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 fine 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 should take this 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 face the heart is made good.

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.

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 for a man 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 extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.

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. 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.

Don’t be hasty in your 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.

Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not ask wisely about 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, it is more excellent 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 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, for who can make that straight, which 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, and in the day of adversity consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything 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 this have I seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long 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?

Don’t be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. 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?

Don’t be too wicked, 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. Yes, also from that don’t withdraw your hand; for he who fears God will come out of 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 who 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 on earth, who does good and doesn’t 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 don’t take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse 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 yourself 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 proved in 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 exceedingly 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 around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, 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.

I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared 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, I have found this,” says the Preacher, “to one another, to find out the scheme;

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 still seeks; but I have not found. One man among a thousand have I found; but I have not found a woman among all those.

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 made man upright; but they search for many schemes.”