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 precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s 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 house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it 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 is 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 the rebuke of the wise, 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.
For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is 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.
Surely oppression makes a wise man mad; and a gift destroys the heart.
8 Ko te mutunga o te mea, pai atu i tona timatanga: pai atu te wairua manawanui i te wairua whakakake.
Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 Kei hohoro tou wairua ki te riri: kei te uma hoki o nga wairangi te riri e noho ana.
Be not hasty in your spirit to be angry: for anger rests 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 you, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for you do not inquire wisely 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 by it there is profit 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 is a defense, and money is a defense: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom gives life to them that have it.
13 Whakaaroa ta te Atua mahi: ko wai hoki hei mea kia tika tana i mea ai kia hape?
Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he 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 be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also has set the one over against the other, to the end 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.
All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongs his life 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 righteous over much; neither make yourself over wise: why should you destroy yourself?
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 over much wicked, neither be you foolish: why should you die before your 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 good that you should take hold of this; yes, also from this withdraw not your hand: for he that fears God shall come forth of them all.
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 strengthens the wise 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 just man on earth, that does good, and sins not.
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 words that are spoken; lest you hear your servant curse you:
22 He maha hoki nga wa, e mohio ana tou ngakau, i kanga ai koe ano i etahi.
For oftentimes also your own heart knows that you yourself likewise have 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 this have I proved by 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 off, and exceeding deep, who can 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 applied my heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:
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 more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken 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, says the preacher, counting one by one, 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 yet my soul seeks, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I 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.
See, this only have I found, that God has made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
