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 good name is better than precious perfume, and the day of death better 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, for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay 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.

Sorrow is better than laughter, for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better and gains gladness.

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 is in the house of mirth and sensual joy.

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 like the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility)!

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 and extortion make a wise man foolish, and a bribe destroys the understanding and judgment.

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 the beginning of it, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

9 K ei hohoro tou wairua ki te riri: kei te uma hoki o nga wairangi te riri e noho ana.

Do not be quick in spirit to be angry or vexed, for anger and vexation lodge 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.

Do not say, Why were the old days better than these? For it is not wise or because of wisdom that you ask 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, yes, more excellent it is for those who 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 defense even as money is a defense, but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom shields and preserves the life of him who has it.

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: who can make straight what He has 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 be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider that God has made the one side by side with the other, so that man may not find out anything that shall be 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.

I have seen everything in the days of my vanity (my emptiness, falsity, vainglory, and futility): there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing.

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 strive to make yourself overwise—why should you destroy yourself ?

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 wicked overmuch or willfully, neither be foolish—why should you die before your 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 you should take hold of this and from that withdraw not your hand; for he who fears and worships God will come 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 is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers or valiant generals who are in the 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 who does good and never sins.

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;

Do not give heed to everything that is said, lest you hear your servant cursing you—

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

For often your own heart knows that you have likewise 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 and proved 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?

That which is is far off, and that which is deep is very deep—who can 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 about and my heart was set to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the reason of things, and to know that wickedness is folly and that foolishness is 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 that more bitter than death is the woman whose heart is snares and nets and whose hands are bands. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her, but the sinner shall be taken 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:

Behold, this I have found, says the Preacher, while weighing one thing after another to find out the right estimate —

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 I am still seeking but have not found—one upright man among a thousand have I found, but an upright 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.

Behold, this is the only I have found: God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.