Eclesiastes 11

Te Painga o te Mamahitanga

1 Makā tāu taro ki te mata o ngā wai;

kia maha hoki ngā rā ka kitea anō e koe.

2 Hoatu tētahi wāhi mā te tokowhitu, āe mā te tokowaru anō hoki;

e kore hoki koe e mōhio ko tēhea kino e puta mai ki te whenua.

3 Ki te kī ngā kapua i te ua,

ka ringihia ki te whenua.

Ki te hinga hoki te rākau ki te tonga, ki te raki rānei,

ko te wāhi e hinga ai te rākau, ko reira anō ia takoto ai.

4 Ko te tangata e whai mahara ana ki te hau, e kore e rui;

ko te tangata titiro kapua e kore e kokoti.

5 Nā, ka kore anō koe e mōhio ki te huarahi o te hau,

ki te tupu rānei o ngā wheua i roto i te kōpū o te wahine hapū;

e kore anō hoki e mōhiotia e koe te mahi a te Atua,

a te kaimahi o ngā mea katoa.

6 I te ata ruia tāu purapura,

ā, i te ahiahi kaua e pēpeke tōu ringa;

kāhore hoki koe e mōhio ko tēnei rānei e tika,

ko tērā rānei, ko rāua rānei e rua ka pai ngātahi.

Te Whanaketanga me te Pakeketanga

7 He pono he āhuareka te mārama,

ā, he mea pai ki ngā kanohi te titiro ki te rā.

8 Āe rā, ki te maha ngā tau e ora ai te tangata,

kia hari ia ki aua tau katoa;

engari kia mahara ia ki ngā tau o te pōuri,

tērā hoki e maha.

Ko ngā mea e haere ake ana he horihori katoa.

9 Kia koa, e te taitamariki, ki tōu taitamarikitanga;

kia whakahari anō hoki tōu ngākau i a koe i ngā rā o tōu taitamarikitanga.

Haere hoki i ngā ara o tōu ngākau,

i te tirohanga anō a ōu kanohi;

otiia kia mōhio anō koe,

he mea ēnei katoa e riro ai koe i te Atua ki te whakawā.

10 Nō reira whakawāteatia atu te riri i tōu ngākau,

ā, whakanekehia atu te kino i tōu kikokiko;

he mea horihori nei hoki te taitamarikitanga, me te houkuratanga.

1 Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days. 2 Give a portion to seven, yea, even unto eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. 3 If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth; and if a tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there shall it be. 4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. 5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child; even so thou knowest not the work of God who doeth all. 6 In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thy hand; for thou knowest not which shall prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. 7 Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun. 8 Yea, if a man live many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.

9 Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. 10 Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.