1 I mea ahau i roto i toku ngakau, Tena ra, ka whakamatauria koe e ahau ki te koa; na, te ahuareka mau. Heoi, he horihori ano hoki tenei.

I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself.” And behold, it too was futility.

2 K o te kata, kiia iho e ahau he haurangi; ko te koa, He mahi aha tana?

I said of laughter, “It is madness,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”

3 I whai ahau i roto i toku ngakau me pehea te whakaahuareka i toku kikokiko ki te waina, me te whakahaere ano ia a toku ngakau i ahau i runga i te whakaaro nui; a me pehea taku hopu i te wairangi, kia kitea ra ano e ahau he aha ra tena mea pai a n ga tama a te tangata e mahia nei i raro i te rangi i nga ra katoa e ora nei ratou.

I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives.

4 I mahia e ahau etahi mahi nunui maku; i hanga e ahau etahi whare moku; i whakatokia e ahau etahi mara waina maku;

I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself;

5 I hanga e ahau etahi kari maku, me etahi mara rakau, whakatokia iho e ahau ki reira nga tu rakau katoa e whai hua ana.

I made gardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees;

6 I hanga e ahau he poka wai maku hei whakamakuku mai i reira i te ngahere, i te wahi i whakatupuria ai nga rakau.

I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees.

7 I hokona e ahau he pononga tane, he pononga wahine, a he pononga ano i whanau ki toku whare; he tini hoki aku kahui kau, aku kahui hipi, maha atu i a te hunga katoa i mua atu i ahau i Hiruharama.

I bought male and female slaves and I had homeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem.

8 I amenea mai ano e ahau he hiriwa, he koura, me te taonga i rawe ki nga kingi, ki nga kawanatanga; i meatia ano e ahau he kaiwaiata tane, he kaiwaiata wahine, me nga ahuareka ano a nga tama a te tangata, te tini o te wahine iti.

Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of men—many concubines.

9 H eoi kua nui ahau, neke noa ake ana aku i a te hunga katoa i mua ake i ahau i Hiruharama, me te mau ano hoki toku whakaaro nui.

Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me.

10 K o nga mea katoa ano hoki i hiahiatia e oku kanohi, kihai i kaiponuhia e ahau i a raua, kihai ano i pehia e ahau toku ngakau i te meatanga atu ki tetahi whakahari; i hari hoki toku ngakau i oku ruhatanga katoa; a ko te wahi tenei maku o oku ruha tanga katoa.

All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor.

11 K atahi ahau ka titiro ki nga mahi katoa i mahia e oku ringa, ki te ruhatanga hoki i ruha ai ahau i te mahinga; nana, he horihori katoa, he whai kau i te hau, a kahore he hua pai i raro i te ra.

Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun. Wisdom Excels Folly

12 I anga ano ahau ki te matakitaki ki te whakaaro nui, ki te haurangi, ki te wairangi: he aha koia te mea e taea e te tangata e haere mai ana i muri i te kingi? heoi ano ko te mea kua oti noa ake.

So I turned to consider wisdom, madness and folly; for what will the man do who will come after the king except what has already been done?

13 K atahi ahau ka kite, hira ake te whakaaro nui i te wairangi; he pera hoki me te marama e hira ake ana i te pouri.

And I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness.

14 K o te tangata whakaaro nui, kei tona mahunga ona kanohi, a kei te pouri te wairangi e haere ana: otiia i kite ano ahau kotahi tonu te mea e pa ana ki a ratou katoa.

The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that one fate befalls them both.

15 K atahi ahau ka ki ake i roto i toku ngakau: Ko te mea i pa ki te wairangi ka pa ano ki ahau nei ano hoki; he aha hoki oku whakaaro i nui ake ai? Na ko taku kianga ake i roto i toku ngakau, he horihori ano hoki tenei.

Then I said to myself, “ As is the fate of the fool, it will also befall me. Why then have I been extremely wise?” So I said to myself, “This too is vanity.”

16 N o te mea kahore he maharatanga ki te tangata whakaaro nui, pera ano i te kore ki te wairangi a ake ake; ina hoki i nga ra e haere ake nei kua wareware noa kae nga mea katoa. Na, ko to te tangata whakaaro nui tona matenga, pera ano i to te waira ngi!

For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man as with the fool, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And how the wise man and the fool alike die!

17 N a kua kino ahau ki te ora; no te mea he he ki ahau te mahi e mahia ana i raro i te ra: he horihori katoa hoki, he whai kau i te hau.

So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind. The Futility of Labor

18 I kino ano hoki ahau ki toku mauiui i mauiui ai ahau i raro i te ra: ina hoki me waiho iho e ahau ma te tangata i muri i ahau.

Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me.

19 K o wai hoki e mohio ana hei tangata whakaaro nui ranei ia, hei wairangi ranei? otiia hei a ia te tikanga mo oku mauiui katoa i mauiui ai ahau, i nui ai ano hoki oku whakaaro i raro i te ra. He horihori ano hoki tenei.

And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is vanity.

20 N a ka anga ahau, ka mea kia whakaparahako toku ngakau ki te mauiui katoa i mauiui ai ahau i raro i te ra.

Therefore I completely despaired of all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun.

21 T enei hoki tetahi tangata kei runga nei i te whakaaro nui tana mahi, kei runga i te matauranga, kei runga i te mohio; otiia ka waiho e ia hei wahi ma te tangata kihai nei i mahi. He horihori ano tenei, he he nui.

When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge and skill, then he gives his legacy to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil.

22 H e aha oti te tukunga iho ki te tangata o tona mauiui katoa, o te ngana o tona ngakau i mauiui ai ia i raro i te ra?

For what does a man get in all his labor and in his striving with which he labors under the sun?

23 H e pouri kau hoki ona ra katoa, he ngakau mamae tona raruraru, e kore ano hoki tona ngakau e okioki i te po. Na he horihori ano hoki tenei.

Because all his days his task is painful and grievous; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is vanity.

24 K ahore he mea pai ma te tangata i tua atu i te kai, i te inu, i te mea kia whiwhi tona wairua i te pai i roto i tona mauiui. I kite ano hoki ahau i tenei, no te ringa o te Atua tenei.

There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God.

25 K o wai oti e nui atu tana kai, ko wai e reka ake i ahau?

For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?

26 K i te tangata hoki e pai ana ki to te Atua aroaro e homai ana e ia he whakaaro nui, he matauranga, he koa; ki te tangata hara ia e homai ana e ia he raruraru, ki te kohikohi, ki te amene mea mai, hei hoatutanga mana ki te tangata e pai ana ki to te Atua aroaro. He horihori ano hoki tenei, he whai i te hau.

For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind.