1 K o te tangata i whanau i te wahine, he torutoru ona ra; ki tonu ano i te raruraru.

“Man who is born of woman lives only a short time and is full of trouble.

2 A no he puawai ia e puta mai ana, e kotia iho ana: rere ana ia, ano he atarangi, kahore hoki he tumautanga.

He grows up and dries like a flower. He leaves like a shadow and does not stay.

3 E titiro mai ano ranei ou kanohi ki te penei? E mea ranei koe i ahau kia whakawa taua ki a taua?

You open Your eyes on him and decide about him.

4 K o wai hei homai i te mea ma i roto i te mea poke? Hore rawa.

Who can make clean what is unclean? No one!

5 K ua rite na hoki nga ra mona: kei a koe te maha o ona marama; takoto rawa i a koe te tikanga mona, a e kore ia e whiti ki tua.

A man’s days are numbered. You know the number of his months. He cannot live longer than the time You have set.

6 T ahuri ke atu te titiro i a ia, kia ai ona pariratanga, kia ata tutuki ai tona ra, kia rite ai ki o te kaimahi.

So now look away from him that he may rest, until he has lived the time set for him like a man paid to work.

7 K a ai hoki he whakaaronga ki te rakau i tapahia, tera ano e pariri, e kore ano hoki e mutu te wana o tona pihi.

“For there is hope for a tree, when it is cut down, that it will grow again, and that its branches will not stop growing.

8 A hakoa kua tawhitotia tona pakiaka a ki te whenua, a kua mate tona tinana i roto i te oneone;

Its roots grow old in the ground, and the base of the tree dies in the dry ground.

9 H eoi ma te haunga o te wai ka pihi, ka kokiri ona peka ano ko ta te mea tupu.

But with water it will grow. Branches will grow from it like a plant.

10 K o te tangata ia, mate iho, marere noa iho; ae, ka hamo te tangata, a kei hea ia?

But man dies and is laid low. Man dies, and where is he?

11 P era i nga wai e he mai nei i te moana, i te awa e mimiti ana, ka maroke;

As water goes into the air from the sea, and the river wastes away and dries up,

12 E pera ana ano te tangata, e takoto ana a kahore he whakatikanga ake: kahore he marangatanga ake mo ratou, a kia kore ra ano nga rangi; e kore ano ratou e ara i to ratou moe.

so man lies down and does not get up again. Until the heavens are no more, he will not wake up or come out of his sleep.

13 A ue, kia huna noatia oti ahau e koe ki te po, kia waihotia noatia iho ahau e koe kia ngaro ana, kia hoki ra ano tou riri; kia rohea noatia mai e koe tetahi wa moku, a ka mahara mai ai ano ki ahau!

“If only You would hide me in the place of the dead! If only You would hide me until Your anger is past, and set a time for me and remember me!

14 K i te mate te tangata, e ora ano ranei ia? Ka tatari ahau i nga ra katoa o toku ngananga, kia tae mai ra ano he whakaputanga moku.

If a man dies, will he live again? I will wait all the days of my trouble until a change comes.

15 M au e karanga, kia whakao atu ai ahau; kahore hoki e kore ka matenui koe ki te mahi a ou ringa.

You will call and I will answer You. You will wait for the work of Your hands.

16 I naianei hoki e taua ana e koe oku hikoinga; he teka ianei e matatau tonu mai ana koe ki toku hara?

For now You number my steps. You do not write down my sin.

17 H iri rawa toku he ki roto ki te putea, tuitui rawa e koe toku kino.

My sin is locked up in a bag. You cover my wrong-doing.

18 H e pono ko te maunga e horo ana e memeha noa ake ana, e nekehia ana te toka i tona wahi;

“But the mountain falls and breaks apart to nothing. The rock moves from its place.

19 E ngau ana te wai i nga kohatu; ma tona puhaketanga e horoi atu te puehu o te whenua; a whakangaromia iho e koe te tumanako a te tangata.

Water wears away the stones. Its floods wash away the dust of the earth. So You destroy man’s hope.

20 T aea ana ia e koe ake tonu atu, a pahure ana ia; puta ke ana i a koe tona mata, a tonoa atu ana ia kia haere.

You have power over him forever, and he leaves. You change what he looks like and send him away.

21 K o te whakahonoretanga o ana tama, kahore e mohiotia e ia; ka hoki iho ratou hei ware, heoi kahore tetahi aha o ratou e maharatia e ia.

His sons receive honor, but he does not know it. Or they lose honor, but he does not see it.

22 E mamae ano ia te kikokiko o tona tinana, a ka tangi tona wairua i roto i a ia.

His body gives him pain, and he has sorrow only for himself.”