1 K o 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 name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.

2 K o 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: in that that is the end of all men, and the living taketh it to heart.

3 K o te ngakau mamae, pai atu i te kata; ma te pouri hoki o te mata ka pai ai te ngakau.

Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

4 K ei 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 in the house of mirth.

5 K o 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 R ite 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 H e 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 maketh a wise man mad, and a gift destroyeth the heart.

8 K o 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 a patient spirit than a proud spirit.

9 K ei 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 vexed; for vexation resteth in the bosom of fools.

10 K aua 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, How is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.

11 H e 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 inheritance, and profitable to them that see the sun.

12 H ei 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 money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, wisdom maketh them that possess it to live.

13 W hakaaroa 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 straight what 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 enjoy good, and in the day of adversity consider: God hath also set the one beside the other, to the end that man should find out nothing after him.

15 K ua 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 have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous that perisheth by his righteousness, and there is a wicked that prolongeth by his wickedness.

16 K aua 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 overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?

17 K aua 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 foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?

18 H e 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 shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God cometh forth from them all.

19 K o 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 that are in a city.

20 K ahore hoki he tangata tika i te whenua e mahi ana i te pai, a kahore ona hara.

Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.

21 K aua ano e whakarongo ki nga mea katoa e korerotia ana; kei rongo koe ki tau pononga e kanga ana i a koe;

Also give not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.

22 H e maha hoki nga wa, e mohio ana tou ngakau, i kanga ai koe ano i etahi.

For also thine own heart knoweth that oftentimes thou thyself likewise 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 K o te mea onaianei he tawhiti rawa, he hohonu rawa hoki; ko wai hei kite?

Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will 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 turned, I and my heart, to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and reason, and to know wickedness to be folly, and foolishness to be 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 nets and snares, whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.

27 N ana, kua kitea tenei e ahau, e ai ta te Kaikauwhau, he mea whakarite tetahi mea ki tetahi, kia kitea ai te tikanga:

See this which I have found, saith the Preacher, one by one to find out the reason;

28 H e 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 my soul yet seeketh, and I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found, but a woman among all those have I not found.

29 N ana, 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.

Only see this which I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.