Ecclesiastes 7
1 Better a name, than precious ointment, —and the day of death, than the day of one’s birth.
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 Better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of banqueting, for, that, is the end of all men, —and, the living, should take it to his heart.
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 Better is grief than laughter, —for, by the marring of the face, amended is the heart.
Ko te ngakau mamae, pai atu i te kata; ma te pouri hoki o te mata ka pai ai te ngakau.
4 The heart of the wise, is in the house of mourning, but, the heart of dullards, in the house of mirth.
Kei te whare tangihanga te ngakau o te hunga whakaaro nui; kei te whare ia o te kata te ngakau o nga wairangi.
5 Better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for any man to hear the song of dullards,
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 For, as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so, is the laughter of the dullard, —even this, then, was vanity.
Rite tonu hoki ki te papatanga o nga tataramoa i raro i te kohua te kata a te wairangi. He horihori ano tenei.
7 For, oppression, maddeneth the wise, —and a bribe, destroyeth the understanding.
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 Better the latter end of a thing, than the beginning thereof, —Better a patient spirit, than a haughty spirit.
Ko te mutunga o te mea, pai atu i tona timatanga: pai atu te wairua manawanui i te wairua whakakake.
9 Do not be rash in thy spirit, to be indignant, —for, indignation, in the bosom of dullards, doth remain.
Kei hohoro tou wairua ki te riri: kei te uma hoki o nga wairangi te riri e noho ana.
10 Do not say, What hath happened, that, the former days, were better than these? for, not wisely, askest thou concerning this.
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 Good is wisdom, with an inheritance, —and a profit, to such as see the sun.
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, a protection, is wisdom, and, a protection, is silver, —but, the advantage of knowledge, is, that, wisdom, giveth life to the possessors thereof.
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 Consider the work of God, —for who can straighten what he hath bent?
Whakaaroa ta te Atua mahi: ko wai hoki hei mea kia tika tana i mea ai kia hape?
14 In the day of prosperity, be joyful, but, in the day of misfortune, consider, —Even the one equally with the other, hath God made, to the end man might find out—after him—nothing.
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 Everything, had I seen, in my days of vanity, —Here was a righteous man, perishing in his righteousness, and there was a lawless man, continuing long in his wickedness.
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 Do not become so very righteous, neither count thyself wise beyond measure, —wherefore shouldst thou destroy thyself?
Kaua e whakanuia rawatia tou tika; kaua hoki e whakanuia rawatia ou whakaaro: he aha koe i whakangaro ai i a koe?
17 Do not be so very lawless, neither become thou foolish, —wherefore shouldst thou die, before thy 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 It is well that thou shouldst lay fast hold of this, but, even from the other, do not withdraw thy hand, —for, he that revereth God, shall come forth out of them all.
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, bringeth more strength to a wise man, than ten heroes, that are in the city.
Ko te whakaaro nui rahi ake tona kaha mo te tangata whakaaro i to nga rangatira kotahi tekau i roto i te pa.
20 For, as for men, there is none righteous in the earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
Kahore hoki he tangata tika i te whenua e mahi ana i te pai, a kahore ona hara.
21 Moreover, not to all the words which men speak, do thou apply thy heart, —lest thou hear thine own servant reviling thee!
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 truly, many times, thy heart knoweth, —that, even thou thyself, hast reviled others.
He maha hoki nga wa, e mohio ana tou ngakau, i kanga ai koe ano i etahi.
23 All this, have I proved by wisdom, —I said, I will be wise, but, that, was far from 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 Far away, is that which hath been, —and deep, deep, who can find it out?
Ko te mea onaianei he tawhiti rawa, he hohonu rawa hoki; ko wai hei kite?
25 Resolved, I, in my heart, to know and search out, and to seek wisdom, and a conclusion, —and to know lawlessness [to be] stupidity, and folly to be madness.
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, could indeed find, to be, more bitter than death, the woman, whose heart is, snares and nets, and her hands, bonds, —whoso is pleasing before God, shall escape from her, but, he that sinneth, shall be captured by her.
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 See! this, have I found, saith the Proclaimer [counting] one by one, to find a conclusion;
Nana, kua kitea tenei e ahau, e ai ta te Kaikauwhau, he mea whakarite tetahi mea ki tetahi, kia kitea ai te tikanga:
28 what my soul still sought, yet I found not, —one man out of a thousand, have I found, but, a woman among all these, have I not found.
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 Only, see, this, have I found, That God made man upright, but, they, have sought out many devices.
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.
