; he wa e aue ai, he wa e kanikani ai;
5 a time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
He wa e akiritia atu ai nga kohatu, he wa e kohikohia ai nga kohatu; he wa e awhi ai, he wa e kore ai e awhi;
6 a time to search and a time to count as lost, a time to keep and a time to discard,
He wa e rapu ai, he wa e ngaro ai; he wa e tiaki ai; he wa e akiri atu ai;
7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
He wa e haehae ai, he wa e tuitui ai; he wa e whakarongo puku ai, he wa e korero ai;
8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
He wa e aroha ai, he wa e mauahara ai; he wa e whawhai ai, he wa e mau ai te rongo.
9 What does the worker gain from his toil?
He aha te pai ki te kaimahi i tana mea i mauiui ai ia?
10 I have seen the burden that God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them.
Kua kite ahau i te raruraru e homai ana e te Atua ki nga tama a te tangata hei whakararu i a ratou.
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom the work that God has done from beginning to end.
I hanga e ia nga mea katoa kia ataahua i tona wa ano: a i whakanohoia e ia te ao ki o ratou ngakau, engari kia kaua te tangata e kite i ta te Atua mahi i mahi ai, mai i te timatanga a taea noatia te mutunga.
12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and do good while they live,
E mohio ana ahau kahore he mea pai atu mo ratou i te ngakau hari, i te mahi i te pai i a ratou e ora ana.
13 and also that every man should eat and drink and find satisfaction in all his labor—this is the gift of God.
A he mea hoki na te Atua kia kai nga tangata katoa, kia inu, kia kite ano hoki i te pai o to ratou mauiui katoa.
14 I know that everything God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God does it so that they should fear Him.
E mohio ana ahau ko nga mea katoa e hanga ana e te Atua, ka mau tonu a ake ake: e kore tetahi mea e honoa mai, e kore ano hoki tetahi wahi e tangohia atu: i meatia hoki e te Atua kia wehi ai nga tangata i tona aroaro.
15 What exists has already been, and what will be has already been, for God will call to account what has passed.
Ko to mua mea koia ano tenei inaianei; na, ko te mea e puta mai a mua kua puta noa ake; e rapua ana ano e te Atua te mea onamata.
16 Furthermore, I saw under the sun that in the place of judgment there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.
Na i kitea ano e ahau i raro i te ra, ko te wahi o te whakawa i reira ia te kino; a ko te wahi o te tika ko te kino i reira.
17 I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every deed.”
Ka mea ahau i roto i toku ngakau, Tera e whakawakia e te Atua te tangata tika raua ko te tangata kino: no te mea kua takoto te wa i reira mo nga meatanga katoa, mo nga mahi katoa.
18 I said to myself, “As for the sons of men, God tests them so that they may see for themselves that they are but beasts.”
I mea ahau i roto i toku ngakau, Na te mea mo nga tama a te tangata, he mea na te Atua hei whakaatu i a ratou, kia kite ai ratou he pera noa iho ratou i te kararehe.
19 For the fates of both men and beasts are the same: As one dies, so dies the other—they all have the same breath. Man has no advantage over the animals, since everything is futile.
Ko te mea hoki e pa ana ki nga tama a te tangata, e pa ana ki nga kararehe; kotahi tonu te mea e pa ana ki a ratou; ko te matenga o tetahi rite tonu ki te matenga o tetahi; ae ra, kotahi tonu ano manawa o ratou katoa; kihai hoki te tangata i hip a ake i te kararehe; he horihori hoki te katoa.
20 All go to one place; all come from dust, and all return to dust.
E haere ana te katoa ki te wahi kotahi; no te puehu nei te katoa, ka hoki ano te katoa ki te puehu.
21 Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and the spirit of the animal descends into the earth?
Ko wai e matau ana ki te wairua o te tangata, e haere ana ranei ki runga, ki te wairua ranei o te kararehe, mehemea ranei e heke iho ana ki raro ki te whenua?
22 I have seen that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will come after him?
Na ka kite ahau kahore he pai nui atu i tenei, ara kia koa te tangata ki ana mahi; ko te wahi hoki tera mana: ma wai ia e whakahoki mai, e mea kia kite i nga mea e puta mai i muri i a ia?
