Eclesiastes 11

1 Cast your bread on the waters;

for you shall find it after many days.

2 Give a portion to seven, yes, even to eight;

for you don’t know what evil will be on the earth.

3 If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth;

and if a tree falls toward the south, or toward the north,

in the place where the tree falls, there shall it be.

4 He who observes the wind won’t sow;

and he who regards the clouds won’t reap.

5 As you don’t know what is the way of the wind,

nor how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child;

even so you don’t know the work of God who does all.

6 In the morning sow your seed,

and in the evening don’t withhold your hand;

for you don’t know which will prosper, whether this or that,

or whether they both will be equally good.

7 Truly the light is sweet,

and it is a pleasant thing for the eyes to see the sun.

8 Yes, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all;

but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many.

All that comes is vanity.

9 Rejoice, young man, in your youth,

and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth,

and walk in the ways of your heart,

and in the sight of your eyes;

but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

10 Therefore remove sorrow from your heart,

and put away evil from your flesh;

for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

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.