1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2 All is to no purpose, said the Preacher, all the ways of man are to no purpose.

3 What is a man profited by all his work which he does under the sun?

4 One generation goes and another comes; but the earth is for ever.

5 The sun comes up and the sun goes down, and goes quickly back to the place where he came up.

6 The wind goes to the south, turning back again to the north; circling round for ever.

7 All the rivers go down to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the rivers go, there they go again.

8 All things are full of weariness; man may not give their story: the eye has never enough of its seeing, or the ear of its hearing.

9 That which has been, is that which is to be, and that which has been done, is that which will be done, and there is no new thing under the sun.

10 Is there anything of which men say, See, this is new? It has been in the old time which was before us.

11 There is no memory of those who have gone before, and of those who come after there will be no memory for those who are still to come after them.

12 I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

13 And I gave my heart to searching out in wisdom all things which are done under heaven: it is a hard thing which God has put on the sons of men to do.

14 I have seen all the works which are done under the sun; all is to no purpose, and desire for wind.

15 That which is bent may not be made straight, and that which is not there may not be numbered.

16 I said to my heart, See, I have become great and am increased in wisdom more than any who were before me in Jerusalem--yes, my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge.

17 And I gave my heart to getting knowledge of wisdom, and of the ways of the foolish. And I saw that this again was desire for wind.

18 Because in much wisdom is much grief, and increase of knowledge is increase of sorrow.

1 Ko nga kupu a te Kaikauwhau, ara a te tama a Rawiri, i kingi nei ki Hiruharama.

2 He tino horihori rawa, e ai ta te Kaikauwhau, he tino horihori rawa; he horihori katoa.

3 He aha te pai ki te tangata o tona mauiui katoa e mauiui ai ia i raro i te ra?

4 Ko tenei whakatupuranga e haere atu ana, ko tera whakatupuranga e haere mai ana: ko te whenua ia, mau tonu.

5 E whiti ana hoki te ra, e heke atu ana te ra, hohoro tonu atu ki tona wahi whiti mai ai.

6 E anga ana te hau ki te tonga, na ka taka ki te raki; he hanga takataka tonu tana i tona ara, a ka hoki mai ano te hau ki ona takatakanga.

7 E rere ana nga awa katoa ki te moana, heoi kahore e ki te moana: ko te wahi i rere mai ai nga awa, ka hoki atu ano ratou ki reira.

8 Mauiui rawa nga mea katoa, e kore e taea e te tangata te korero: e kore te kanohi e ngata i te matakaitaki, e kore te taringa e ki i te whakarongo.

9 Ko to mua mea koia ano hei mea aianei; a ko te mea i mahia i mua ka mahia ano aianei; kahore hoki he mea hou i raro i te ra.

10 Tera ano ranei he mea e ki ai tetahi, Titiro, he mea hou tenei? He mea ia no nga wa o mua, no era i mua atu i a tatou.

11 Kahore he mahara ki nga whakatupuranga o mua; kahore hoki e maharatia nga whakatupuranga e haere mai a muri nei e te hunga o muri atu.

12 Ko ahau, ko te Kaikauwhau, te kingi o Iharaira i Hiruharama.

13 Na ka whakaangahia e ahau toku ngakau ki te whakaaro nui hei rapu, hei kimi i nga mea katoa e mahia ana i raro i te rangi: na te Atua tenei whakararuraru kino i homai ki nga tama a te tangata hei whakararu i a ratou.

14 Kua kite ahau i nga mea katoa e mahia ana i raro i te ra. Nana, he horihori katoa, he whai hoki i te hau.

15 Ko te mea piko e kore e taea te whakahangai: ko te mea koha e kore e taea te tatau.

16 I korerorero ahau ki toku ngakau, i mea, Nana, kua whiwhi rawa ahau i te whakaaro nui ki runga ake i o te hunga katoa i mua atu i ahau i Hiruharama: ae ra, he maha nga mea kua kitea e toku ngakau o te whakaaro nui, o te matauranga.

17 Na ka whakaangahia e ahau toku ngakau kia mohio ki te whakaaro nui, kia mohio ki te haurangi, ki te wairangi: a kua kite ahau he whai ano hoki tenei i te hau.

18 Ma te nui hoki o te whakaaro ka nui ai te pouri: a ko te tangata e whakaneke ake ana i te matauranga e whakaneke ake ana i te mamae.