1 K ua pau toku manawa, moti rawa oku ra, kua rite te urupa moku.

“My spirit is broken. My days are gone. The grave is ready for me.

2 H e pono he hunga tawai enei kei ahau, a kei roto tonu toku kanohi i a ratou whakakarangitanga.

For sure those with me make fun of me. My eyes see how they laugh at me.

3 T ena ra, homai he punga ko koe tonu hei whakakapi turanga moku; ko wai hei papaki ringa ki ahau?

“Promise that You will hear me. Who is there that will trust me?

4 K ua huna hoki e koe to ratou ngakau kei mohio; na reira e kore koe e whakaneke ake i a ratou.

For You have kept their heart from understanding, so You will not honor them.

5 K o te tangata e whaki ana i ona hoa, he mea mo te utu, ko nga kanohi tonu o ana tamariki e hemo.

If one speaks against friends to get money, the eyes of his children also will become weak.

6 K ua meinga hoki ahau e ia hei hahani ma nga iwi; a kua waiho marakerake ahau hei whakaetietinga.

“But He has made me an object of shame to the people. Men spit on me.

7 K ua atarua toku kanohi i te tangi, rite tonu ki te atarangi oku wahi katoa.

My eyes have become weak with sorrow. All the parts of my body are like a shadow.

8 K a miharo te hunga tika ki tenei, a ka whakaoho te tangata harakore i a ia ano hei whakahe i te atuakore.

Men who are right and good will be surprised and afraid at this. He who is without guilt will be moved to go against the sinful.

9 O tiia ka mau te tangata tika ki tona ara, a ko te tangata ringa ma ka neke haere ake te kaha.

But the one who is right with God will hold to his way. And he who has clean hands will become stronger and stronger.

10 K o koutou katoa ia tahuri, anga mai nei, e kore hoki tetahi tangata mahara e kitea e ahau i roto i a koutou.

But all of you try again, and I will not find a wise man among you.

11 K ua pahemo oku ra, motumotuhia ake oku whakaaro i whakatakoto ai, tae noa ki nga whakaaro o toku ngakau.

My days are past. My plans are torn apart, even the wishes of my heart.

12 K o te po kua meinga e ratou hei ao; ko te marama, e ki ana ratou, e tata tonu ana ki te pouri.

They make night into day, saying, ‘The light is near,’ when there is darkness.

13 K i te titiro ahau i te reinga hei whare moku; mehemea kua wharikitia e ahau toku moenga ki te pouri;

If I look for the place of the dead as my home, I make my bed in the darkness.

14 M ehemea kua karanga ahau ki te pirau, ko koe toku papa; ki te iro ranei, ko koe toku whaea, toku tuahine!

If I say to the grave, ‘You are my father,’ and to the worm, ‘My mother and my sister,’

15 K ei hea ra he tumanakohanga atu moku? A ko taku e tumanako atu ai ko wai e kite?

then where is my hope? Who sees hope for me?

16 K a riro ki raro ki nga taha o te reinga, ina whai okiokinga i roto i te puehu.

Will it go down with me to the place of the dead? Will we go down together into the dust?”