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 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, for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his 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 whole.

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 pleasure.

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 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.

The laughter of the fool is as the crackling of thorns under a pot, and this also (the laughter or prosperity of the fool) 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 makes a wise man mad, and a gift destroys 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, and he who has suffered 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 hasty in thy spirit to be angry, for anger rests 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.

Never say, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire 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.

¶ Knowledge is good with an inheritance and is the excellency of those 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 knowledge is a defence, and money is a defence; but wisdom excels in that it gives life to those that have 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; for who can make straight that which he has twisted?

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 good enjoy that which is good, but in the day of adversity open your eyes and learn: God also has made the one (the day of adversity) before the other, to the end that man should find 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 things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perishes for his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongs his days 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?

Do not be too legalistic; neither make thyself over wise in thine own eyes: why should 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?

Do not be hasty to condemn, neither be thou foolish: why should thou die in the midst of thy labours?

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 should take hold of this; and also from the other not withdraw thy hand; for he that fears God shall come through with everything.

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 strengthens the wise more than ten mighty men 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.

For surely there is not a just man upon earth that in doing good does not sin.

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 do not take to heart all the words that are spoken lest thou hear thy slave speak evil of thee:

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

For thine own heart knows that thou thyself likewise hast spoken evil of others many times.

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 I have 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 has been is far off and that which is exceeding 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 applied my heart to know and to search and to seek out wisdom and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the madness of error;

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 find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands are bonds; whosoever pleases God shall escape from her, but the sinner shall be held prisoner in 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, saith the preacher, weighing things one by one to find out the answer,

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 seeks, but I find not: one man among a thousand I have found, but a woman among all those I have 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 only have I found: that God has made man upright, but they have sought out many perversions.