Waiata 49
1 Ki te tino kaiwhakatangi. He himene ma nga tama a Koraha. Whakarongo ki tenei, e nga iwi katoa: tahuri mai o koutou taringa, e nga tangata katoa o te ao.
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all inhabitants of the world,
2 E nga tangata iti, koutou ko nga tangata rahi, e te tangata taonga korua ko te rawakore.
both low and high, rich and poor alike.
3 Ka whakapuakina he matauranga e toku mangai: a he ata ngarahu te whakaaro o toku ngakau.
My mouth will impart wisdom, and the meditation of my heart will bring understanding.
4 Ka titaha toku taringa ki te kupu whakarite; ka puaki taku pepeha i runga i te hapa.
I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will express my riddle with the harp:
5 Kia wehi ahau ki te aha i nga ra o te kino, ina karapotia ahau e te kino kei oku rekereke?
Why should I fear in times of trouble, when wicked usurpers surround me?
6 Ko te hunga e whakawhirinaki ana ki o ratou taonga, e whakamanamana ana ki te nui o o ratou rawa;
They trust in their wealth and boast in their great riches.
7 E kore tetahi o ratou e ahei te hoko i tona teina, te hoatu ranei i tetahi utu mona ki te Atua;
No man can possibly redeem his brother or pay his ransom to God.
8 He nui hoki te utu mo to ratou wairua, a me whakarere atu ake ake;
For the redemption of his soul is costly, and never can payment suffice,
9 Kia ora tonu ai ia ake ake: kia kaua e kite i te pirau.
that he should live on forever and not see decay.
10 E kite ana hoki ia e matemate ana nga tangata whakaaro nui, e ngaro ngatahi ana te poauau me te whakaarokore, a mahue iho o ratou taonga ki etahi atu.
For it is clear that wise men die, and the foolish and the senseless both perish and leave their wealth to others.
11 Ki to ratou whakaaro puku, tera e pumau tonu o ratou whare me o ratou nohoanga, ki nga whakatupuranga katoa: huaina iho o ratou whenua ki o ratou ingoa.
Their graves are their eternal homes— their dwellings for endless generations— even though their lands were their namesakes.
12 Heoi kahore te tangata e noho tonu i roto i te honore: ko tona rite kei nga kararehe ka moti nei.
But a man, despite his wealth, cannot endure; he is like the beasts that perish.
13 Ko to ratou ara tenei, ara ko to ratou poauau: heoi e whakapai ana to ratou uri ki a ratou korero. (Hera)
This is the fate of the self-confident and their followers who endorse their sayings.
14 Kei te hipi te rite: ko te wahi mo ratou ko te reinga; ko te mate hei hepara mo ratou, hei rangatira ano te hunga tika mo ratou i te ata; ko to ratou ataahua ma te reinga e whakamoti, kia kore ai he whare mona. (Sheol h7585)
Like sheep they are destined for Sheol. Death will be their shepherd. The upright will rule them in the morning, and their form will decay in Sheol, far from their lofty abode. (Sheol h7585)
15 Ma te Atua ia toku wairua e hoko mai i te reinga: ko ia hoki hei tukunga atu moku. (Hera) (Sheol h7585)
But God will redeem my life from Sheol, for He will surely take me to Himself. (Sheol h7585)
16 Kaua e wehi ua whai taonga te tangata, ina nui haere te kororia o tona whare;
Do not be amazed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases.
17 Kahore hoki ana mea e mau atu ai ia ina mate; e kore tona kororia e tuku iho i muri i a ia.
For when he dies, he will carry nothing away; his abundance will not follow him down.
18 Whakapai noa ia i tona wairua i a ia e ora ana; a ka whakamoemititia koe ua pai au mahi ki a koe ano.
Though in his lifetime he blesses his soul— and men praise you when you prosper—
19 Ka haere ia ki te whakatupuranga o ona tupuna: e kore rawa ratou e kite i te marama.
he will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light of day.
20 Ko te tangata e whakahonoretia ana, a kahore e whai whakaaro, kei nga kararehe ka moti nei tona rite.
A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.
