< Kaikauwhau 2 >
1 I mea ahau i roto i toku ngakau, Tena ra, ka whakamatauria koe e ahau ki te koa; na, te ahuareka mau. Heoi, he horihori ano hoki tenei.
I said in my heart, I will give you joy for a test; so take your pleasure — but it was to no purpose.
2 Ko te kata, kiia iho e ahau he haurangi; ko te koa, He mahi aha tana?
Of laughing I said, It is foolish; and of joy — What use is it?
3 I whai ahau i roto i toku ngakau me pehea te whakaahuareka i toku kikokiko ki te waina, me te whakahaere ano ia a toku ngakau i ahau i runga i te whakaaro nui; a me pehea taku hopu i te wairangi, kia kitea ra ano e ahau he aha ra tena mea pai a n ga tama a te tangata e mahia nei i raro i te rangi i nga ra katoa e ora nei ratou.
I made a search with my heart to give pleasure to my flesh with wine, still guiding my heart with wisdom, and to go after foolish things, so that I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under the heavens all the days of their life.
4 I mahia e ahau etahi mahi nunui maku; i hanga e ahau etahi whare moku; i whakatokia e ahau etahi mara waina maku;
I undertook great works, building myself houses and planting vine-gardens.
5 I hanga e ahau etahi kari maku, me etahi mara rakau, whakatokia iho e ahau ki reira nga tu rakau katoa e whai hua ana.
I made myself gardens and fruit gardens, planting in them fruit-trees of all sorts.
6 I hanga e ahau he poka wai maku hei whakamakuku mai i reira i te ngahere, i te wahi i whakatupuria ai nga rakau.
I made pools to give water for the woods with their young trees.
7 I hokona e ahau he pononga tane, he pononga wahine, a he pononga ano i whanau ki toku whare; he tini hoki aku kahui kau, aku kahui hipi, maha atu i a te hunga katoa i mua atu i ahau i Hiruharama.
I got men-servants and women-servants, and they gave birth to sons and daughters in my house. I had great wealth of herds and flocks, more than all who were in Jerusalem before me.
8 I amenea mai ano e ahau he hiriwa, he koura, me te taonga i rawe ki nga kingi, ki nga kawanatanga; i meatia ano e ahau he kaiwaiata tane, he kaiwaiata wahine, me nga ahuareka ano a nga tama a te tangata, te tini o te wahine iti.
I got together silver and gold and the wealth of kings and of countries. I got makers of song, male and female; and the delights of the sons of men — girls of all sorts to be my brides.
9 Heoi kua nui ahau, neke noa ake ana aku i a te hunga katoa i mua ake i ahau i Hiruharama, me te mau ano hoki toku whakaaro nui.
And I became great; increasing more than all who had been before me in Jerusalem, and my wisdom was still with me.
10 Ko nga mea katoa ano hoki i hiahiatia e oku kanohi, kihai i kaiponuhia e ahau i a raua, kihai ano i pehia e ahau toku ngakau i te meatanga atu ki tetahi whakahari; i hari hoki toku ngakau i oku ruhatanga katoa; a ko te wahi tenei maku o oku ruha tanga katoa.
And nothing which was desired by my eyes did I keep from them; I did not keep any joy from my heart, because my heart took pleasure in all my work, and this was my reward.
11 Katahi ahau ka titiro ki nga mahi katoa i mahia e oku ringa, ki te ruhatanga hoki i ruha ai ahau i te mahinga; nana, he horihori katoa, he whai kau i te hau, a kahore he hua pai i raro i te ra.
Then I saw all the works which my hands had made, and everything I had been working to do; and I saw that all was to no purpose and desire for wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
12 I anga ano ahau ki te matakitaki ki te whakaaro nui, ki te haurangi, ki te wairangi: he aha koia te mea e taea e te tangata e haere mai ana i muri i te kingi? heoi ano ko te mea kua oti noa ake.
And I went again in search of wisdom and of foolish ways. What may the man do who comes after the king? The thing which he has done before.
13 Katahi ahau ka kite, hira ake te whakaaro nui i te wairangi; he pera hoki me te marama e hira ake ana i te pouri.
Then I saw that wisdom is better than foolish ways — as the light is better than the dark.
