Kaikauwhau 4
1 Na ka tahuri ahau, a ka titiro ki nga tukinotanga katoa e mahia nei i raro i te ra: na ko nga roimata o te hunga i tukinotia, kahore hoki o ratou kaiwhakamarie; a he kaha kei te ringa o o ratou kaitukino, otiia kahore o ratou kaiwhakamarie.
Again I looked, and I considered all the oppression taking place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; the power lay in the hands of their oppressors, and there was no comforter.
2 Na, ko taku whakamoemiti ki te hunga mate kua mate noa ake, nui atu i taku ki te hunga ora e ora nei.
So I admired the dead, who had already died, above the living, who are still alive.
3 Engari ia pai atu i a raua te tangata kahore ano i whanau noa, kahore ano i kite noa i te mahi he e mahia nei i raro i te ra.
But better than both is he who has not yet existed, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.
4 Na ka kite ahau i te mauiui katoa, i nga mahi tohunga katoa, he mea hoki tenei e hae ai te tangata ki tona hoa. He horihori ano hoki tenei, a he whai kau i te hau.
I saw that all labor and success spring from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
5 Ko te wairangi, kei te kotui i ona ringa, a kainga ana e ia ona kikokiko ake.
The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh.
6 He pai ke te ringa ki i runga i te ata noho, i nga ringa ki e rua, ki te mea he ruha, he whai noa i te hau.
Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and pursuit of the wind.
7 Katahi ahau ka tahuri, a ka kite i te horihori i raro i te ra.
Again, I saw futility under the sun.
8 He tangata tera, ko ia anake, kahore hoki ona tokorua; ae ra, kahore ano hoki ana tama, ona tuakana, teina ranei; heoi kahore he mutunga o tana mahi katoa, e kore ano hoki ona kanohi e makona i nga taonga. Na ka mea ia, Ki a wai toku whakaaro i a hau ka mahi nei, ka whakatiki nei i toku wairua ki te pai? He horihori ano tenei, he raruraru kino.
There is a man all alone, without even a son or brother. And though there is no end to his labor, his eyes are still not content with his wealth: “For whom do I toil and bereave my soul of enjoyment?” This too is futile—a miserable task.
9 Erangi te tokorua i te kotahi; no te mea ka whiwhi raua ki te utu pai i ta raua mahi.
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.
10 Ki te hinga hoki tetahi, ma tona hoa ia e whakaara: aue, te mate mo te kotahi, ina hinga, ki te kahore te whakatokorua hei whakaara i a ia!
For if one falls down, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to help him up!
11 Ki te takoto tahi ano nga tokorua, ka mahana raua; he tangata kotahi ia, ma te aha ka mahana ai tona kotahi?
Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone?
12 Ki te kaha tetahi i a ia kotahi nei, ka maia te tokorua ki a ia; e kore hoki te aho takitoru e motu wawe.
And though one may be overpowered, two can resist. Moreover, a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
13 Pai ake te tamaiti rawakore, whakaaro nui i te kingi kua koroheketia, kua wairangi, kua kore nei ona mohio ki te whakarongo ina whakatupatoria.
Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take a warning.
14 I puta mai hoki tera i roto i te whare herehere, hei kingi; ae ra, ahakoa i roto i tona whenua i kingi ai, i whanau rawakore mai ia.
For the youth has come from the prison to the kingship, though he was born poor in his own kingdom.
15 I kite ahau i te hunga ora katoa e haere nei i raro i te ra, kei te tama ratou, kei te tuarua, kua tu nei i te tunga o tera.
I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed this second one, the youth who succeeded the king.
16 Kahore he mutunga o te iwi katoa, ara o te hunga ko ia nei to ratou ariki; na e kore o muri iho i a ia e koa ki a ai. He pono, he horihori ano hoki tenei a he whai kau i te hau.
There is no limit to all the people who were before them. Yet the successor will not be celebrated by those who come even later. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
