1 T iakina tou waewae ina haere koe ki te whare o te Atua; he pai ke te whakatata ki te whakarongo i te hoatu i te patunga tapu a nga wairangi: kahore hoki ratou e mohio he mahi kino ta ratou.

Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil.

2 K ei porahurahu tou mangai, kei hohoro hoki te puaki o tetahi kupu a tou ngakau i te aroaro o te Atua; no te mea kei te rangi te Atua, a ko koe kei runga i te whenua: mo reira kia torutoru au kupu.

Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few.

3 K a puta mai hoki te rekanga kanohi ina nui te raruraru; me te reo o te wairangi ki te maha o nga kupu.

For a dream comes through much activity, And a fool’s voice is known by his many words.

4 K i te kiia taurangitia e koe tetahi mea ma te Atua, kei whakaroa koe ki te whakamana; e kore hoki ia e pai ki nga wairangi: whakamana e koe tau i ki taurangi ai.

When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed—

5 H e pai ke ki te kore au ki taurangi, i te puta i a koe o te kupu taurangi a kahore i whakamana e koe.

Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.

6 K ei tukua e koe tou mangai kia mea hara mo ou kikokiko; kaua hoki e ki ki te aroaro o te anahera, he pohehe; kia riri te Atua ki tou reo hei aha, a he iho i a ia te mahi a ou ringa?

Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your hands?

7 N a konei tenei mea, na te maha o nga rekanga kanohi, o nga horihori, o nga korero maha; ko koe ia kia wehi i te Atua.

For in the multitude of dreams and many words there is also vanity. But fear God. The Vanity of Gain and Honor

8 K i te kite koe i te rawakore e tukinotia ana, a e kahakina ketia ana te whakawa raua ko te tika i te kawanatanga, kaua e miharo ki taua mea: no te mea e maharatia ana e tetahi, he tiketike ake nei i te mea tiketike; tenei ano hoki tetahi e tiketi ke ake ana i a ratou.

If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent perversion of justice and righteousness in a province, do not marvel at the matter; for high official watches over high official, and higher officials are over them.

9 M a te katoa ano hoki nga hua o te whenua; a ko te kingi hoki na, e mahia ana e te mara he mea mana.

Moreover the profit of the land is for all; even the king is served from the field.

10 K o te tangata e aroha ana ki te hiriwa e kore e makona i te hiriwa; a e kore hoki te tangata e whai ana ki nga mea maha, ki nga hua. He horihori ano tenei.

He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.

11 K i te maha nga rawa, ka tokomaha ano nga tangata hei kai: he aha hoki te pai ki te tangata nana aua mea? Ko te matakitaki kau atu a ona kanohi.

When goods increase, They increase who eat them; So what profit have the owners Except to see them with their eyes?

12 K a reka tonu te moe a te tangata mahi, ahakoa iti tana kai, nui ranei; ko te tangata taonga ia, e kore e tukua e ana mea maha kia moe.

The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, Whether he eats little or much; But the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep.

13 T era tetahi he ngau kino i kitea e ahau i raro i te ra, ara, he taonga e puritia ana e te tangata nana, hei whakamamae ano i a ia:

There is a severe evil which I have seen under the sun: Riches kept for their owner to his hurt.

14 A ka pau aua taonga i te raruraru kino: na, ka whanau he tama mana, kahore he mea i tona ringa.

But those riches perish through misfortune; When he begets a son, there is nothing in his hand.

15 K a rite ki tona haerenga mai i te kopu o tona whaea, ka hoki tahanga atu ano ia, ka pera i tona haerenga mai, e kore ano e riro i a ia tetahi wahi mo tana mahi hei maunga atu ma tona ringa.

As he came from his mother’s womb, naked shall he return, To go as he came; And he shall take nothing from his labor Which he may carry away in his hand.

16 A he he ngau kino ano hoki tenei, ara ko tona haerenga atu ka rite i nga mea katoa ki tona haerenga mai: he aha oti te pai ki a ia? ko tana i mahi ai ma te hau.

And this also is a severe evil— Just exactly as he came, so shall he go. And what profit has he who has labored for the wind?

17 A i ona ra katoa ka kai ia i roto i te pouri, ka pororaru tona ngakau, ka pangia e te mate, ka pukuriri.

All his days he also eats in darkness, And he has much sorrow and sickness and anger.

18 N ana, ko taku i kite ai, he mea pai, he mea ataahua, kia kai te tangata, kia inu, kia kite hoki i te pai o tona mauiui katoa i mauiui ai ia i raro i te ra i nga ra katoa e ora ai ia, e homai nei e te Atua ki a ia; nana hoki tena wahi.

Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage.

19 K o nga tangata katoa hoki i homai ai e te Atua he taonga, he rawa, i tukua mai ai ki a ratou te tikanga mo te kai i tetahi wahi o aua mea, mo te tango i te wahi ma ratou, a kia koa ratou i to ratou mauiui; he mea homai tenei na te Atua.

As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God.

20 E kore hoki e nui tona mahara ki nga ra i ora ai ia; no te mea he koa mo tona ngakau ta te Atua i whakahoki ai ki a ia.

For he will not dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.