14 Ko te tangata whakaaro nui, kei tona mahunga ona kanohi, a kei te pouri te wairangi e haere ana: otiia i kite ano ahau kotahi tonu te mea e pa ana ki a ratou katoa.
The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the foolish man goes walking in the dark; but still I saw that the same event comes to them all.
15 Katahi ahau ka ki ake i roto i toku ngakau: Ko te mea i pa ki te wairangi ka pa ano ki ahau nei ano hoki; he aha hoki oku whakaaro i nui ake ai? Na ko taku kianga ake i roto i toku ngakau, he horihori ano hoki tenei.
Then said I in my heart: As it comes to the foolish man, so will it come to me; so why have I been wise overmuch? Then I said in my heart: This again is to no purpose.
16 No te mea kahore he maharatanga ki te tangata whakaaro nui, pera ano i te kore ki te wairangi a ake ake; ina hoki i nga ra e haere ake nei kua wareware noa kae nga mea katoa. Na, ko to te tangata whakaaro nui tona matenga, pera ano i to te waira ngi!
Of the wise man, as of the foolish man, there is no memory for ever, seeing that those who now are will have gone from memory in the days to come. See how death comes to the wise as to the foolish!
17 Na kua kino ahau ki te ora; no te mea he he ki ahau te mahi e mahia ana i raro i te ra: he horihori katoa hoki, he whai kau i te hau.
So I was hating life, because everything under the sun was evil to me: all is to no purpose and desire for wind.
18 I kino ano hoki ahau ki toku mauiui i mauiui ai ahau i raro i te ra: ina hoki me waiho iho e ahau ma te tangata i muri i ahau.
Hate had I for all my work which I had done, because the man who comes after me will have its fruits.
19 Ko wai hoki e mohio ana hei tangata whakaaro nui ranei ia, hei wairangi ranei? otiia hei a ia te tikanga mo oku mauiui katoa i mauiui ai ahau, i nui ai ano hoki oku whakaaro i raro i te ra. He horihori ano hoki tenei.
And who is to say if that man will be wise or foolish? But he will have power over all my work which I have done and in which I have been wise under the sun. This again is to no purpose.
20 Na ka anga ahau, ka mea kia whakaparahako toku ngakau ki te mauiui katoa i mauiui ai ahau i raro i te ra.
So my mind was turned to grief for all the trouble I had taken and all my wisdom under the sun.
21 Tenei hoki tetahi tangata kei runga nei i te whakaaro nui tana mahi, kei runga i te matauranga, kei runga i te mohio; otiia ka waiho e ia hei wahi ma te tangata kihai nei i mahi. He horihori ano tenei, he he nui.
Because there is a man whose work has been done with wisdom, with knowledge, and with an expert hand; but one who has done nothing for it will have it for his heritage. This again is to no purpose and a great evil.
22 He aha oti te tukunga iho ki te tangata o tona mauiui katoa, o te ngana o tona ngakau i mauiui ai ia i raro i te ra?
What does a man get for all his work, and for the weight of care with which he has done his work under the sun?
23 He pouri kau hoki ona ra katoa, he ngakau mamae tona raruraru, e kore ano hoki tona ngakau e okioki i te po. Na he horihori ano hoki tenei.
All his days are sorrow, and his work is full of grief. Even in the night his heart has no rest. This again is to no purpose.
24 Kahore he mea pai ma te tangata i tua atu i te kai, i te inu, i te mea kia whiwhi tona wairua i te pai i roto i tona mauiui. I kite ano hoki ahau i tenei, no te ringa o te Atua tenei.
There is nothing better for a man than taking meat and drink, and having delight in his work. This again I saw was from the hand of God.
25 Ko wai oti e nui atu tana kai, ko wai e reka ake i ahau?
Who may take food or have pleasure without him?
26 Ki te tangata hoki e pai ana ki to te Atua aroaro e homai ana e ia he whakaaro nui, he matauranga, he koa; ki te tangata hara ia e homai ana e ia he raruraru, ki te kohikohi, ki te amene mea mai, hei hoatutanga mana ki te tangata e pai ana ki to te Atua aroaro. He horihori ano hoki tenei, he whai i te hau.
To the man with whom he is pleased, God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the work of getting goods together and storing up wealth, to give to him in whom God has pleasure. This again is to no purpose and desire for wind.