Ecclesiastes 1
1 Words of a preacher, 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, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities: the whole [is] vanity.
He tino horihori rawa, e ai ta te Kaikauwhau, he tino horihori rawa; he horihori katoa.
3 What advantage [is] to man by all his labor that he labors at under the sun?
He aha te pai ki te tangata o tona mauiui katoa e mauiui ai ia i raro i te ra?
4 A generation is going, and a generation is coming, and the earth is standing for all time.
Ko tenei whakatupuranga e haere atu ana, ko tera whakatupuranga e haere mai ana: ko te whenua ia, mau tonu.
5 Also, the sun has risen, and the sun has gone in, and to its place panting it is rising there.
E whiti ana hoki te ra, e heke atu ana te ra, hohoro tonu atu ki tona wahi whiti mai ai.
6 Going to the south, and turning around to the north, turning around, turning around, the wind is going, and by its circuits the wind has returned.
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 streams are going to the sea, and the sea is not full; to a place to where the streams are going, there they are turning back to go.
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 these things are wearying; a man is not able to speak, the eye is not satisfied by seeing, nor is the ear filled from 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 What [is] that which has been? It [is] that which is, and what [is] that which has been done? It [is] that which is done, and there is not an entirely new thing 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 There is a thing of which [one] says: “See this, it [is] new!” Already it has been in the ages that 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 not a remembrance of former [generations]; and also of the latter that are, there is no remembrance of them with those that are at the last.
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, a preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Ko ahau, ko te Kaikauwhau, te kingi o Iharaira i Hiruharama.
13 And I have given my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that has been done under the heavens. It [is] a sad travail God has given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.
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 have been done under the sun, and behold, the whole [is] vanity and distress of spirit!
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 A crooked thing [one] is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to be numbered.
Ko te mea piko e kore e taea te whakahangai: ko te mea koha e kore e taea te tatau.
16 I spoke with my heart, saying, “I, behold, have magnified and added wisdom above everyone who has been before me at Jerusalem, and my heart has seen wisdom and knowledge abundantly.
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 give my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I have known that even this [is] distress of spirit;
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 abundance of wisdom [is] abundance of sadness, and he who adds knowledge adds pain.”
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.
