1 Ko nga kupu a Akuru tama a Iakehe; ko te poropititanga. I korero taua tangata ki a Itiere, ki a Itiere raua ko Ukara,2 He pono ko ahau te mea poauau rawa o nga tangata, kahore hoki he matauranga tangata i roto i ahau.3 Kihai hoki ahau i whakaakona ki te whakaaro nui, kihai ano i mohio ki te Mea Tapu.4 Ko wai kua piki atu ki te rangi, a heke mai ai ano? Ko wai kua pupu i te hau ki roto ki ona ringa? Na wai i takai nga wai ki roto ki tona kakahu? Na wai i whakapumau nga pito katoa o te whenua? Ko wai tona ingoa, a ko wai hoki te ingoa o tana tam a, ki te mohiotia e koe?5 Ko nga kupu katoa a te Atua he mea whakamatau: he whakangungu rakau ia ki te hunga katoa e whakawhirinaki ana ki a ia.6 Kaua e tapiritia etahi kupu ki ana, kei riria e ia tou he, a ka kitea koe he tangata korero teka.7 E rua nga mea kua inoia e ahau i a koe; kaua ena e kaiponuhia i ahau i mua i toku matenga;8 Whakamataratia atu i ahau te horihori me te korero teka; kaua e homai te rawakore ki ahau, te taonga ranei; whangaia ahau ki te kai e rite ana maku:9 Kei makona ahau, a ka whakakahore ki a koe, ka mea, Ko wai a Ihowa? Kei rawakore ranei ahau, a ka whanako, ka whakahua noa hoki i te ingoa o toku Atua.10 Kaua e korerotia te pononga ki tona ariki, kei kanga ia i a koe, a ko koe e he.11 Tera te whakatupuranga, he kanga ta ratou i to ratou papa, kahore hoki e manaaki i to ratou whaea.12 Tera te whakatupuranga, he ma ki ta ratou na titiro, otira kahore ano kia horoia atu to ratou paru.13 Tera te whakatupuranga, Na, te whakakake o o ratou kanohi! Kua whakarewaina ake hoki o ratou kamo.14 Tera te whakatupuranga, ko o ratou niho ano he hoari, ko o ratou niho purakau ano he maripi, hei horo i te hunga iti i runga i te whenua, i nga rawakore hoki i roto i nga tangata.15 E rua nga tamahine a te ngate, ko ta raua karanga, Homai, homa. E toru nga mea e kore rawa e makona, ae ra, e wha nga mea e kore e ki, Kati:16 Ko te rua tupapaku; ko te kopu pakoko; ko te whenua kihai i pukuwaitia; a ko te ahi e kore nei e ki, Kati.17 Ko te kanohi e whakahi ana ki te papa, e whakahawea ana ki te whakarongo ki tona whaea, ma nga raweni o te awaawa ia e tikaro, a ma nga pi ekara e kai.18 E toru nga mea he whakamiharo rawa, e kore e taea e ahau, ae ra, e wha kahore e mohiotia e ahau:19 Ko te huarahi o te ekara i te rangi; ko te huarahi o te nakahi i runga i te kamaka; ko te huarahi o te kaipuke i waenga moana; a ko te huarahi o te tangata ki te kotiro.20 He pera ano te huarahi o te wahine puremu; ka kai ia, a ka horoi i tona mangai, a ka ki, Kahore aku mahi he.21 E toru nga mea e korikori ai te whenua, a e wha, he mea e kore e manawanuitia e ia:22 Ko te pononga ina whakakingitia ia; ko te wairangi hoki ina makona i te taro;23 Ko te wahine whakarihariha ina whiwhi i te tane; a ko te pononga wahine ina tuku iho mana nga mea a tona rangatira.24 E wha nga mea ririki i runga i te whenua, he nui noa atu ia nga whakaaro:25 Ko nga popokorua ehara i te iwi kaha, heoi e mea ana i te kai ma ratou i te raumati;26 Ko nga koni, he iwi ngoikore, heoi e hanga ana i o ratou whare ki te kamaka;27 Ko nga mawhitiwhiti, kahore o ratou kingi, heoi haere ropu ana ratou katoa;28 Ko te mokomoko, ko ona peke hei pupuri mana; otiia kei roto ia i nga whare kingi.29 E toru nga mea, he tau ta ratou hikoi, ae ra, e wha he huatau ki te haere:30 Ko te raiona, ko te mea kaha rawa o nga kararehe, e kore nei e tahuri mai i te aroaro o tetahi;31 Ko te kuri horo; ko te koati toa ano hoki; a ko te kingi, kahore nei tetahi e maranga ake ki a ia.32 Ki te mea he mahi kuware tau i a koe i whakaneke ake ai i a koe, ki te mea ranei i whakaaro kino koe, kopania tou ringa ki tou mangai.33 He pono hoki ki te hurihia te waiu ka puta mai he pata, a ki te kowiria te ihu ka puta mai he toto: waihoki ki te akina te riri ka puta he whawhai.

