1 G uard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil.

Tiakina 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.

2 D o not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few.

Kei 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.

3 F or the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool through many words.

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

4 W hen you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow!

Ki 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.

5 I t is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.

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

6 D o not let your speech cause you to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands?

Kei 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?

7 F or in many dreams and in many words there is emptiness. Rather, fear God.

Na 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.

8 I f you see oppression of the poor and denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be shocked at the sight; for one official watches over another official, and there are higher officials over them.

Ki 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.

9 A fter all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land. The Folly of Riches

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

10 H e who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity.

Ko 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.

11 W hen good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to look on?

Ki 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.

12 T he sleep of the working man is pleasant, whether he eats little or much; but the full stomach of the rich man does not allow him to sleep.

Ka 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.

13 T here is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being hoarded by their owner to his hurt.

Tera 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:

14 W hen those riches were lost through a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing to support him.

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

15 A s he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand.

Ka 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.

16 T his also is a grievous evil—exactly as a man is born, thus will he die. So what is the advantage to him who toils for the wind?

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.

17 T hroughout his life he also eats in darkness with great vexation, sickness and anger.

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

18 H ere is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward.

Nana, 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.

19 F urthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.

Ko 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.

20 F or he will not often consider the years of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the gladness of his heart.

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.