Kaikauwhau 12
1 Kia mahara ra ki tou Kaihanga i nga ra o tou tamarikitanga, i te mea kahore ano kia tae noa mai nga ra o te kino, a kahore ano kia tata mai nga tau e ki ai koe, Kahore oku ahuareke ki enei tau;
Remember your Creator while you are young, before days of trouble come and you grow old, saying, “I'm not enjoying life anymore.”
2 I te mea kahore ano kia pouri noa te ra, te marama, te marama, me nga whetu, a kahore ano kia hoki mai nga kapua i muri i te ua:
Before the light fades—sun, moon, and stars—and rain clouds return to darken the skies.
3 I te ra e wiri ai nga kaitiaki o te whare, a ka piko iho nga tangata marohirohi, ka mutu ano hoki ta nga kaihuri, no te mea he torutoru ratou, ka pouri ano hoki nga mea e titiro mai nei i nga matapihi.
Before the guards of the house tremble and the strong men are bent over, the grinders stop working because there are only a few left, and the ones looking through the windows only see dimly,
4 A ka tutakina nga tatau i te huarahi; a ka iti te haruru o te huri, a ka ara ake tetahi i te tangi o te manu, ka whakahokia iho hoki ki raro nga kotiro katoa o te waiata;
and the doors to the street are shut. Before the sound of the grinding mill grows low, and you wake up early when the birds are singing, but you can hardly hear them.
5 Ae ra, ka wehi ratou i te mea tiketike, kei te huarahi hoki nga mea whakamataku; a ka puawai te aramona, ka taimaha ano hoki te mawhitiwhiti, ka iti haere te hiahia: ka haere nei hoki te tangata ki tona whare tuturu, a ka haereere nga kaitangi i nga huarahi:
Before you develop a fear of heights and worry about going out on the streets; when the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper crawls along, and desire fails, for everyone has to go to their eternal home as the mourners go up and down the street.
6 I te mea kahore ano kia mawheto noa te aho hiriwa, kia pakaru noa ranei te oko koura, kia pakaru ranei te haka ki te puna, kia pakaru te wira ki te poka wai;
Before the silver cord is snapped and the golden bowl is broken; before the water jug is smashed at the spring, or the pulley is broken at the well.
7 A ka hoki te puehu ki te whenua, ki tona ahua o mua, a ka hoki te wairua ki te Atua nana nei i homai.
Then the dust returns to the earth from which it came, and the breath of life returns to God who gave it.
8 He horihori, he tino horihori, e ai ta te Kaikauwhau; he horihori te katoa.
“Everything passes! It's all so hard to understand!” says the Teacher.
9 Na no te mea he tangata whakaaro nui te Kaikauwhau, koia i whakaakona tonutia ai e ia te iwi ki te matauranga; ae ra, i whakaaroaro ia, i rapu, a i ata whakatakotoria e ia nga whakatauki maha.
Not only was the Teacher a wise man, he also taught what he knew to others. He thought about many proverbs, studying them and arranging them.
10 I whai te Kaikauwhau kia kitea nga kupu huatau: he mea tika ano te mea i tuhituhia, he kupu pono.
The Teacher looked for the best way to explain things, writing truthfully and honestly.
11 Ko nga kupu a te hunga whakaaro nui koia ano kei nga werowero, a ko nga kupu a nga kaihuihui o nga whakaminenga kei nga whao i titia kia mau, he mea i homai e te hepara kotahi.
The words of the wise are like cattle prods. Their collected sayings are like nails driven home, given by one shepherd.
12 A kia ai enei hei whakatupato i a koe, e taku tama; ko te tuhi i nga pukapuka maha kahore he mutunga; ki te nui hoki te ako ka mauiui te kikokiko.
In addition, my student, take care, for there's no end to book writing, and too much study wears you out.
13 Ko te whakamutunga tenei o te mea katoa; kua rangona katoatia; e wehi ki te Atua, puritia ana whakahau: ko nga mea katoa hoki enei hei mahi ma te tangata.
To sum up now that everything has been discussed: Respect God by keeping his commandments, for that's what everyone should do.
14 No te mea ka whakawakia nga mahi katoa e te Atua, te mea huna ano hoki, ahakoa pai, ahakoa kino.
God is going to judge us for everything we do, including what we do secretly, whether good or bad.
