Kaikauwhau 6
1 Tera tetahi he i kitea e ahau i raro i te ra, he mea taimaha ano ki runga ki nga tangata:
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it [is] common among men:
2 He tangata i homai nei e te Atua ki a ia he taonga, he rawa, he kororia, a kihai tona wairua i hapa ki tetahi mea i hiahia ai ia, otiia kihai i tukua e te Atua ki a ia te tikanga mo te kai i tetahi wahi o aua mea, engari kainga ana e te tangata k e. He horihori tenei, he mate kino.
A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honor, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat of it, but a stranger eateth it: this [is] vanity, and it [is] an evil disease.
3 Ki te kotahi rau nga tamariki a tetahi tangata, a he maha nga tau e ora ai ia, maha atu nga ra o ona tau, a kahore tona wairua i ngata i te pai, kahore hoki ia e whai tanumanga; e mea ana ahau tera noa atu te pai o te materoto i a ia.
If a man begetteth a hundred [children], and liveth many years, so that the days of his years are many, and his soul is not filled with good, and also [that] he hath no burial; I say, [that] an untimely birth [is] better than he.
4 I haere mai hoki tera i runga i te horihori, a haere atu ana i runga i te pouri, a ka taupokina tona ingoa e te pouri.
For he cometh with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.
5 Kihai hoki ia i kite i te ra, kihai ano i mohio ki a ia; nui atu to tenei okioki i to tera;
Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known [any thing]: this hath more rest than the other.
6 Ae, ahakoa kotahi mano topu nga tau i ora ai ia, heoi kahore he pai i kitea e ia. He teka ianei e haere ana te katoa ki te wahi kotahi?
Yes, though he liveth a thousand years twice [told], yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?
7 Ko nga mea katoa i mauiui ai te tangata hei mea ano mo tona mangai, otiia e kore tona wairua e makona.
All the labor of man [is] for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
8 He aha oti ta te tangata whakaaro nui e hira ake ana i ta te wairangi? He aha hoki ta te ware, e mohio nei ki te haere i te aroaro o te hunga ora?
For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?
9 He pai ke te kite o nga kanohi i te kaipaowe o te hiahia: he horihori ano tenei, a he whai i te hau.
Better [is] the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this [is] also vanity and vexation of spirit.
10 Ko nga mea katoa o mua kua oti noa ake te hua ki te ingoa, a e mohiotia ana ko te tangata: e kore hoki ia e tau hei totohe ki te mea e kaha atu ana i a ia.
That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it [is] man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.
11 Ka maha nei nga mea hei whakanui i te horihori, he aha te painga ki te tangata?
Seeing there are many things that increase vanity, what [is] man the better?
12 Ko wai hoki e mohio ana he aha te mea pai ki te tangata i a ia nei i te ora, i nga ra katoa o tona oranga horihori, e rite nei ki te atarangi i a ia e mahi nei? Ko wai hoki hei whakaatu ki te tangata ko te aha e puta mai i muri i a ia i raro i t e ra?
For who knoweth what [is] good for man in [this] life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?
