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 perfume, and the day of one's death than the day of his 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 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 for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than 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 a 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 the gain of oppression maketh a wise man foolish, and a gift corrupteth the understanding.
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 its beginning. Better is the patient in spirit 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 thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth 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 is the cause that the former days were better than these?” For thou dost 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 as good as an estate? yea, it hath an advantage over it for 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 defence, and money is a defence. But knowledge hath the advantage. For wisdom giveth 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! Who can make straight that which he hath 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 look for a day of adversity! for this also, as well as the other, hath God appointed, to the end that a man should not find out any thing which shall be 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 this have I seen in my days of vanity. There are righteous men who perish in their righteousness, and there are wicked men who live long in their 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 overmuch; neither make thyself over-wise! Why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
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 overmuch wicked; neither be thou a fool! Why shouldst thou 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 good that thou shouldst take hold of this; yea, also, from that withdraw not thy hand. For he that feareth God shall escape all those things.
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 strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men who are in the city.
20 Kahore hoki he tangata tika i te whenua e mahi ana i te pai, a kahore ona hara.
Truly there is not a righteous man upon the earth who doeth good and sinneth 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;
Give no heed to all the words which are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee!
22 He maha hoki nga wa, e mohio ana tou ngakau, i kanga ai koe ano i etahi.
For many times thine own heart knoweth also that even thou thyself hast 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 tried 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 mind earnestly to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and intelligence, and to know wickedness and folly, yea, 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 found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands bands. He that pleaseth God shall escape 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, saith the Preacher, putting one thing to another to find knowledge.
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.
That which my soul hath hitherto sought, and I have not found, is this: a man among a thousand I have found, but a woman among a thousand 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.
Lo, this only have I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.
