Kaikauwhau 7
1 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.
A good name is better than good oil; and the day of death than the day of birth.
2 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.
[It is] better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the banquet house: since this is the end of every man; and the living man will apply good [warning] to his heart.
3 Ko te ngakau mamae, pai atu i te kata; ma te pouri hoki o te mata ka pai ai te ngakau.
Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart will be made better.
4 Kei te whare tangihanga te ngakau o te hunga whakaaro nui; kei te whare ia o te kata te ngakau o nga wairangi.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5 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.
[It is] better to hear a reproof of a wise man, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
6 Rite tonu hoki ki te papatanga o nga tataramoa i raro i te kohua te kata a te wairangi. He horihori ano tenei.
As the sound of thorns under a caldron, so is the laughter of fools: this is also vanity.
7 He pono ma te pahua ka wairangi ai te tangata whakaaro nui, ma te mea homai noa hoki ka kore ai te ngakau mahara.
for oppression makes a wise man mad, and destroys his noble heart.
8 Ko te mutunga o te mea, pai atu i tona timatanga: pai atu te wairua manawanui i te wairua whakakake.
The end of a matter is better than the beginning thereof: the patient is better than the high-minded.
9 Kei hohoro tou wairua ki te riri: kei te uma hoki o nga wairangi te riri e noho ana.
Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger will rest in the bosom of fools.
10 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.
Say not, What has happened, that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire in wisdom concerning this.
11 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.
Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and [there is] an advantage [by it] to them that see the sun.
12 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.
For wisdom in its shadow is as the shadow of silver: and the excellence of the knowledge of wisdom will give life to him that has it.
13 Whakaaroa ta te Atua mahi: ko wai hoki hei mea kia tika tana i mea ai kia hape?
Behold the works of God: for who shall be able to straighten him whom God has made crooked?
14 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.
In the day of prosperity live joyfully, and consider in the day of adversity: consider, [I say], God also has caused the one to agree with the other for [this] reason, that man should find nothing after him.
15 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.
I have seen all things in the days of my vanity: there is a just man perishing in his justice, and there is an ungodly man remaining in his wickedness.
16 Kaua e whakanuia rawatia tou tika; kaua hoki e whakanuia rawatia ou whakaaro: he aha koe i whakangaro ai i a koe?
Be not very just; neither be very wise: lest thou be confounded.
17 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?
Be not very wicked; and be not stubborn: lest thou shouldest die before thy time.
18 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.
It is well for thee to hold fast by this; also by this defile not thine hand: for to them that fear God all things shall come forth [well].
19 Ko te whakaaro nui rahi ake tona kaha mo te tangata whakaaro i to nga rangatira kotahi tekau i roto i te pa.
Wisdom will help the wise man more than ten mighty men which are in the city.
20 Kahore hoki he tangata tika i te whenua e mahi ana i te pai, a kahore ona hara.
For there is not a righteous man in the earth, who will do good, and not sin
21 Kaua ano e whakarongo ki nga mea katoa e korerotia ana; kei rongo koe ki tau pononga e kanga ana i a koe;
Also take no heed to all the words which ungodly men shall speak; lest thou hear thy servant cursing thee.
22 He maha hoki nga wa, e mohio ana tou ngakau, i kanga ai koe ano i etahi.
For many times he shall trespass against thee, and repeatedly shall he afflict thine heart; for thus also hast thou cursed others.
23 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.
All these things have I proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
24 Ko te mea onaianei he tawhiti rawa, he hohonu rawa hoki; ko wai hei kite?
[That which is] far beyond what was, and a great depth, who shall find it out?
25 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:
I and my heart went round about to know, and to examine, and to seek wisdom, and the account [of things], and to know the folly and trouble and madness of the ungodly man.
26 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.
And I find her [to be], and I will pronounce [to be] more bitter than death the woman which is a snare, and her heart nets, [who has] a band in her hands: [he that is] good in the sight of God shall be delivered from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.
27 Nana, kua kitea tenei e ahau, e ai ta te Kaikauwhau, he mea whakarite tetahi mea ki tetahi, kia kitea ai te tikanga:
Behold, this have I found, said the Preacher, [seeking] by one at a time to find out the account,
28 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.
which my soul sought after, but I found not: for I have found one man of a thousand; but a woman in all these I have not found.
29 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.
But, behold, this have I found, that God made man upright; but they have sought out many devices.
