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.
You people of all ethnic groups, listen! You people all over the world,
2 E nga tangata iti, koutou ko nga tangata rahi, e te tangata taonga korua ko te rawakore.
important people and unimportant people, rich people and poor people, everyone, [listen to what I am saying],
3 Ka whakapuakina he matauranga e toku mangai: a he ata ngarahu te whakaaro o toku ngakau.
[because] what I am thinking is very sensible, and what I say will enable you to become wise!
4 Ka titaha toku taringa ki te kupu whakarite; ka puaki taku pepeha i runga i te hapa.
I think about [MTY] (proverbs/wise sayings), and while I play my harp, I explain what they mean.
5 Kia wehi ahau ki te aha i nga ra o te kino, ina karapotia ahau e te kino kei oku rekereke?
I am not [RHQ] afraid when I am in trouble/danger, when I am surrounded by my enemies,
6 Ko te hunga e whakawhirinaki ana ki o ratou taonga, e whakamanamana ana ki te nui o o ratou rawa;
by evil men who trust that [things will always go well for them because] they are wealthy, and who boast about being very rich.
7 E kore tetahi o ratou e ahei te hoko i tona teina, te hoatu ranei i tetahi utu mona ki te Atua;
[They may be rich], but no one can pay money with the result that he would live forever! No one can pay God enough so that God will allow him [to continue] to live,
8 He nui hoki te utu mo to ratou wairua, a me whakarere atu ake ake;
because that cost is too great, and he will never be able to pay enough
9 Kia ora tonu ai ia ake ake: kia kaua e kite i te pirau.
with the result that he will live forever and never [die and] be buried!
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.
We see that foolish and stupid people die, but we see that wise people also die; they all leave their wealth, and others inherit it.
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.
Those wise people once had [houses on] land that they owned, [but now] their graves are their homes forever, the place where they will stay for all time!
12 Heoi kahore te tangata e noho tonu i roto i te honore: ko tona rite kei nga kararehe ka moti nei.
Even if people are great, that cannot prevent them from dying; all people die, the same as animals do.
13 Ko to ratou ara tenei, ara ko to ratou poauau: heoi e whakapai ana to ratou uri ki a ratou korero. (Hera)
That is what happens to those who foolishly trust [in what they have accomplished], to those who are delighted in [all] that they possess.
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)
They are certain to die just like sheep, when a shepherd leads them away to be slaughtered. [PRS, MET] In the morning righteous people will rule over them, and then [those wealthy people will die and] their bodies will quickly decay in their graves; they will be where dead people are, far from their homes. (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 it is certain that God will rescue me so that I am not kept in the place of the dead. (Sheol h7585)
16 Kaua e wehi ua whai taonga te tangata, ina nui haere te kororia o tona whare;
[So], do not be dismayed when someone becomes rich and the houses where they live become more and more luxurious,
17 Kahore hoki ana mea e mau atu ai ia ina mate; e kore tona kororia e tuku iho i muri i a ia.
because when he dies, he will take nothing with him; his wealth will not go with him.
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.
While [a rich person] is alive, he congratulates himself, and people praise him for being successful,
19 Ka haere ia ki te whakatupuranga o ona tupuna: e kore rawa ratou e kite i te marama.
but he will [die], joining his ancestors, who will never see daylight again.
20 Ko te tangata e whakahonoretia ana, a kahore e whai whakaaro, kei nga kararehe ka moti nei tona rite.
Even if someone is great, that cannot prevent him from dying; he will die, the same as animals do.
