Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good reputation is better than expensive perfume, and the day you die is better than the day you were born.
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.
2 It's better to go to a funeral than to a party. In the end, everyone dies, and those who are still alive should think about it.
Ko 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.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter, for tragedy helps us by making us think.
Ko te ngakau mamae, pai atu i te kata; ma te pouri hoki o te mata ka pai ai te ngakau.
4 Wise people think about the impact of death, while those who are fools only think about having a good time.
Kei te whare tangihanga te ngakau o te hunga whakaaro nui; kei te whare ia o te kata te ngakau o nga wairangi.
5 It's better to listen to criticism from a wise person than to hear the song of fools.
Ko te whakarongo, ina riria te he e te tangata whakaaro nui, pai atu i ta te tangata whakarongo ki te waiata a nga wairangi.
6 The laughter of fools is like the crackling of thorn twigs burning under a pot—without sense and quickly over.
Rite tonu hoki ki te papatanga o nga tataramoa i raro i te kohua te kata a te wairangi. He horihori ano tenei.
7 Extorting money from others makes wise people into fools, and accepting bribes corrupts the mind.
He pono ma te pahua ka wairangi ai te tangata whakaaro nui, ma te mea homai noa hoki ka kore ai te ngakau mahara.
8 Completing something is better than starting it. Being patient is better than being proud.
Ko te mutunga o te mea, pai atu i tona timatanga: pai atu te wairua manawanui i te wairua whakakake.
9 Don't be quick to get angry, for anger controls the minds of fools.
Kei hohoro tou wairua ki te riri: kei te uma hoki o nga wairangi te riri e noho ana.
10 Don't ask, “Why were the good old days better than now?” Asking such questions shows you are not wise.
Kaua 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.
11 Wisdom is good—it's like receiving an inheritance. It benefits everyone in life.
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.
12 For wisdom provides security, as does money, but the advantage for those who have wisdom is that they are kept safe and sound!
Hei 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.
13 Think about what God does. If he makes something bent, you can't straighten it!
Whakaaroa ta te Atua mahi: ko wai hoki hei mea kia tika tana i mea ai kia hape?
14 On a good day, be happy. When a bad day comes, stop and think. God made each day, so you don't know what will happen to you next.
I 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.
15 Throughout my life I've seen so much that is hard to understand. Good people who die young despite doing what is right, and wicked people who live long evil lives.
Kua 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.
16 Don't think you can make yourself right by a lot of religious observance, and don't pretend to be so wise. Do you want to destroy yourself?
Kaua e whakanuia rawatia tou tika; kaua hoki e whakanuia rawatia ou whakaaro: he aha koe i whakangaro ai i a koe?
17 On the other hand, don't decide to live an evil life—don't be a fool! Why die before your time?
Kaua 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?
18 You ought to keep in mind these warnings. Those who follow God will be sure to avoid both.
He 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.
19 Wisdom gives a wise person greater power than ten town councilors.
Ko te whakaaro nui rahi ake tona kaha mo te tangata whakaaro i to nga rangatira kotahi tekau i roto i te pa.
20 There's not one good person in all the world who always does what is right and never sins.
Kahore hoki he tangata tika i te whenua e mahi ana i te pai, a kahore ona hara.
21 Don't take to heart everything that people say, otherwise you may hear your servant talking badly about you,
Kaua ano e whakarongo ki nga mea katoa e korerotia ana; kei rongo koe ki tau pononga e kanga ana i a koe;
22 for you know how many times you yourself have talked badly about others!
He maha hoki nga wa, e mohio ana tou ngakau, i kanga ai koe ano i etahi.
23 I have examined all this using the principles of wisdom. I told myself, “I will think wisely.” But wisdom eluded me.
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.
24 Everything that exists is beyond our grasp—too deep for our understanding. Who can comprehend it?
Ko te mea onaianei he tawhiti rawa, he hohonu rawa hoki; ko wai hei kite?
25 I turned my thoughts to discover, investigate, and to find out more about wisdom and what makes sense. I wanted to know more about how stupid evil really is, and how ridiculous it is to be a fool.
I 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:
26 I discovered something more horrible than death: foolishness like a woman who tries to entrap you, who wants to use her mind and hands to catch you and tie you up. Those who follow God will not be caught, but sinners will fall into her trap.
A 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.
27 This is what I discovered after putting two and two together to try and find out what it all meant, says the Teacher.
Nana, kua kitea tenei e ahau, e ai ta te Kaikauwhau, he mea whakarite tetahi mea ki tetahi, kia kitea ai te tikanga:
28 Although I really searched, I didn't find what I was looking for. People say, “I found one man among a thousand, but not one woman.”
He 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.
29 But I did find this one thing: God made people to do what's right, but they have followed their own ideas.
Nana, 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.