1 Words of a Gatherer, son of an obedient one, the declaration, an affirmation of the man: -- I have wearied myself [for] God, I have wearied myself [for] God, and am consumed.2 For I am more brutish than any one, And have not the understanding of a man.3 Nor have I learned wisdom, Yet the knowledge of Holy Ones I know.4 Who went up to heaven, and cometh down? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound waters in a garment? Who established all ends of the earth? What [is] His name? and what His son`s name? Surely thou knowest!5 Every saying of God [is] tried, A shield He [is] to those trusting in Him.6 Add not to His words, lest He reason with thee, And thou hast been found false.7 Two things I have asked from Thee, Withhold not from me before I die.8 Vanity and a lying word put far from me, Poverty or wealth give not to me, Cause me to eat the bread of my portion,9 Lest I become satiated, and have denied, And have said, `Who [is] Jehovah?` And lest I be poor, and have stolen, And have laid hold of the name of my God.10 Accuse not a servant unto his lord, Lest he disesteem thee, and thou be found guilty.11 A generation [is], that lightly esteemeth their father, And their mother doth not bless.12 A generation -- pure in their own eyes, But from their own filth not washed.13 A generation -- how high are their eyes, Yea, their eyelids are lifted up.14 A generation -- swords [are] their teeth, And knives -- their jaw-teeth, To consume the poor from earth, And the needy from [among] men.15 To the leech [are] two daughters, `Give, give, Lo, three things are not satisfied, Four have not said `Sufficiency;`16 Sheol, and a restrained womb, Earth -- it [is] not satisfied [with] water, And fire -- it hath not said, `Sufficiency,`17 An eye that mocketh at a father, And despiseth to obey a mother, Dig it out do ravens of the valley, And eat it do young eagles.18 Three things have been too wonderful for me, Yea, four that I have not known:19 The way of the eagle in the heavens, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the heart of the sea, And the way of a man in youth.20 So -- the way of an adulterous woman, She hath eaten and hath wiped her mouth, And hath said, `I have not done iniquity.`21 For three things hath earth been troubled, And for four -- it is not able to bear:22 For a servant when he reigneth, And a fool when he is satisfied with bread,23 For a hated one when she ruleth, And a maid-servant when she succeedeth her mistress.24 Four [are] little ones of earth, And they are made wiser than the wise:25 The ants [are] a people not strong, And they prepare in summer their food,26 Conies [are] a people not strong, And they place in a rock their house,27 A king there is not to the locust, And it goeth out -- each one shouting,28 A spider with two hands taketh hold, And is in the palaces of a king.29 Three there are going well, Yea, four are good in going:30 An old lion -- mighty among beasts, That turneth not back from the face of any,31 A girt one of the loins, or a he-goat, And a king -- no rising up with him.32 If thou hast been foolish in lifting up thyself, And if thou hast devised evil -- hand to mouth!33 For the churning of milk bringeth out butter, And the wringing of the nose bringeth out blood, And the forcing of anger bringeth out strife!