1 N a ka whakautua e Eripata Temani; i mea ia,

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:

2 H e horihori kau koia te matauranga e whakapuakina e te tangata whakaaro, kia whakakiia e ia tona kopu ki te hau marangai?

“Should a wise man answer with empty knowledge, And fill himself with the east wind?

3 M e korero ranei ia ko nga kupu kore hua hei ako, ko nga whaikorero ranei kahore nei e whai tikanga?

Should he reason with unprofitable talk, Or by speeches with which he can do no good?

4 A e, kua whakakorea atu na e koe te wehi, kei te pupuri mai koe i te inoi i te aroaro o te Atua.

Yes, you cast off fear, And restrain prayer before God.

5 N a kei te whakaakona tou mangai e tou kino, a kei te whiriwhiria e koe ko te arero o te hunga tinihanga.

For your iniquity teaches your mouth, And you choose the tongue of the crafty.

6 E hara i ahau, na tou mangai ano i hopu tou kino; ko ou ngutu ano hei whakaatu i tou he.

Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; Yes, your own lips testify against you.

7 K o koe ianei te tangata tuatahi kua whanau? He mea hanga ranei koe no mua atu i nga pukepuke?

“ Are you the first man who was born? Or were you made before the hills?

8 K ua rongo ranei koe i to te Atua whakaaro puku? Kei te kaiponu ranei koe i te whakaaro ki a koe anake?

Have you heard the counsel of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?

9 K o te aha te mohiotia ana e koe, a kahore e mohiotia e matou? Ko tehea whakaaro ano hoki ou kahore nei i a matou?

What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that is not in us?

10 K ei a matou nga upoko hina ratou tahi ko nga tino koroheke, kaumatua rawa ake i tou papa.

Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us, Much older than your father.

11 H e iti rawa ranei mou nga whakamarie a te Atua, te kupu ngawari e hoatu ana ki a koe?

Are the consolations of God too small for you, And the word spoken gently with you?

12 H e aha koe i kahakina atu ai e tou ngakau? He aha hoki ou kanohi i kimokimo ai,

Why does your heart carry you away, And what do your eyes wink at,

13 I tahuri ai tou wairua ki te whakahe i te Atua? i puaki ai ena kupu i tou mangai?

That you turn your spirit against God, And let such words go out of your mouth?

14 H e aha te tangata, e ma ai ia? te whanau ranei a te wahine, e tika ai?

“What is man, that he could be pure? And he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous?

15 N ana, kahore ia e whakawhirinaki ki ana mea tapu; kahore hoki nga rangi e ma ki tana titiro.

If God puts no trust in His saints, And the heavens are not pure in His sight,

16 K atahi ia te he rawa ko te mea whakarihariha, ko te mea poke, ko te tangata e inu nei i te kino ano he wai.

How much less man, who is abominable and filthy, Who drinks iniquity like water!

17 M aku e whakaatu ki a koe, whakarongo mai ki ahau; ko te mea kua kitea e ahau, maku e korero atu.

“I will tell you, hear me; What I have seen I will declare,

18 H e mea korero mai na nga mohio, he whakarerenga iho na o ratou matua: kihai hoki i huna e ratou:

What wise men have told, Not hiding anything received from their fathers,

19 K i a ratou nei anake te homaitanga o te whenua; kihai hoki te tangata ke i tika i waenganui i a ratou.

To whom alone the land was given, And no alien passed among them:

20 E whakamamae ana te tangata kino i ona ra katoa, ara i te maha o nga tau e haupu nei mo te kaitukino.

The wicked man writhes with pain all his days, And the number of years is hidden from the oppressor.

21 H e reo whakawehi kei roto i ona taringa; i te wa whai rawa ka tae mai te kaipahua ki a ia:

Dreadful sounds are in his ears; In prosperity the destroyer comes upon him.

22 K ahore ana whakaaetanga ake tera ia ka hoki ake i te pouri, e whanga ana ano hoki te hoari ki a ia.

He does not believe that he will return from darkness, For a sword is waiting for him.

23 E kopikopiko noa ana ia ki te taro mana, e mea ana: Kei hea ra? E mohio ana ia kua tata ki tona ringa te ra o te pouri.

He wanders about for bread, saying, ‘Where is it? ’ He knows that a day of darkness is ready at his hand.

24 K o te ngakau mamae, me te tumatatenga, hei whakawehi i a ia; ka kaha ake raua i a ia, me te mea he kingi kua rite ana mea mo te whawhai.

Trouble and anguish make him afraid; They overpower him, like a king ready for battle.

25 K ua totoro nei ona ringa ki te whawhai ki te Atua, kua whakatoatoa nei i a ia ki te whawhai ki te Kaha Rawa;

For he stretches out his hand against God, And acts defiantly against the Almighty,

26 K ua rere ki a ia me te kaki maro, me nga puku matotoru o ana whakangungu rakau.

Running stubbornly against Him With his strong, embossed shield.

27 K ua kopakina hoki tona mata e tona ngako, a kua tupu te ngako o tona hope.

“Though he has covered his face with his fatness, And made his waist heavy with fat,

28 N a i noho ia ki nga pa mahue, ki nga whare kahore i nohoia e te tangata, meake nei waiho hei puranga.

He dwells in desolate cities, In houses which no one inhabits, Which are destined to become ruins.

29 E kore ia e whai taonga, e kore ano ona rawa e mau, e kore ano hoki to ratou hua e taupe ki te whenua.

He will not be rich, Nor will his wealth continue, Nor will his possessions overspread the earth.

30 E kore ia e puta i te pouri, ona peka ka maroke i te mura, ka riro atu ano ia i te manawa o tona mangai.

He will not depart from darkness; The flame will dry out his branches, And by the breath of His mouth he will go away.

31 K ei whakawhirinaki ia ki te mea teka noa, kei tinihanga ki a ia ano: no te mea ko te teka noa hei utu ki a ia.

Let him not trust in futile things, deceiving himself, For futility will be his reward.

32 E kore tona ra e taea, kua rite; e kore ano tona peka e whai rau.

It will be accomplished before his time, And his branch will not be green.

33 K a ruiruia e ia ana karepe kaiota ano ko te waina, a ka maka tana puawai me te mea ko te oriwa.

He will shake off his unripe grape like a vine, And cast off his blossom like an olive tree.

34 K a pakoko hoki te whakaminenga o te hunga atuakore, ka pau hoki i te ahi nga teneti o nga utu whakapati.

For the company of hypocrites will be barren, And fire will consume the tents of bribery.

35 H e mahi nanakia te mea i hapu ki roto ki a ratou, whanau ake he teka noa; ko o ratou kopu ano hei hanga i te tinihanga.

They conceive trouble and bring forth futility; Their womb prepares deceit.”