Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Ko nga kupu a te Kaikauwhau, ara a te tama a Rawiri, i kingi nei ki Hiruharama.
2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities! all is vanity.
He tino horihori rawa, e ai ta te Kaikauwhau, he tino horihori rawa; he horihori katoa.
3 What profit hath man of all his labour wherewith he laboureth under the sun?
He aha te pai ki te tangata o tona mauiui katoa e mauiui ai ia i raro i te ra?
4 [One] generation passeth away, and [another] generation cometh, but the earth standeth for ever.
Ko tenei whakatupuranga e haere atu ana, ko tera whakatupuranga e haere mai ana: ko te whenua ia, mau tonu.
5 The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to its place where it ariseth.
E whiti ana hoki te ra, e heke atu ana te ra, hohoro tonu atu ki tona wahi whiti mai ai.
6 The wind goeth towards the south, and turneth about towards the north: it turneth about continually, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.
E anga ana te hau ki te tonga, na ka taka ki te raki; he hanga takataka tonu tana i tona ara, a ka hoki mai ano te hau ki ona takatakanga.
7 All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full: unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again.
E rere ana nga awa katoa ki te moana, heoi kahore e ki te moana: ko te wahi i rere mai ai nga awa, ka hoki atu ano ratou ki reira.
8 All things are full of toil; none can express it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
Mauiui rawa nga mea katoa, e kore e taea e te tangata te korero: e kore te kanohi e ngata i te matakaitaki, e kore te taringa e ki i te whakarongo.
9 That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which will be done: and there is nothing new under the sun.
Ko to mua mea koia ano hei mea aianei; a ko te mea i mahia i mua ka mahia ano aianei; kahore hoki he mea hou i raro i te ra.
10 Is there a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already in the ages which were before us.
Tera ano ranei he mea e ki ai tetahi, Titiro, he mea hou tenei? He mea ia no nga wa o mua, no era i mua atu i a tatou.
11 There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be remembrance of things that are to come with those who shall live afterwards.
Kahore he mahara ki nga whakatupuranga o mua; kahore hoki e maharatia nga whakatupuranga e haere mai a muri nei e te hunga o muri atu.
12 I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Ko ahau, ko te Kaikauwhau, te kingi o Iharaira i Hiruharama.
13 And I applied my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this grievous occupation hath God given to the children of men to weary themselves therewith.
Na ka whakaangahia e ahau toku ngakau ki te whakaaro nui hei rapu, hei kimi i nga mea katoa e mahia ana i raro i te rangi: na te Atua tenei whakararuraru kino i homai ki nga tama a te tangata hei whakararu i a ratou.
14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.
Kua kite ahau i nga mea katoa e mahia ana i raro i te ra. Nana, he horihori katoa, he whai hoki i te hau.
15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
Ko te mea piko e kore e taea te whakahangai: ko te mea koha e kore e taea te tatau.
16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have acquired wisdom more than all they that have been before me over Jerusalem; and my heart hath seen much of wisdom and knowledge.
I korerorero ahau ki toku ngakau, i mea, Nana, kua whiwhi rawa ahau i te whakaaro nui ki runga ake i o te hunga katoa i mua atu i ahau i Hiruharama: ae ra, he maha nga mea kua kitea e toku ngakau o te whakaaro nui, o te matauranga.
17 And I applied my heart to the knowledge of wisdom, and to the knowledge of madness and folly: I perceived that this also is a striving after the wind.
Na ka whakaangahia e ahau toku ngakau kia mohio ki te whakaaro nui, kia mohio ki te haurangi, ki te wairangi: a kua kite ahau he whai ano hoki tenei i te hau.
18 For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
Ma te nui hoki o te whakaaro ka nui ai te pouri: a ko te tangata e whakaneke ake ana i te matauranga e whakaneke ake ana i te mamae.
