1 K o nga kupu a te Kaikauwhau, ara a te tama a Rawiri, i kingi nei ki Hiruharama.

These are the words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2 H e tino horihori rawa, e ai ta te Kaikauwhau, he tino horihori rawa; he horihori katoa.

“It is of no use,” says the Preacher. “It is of no use! All is for nothing.”

3 H e aha te pai ki te tangata o tona mauiui katoa e mauiui ai ia i raro i te ra?

What does a man get for all his work which he does under the sun?

4 K o tenei whakatupuranga e haere atu ana, ko tera whakatupuranga e haere mai ana: ko te whenua ia, mau tonu.

People die and people are born, but the earth stays forever.

5 E whiti ana hoki te ra, e heke atu ana te ra, hohoro tonu atu ki tona wahi whiti mai ai.

The sun rises and the sun sets, and travels in a hurry to the place where it rises.

6 E anga ana te hau ki te tonga, na ka taka ki te raki; he hanga takataka tonu tana i tona ara, a ka hoki mai ano te hau ki ona takatakanga.

The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north. It goes around and around, and returns again on its way.

7 E rere ana nga awa katoa ki te moana, heoi kahore e ki te moana: ko te wahi i rere mai ai nga awa, ka hoki atu ano ratou ki reira.

All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is not full. And they return again to the place from which the rivers flow.

8 M auiui rawa nga mea katoa, e kore e taea e te tangata te korero: e kore te kanohi e ngata i te matakaitaki, e kore te taringa e ki i te whakarongo.

All things are tiring. Man is not able to tell about them. The eye never has enough to see, and the ear is never filled with what it hears.

9 K o to mua mea koia ano hei mea aianei; a ko te mea i mahia i mua ka mahia ano aianei; kahore hoki he mea hou i raro i te ra.

What has been is what will be. And what has been done is what will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun.

10 T era ano ranei he mea e ki ai tetahi, Titiro, he mea hou tenei? He mea ia no nga wa o mua, no era i mua atu i a tatou.

Is there anything of which one might say, “See, this is new”? It has already been there since long before us.

11 K ahore he mahara ki nga whakatupuranga o mua; kahore hoki e maharatia nga whakatupuranga e haere mai a muri nei e te hunga o muri atu.

No one remembers the things that happened before. And no one will remember the things that will happen in the future among those who will come later. Looking for Wisdom Is like Trying to Catch the Wind

12 K o ahau, ko te Kaikauwhau, te kingi o Iharaira i Hiruharama.

I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.

13 N a ka whakaangahia e ahau toku ngakau ki te whakaaro nui hei rapu, hei kimi i nga mea katoa e mahia ana i raro i te rangi: na te Atua tenei whakararuraru kino i homai ki nga tama a te tangata hei whakararu i a ratou.

And I set my mind to look for wisdom to learn about all that has been done under heaven. It is a hard work which God has given to the sons of men to be troubled with.

14 K ua kite ahau i nga mea katoa e mahia ana i raro i te ra. Nana, he horihori katoa, he whai hoki i te hau.

I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun. And see, it is all for nothing. It is like trying to catch the wind.

15 K o te mea piko e kore e taea te whakahangai: ko te mea koha e kore e taea te tatau.

What is not straight cannot be made straight. What is not there cannot be numbered.

16 I korerorero ahau ki toku ngakau, i mea, Nana, kua whiwhi rawa ahau i te whakaaro nui ki runga ake i o te hunga katoa i mua atu i ahau i Hiruharama: ae ra, he maha nga mea kua kitea e toku ngakau o te whakaaro nui, o te matauranga.

I said to myself, “I have received more wisdom than all who were over Jerusalem before me. My mind has seen much wisdom and much learning.”

17 N a ka whakaangahia e ahau toku ngakau kia mohio ki te whakaaro nui, kia mohio ki te haurangi, ki te wairangi: a kua kite ahau he whai ano hoki tenei i te hau.

And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know what is crazy and foolish. I saw that this also is like trying to catch the wind.

18 M a te nui hoki o te whakaaro ka nui ai te pouri: a ko te tangata e whakaneke ake ana i te matauranga e whakaneke ake ana i te mamae.

Because in much wisdom there is much trouble. And he who gets much learning gets much sorrow.