1 K atahi ka whakautua e Topara Naamati; i mea ia,

¶ Then Zophar, the Naamathite, answered and said,

2 N a kona oku whakaaro i whakahoki kupu ake ai i roto i ahau; na reira ano ahau i hohoro ai.

My thoughts certainly cause me to answer, and therefore, I make haste.

3 K ua rongo ahau i te whakahe moku, e pa ai te whakama ki ahau, a na te wairua o toku ngakau mahara te kupu whakahoki ki ahau.

I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my intelligence causes me to answer.

4 K ahore ranei koe i mohio ki tenei i mua noa atu, i te wa ra ano i whakanohoia ai te tangata ki runga ki te whenua;

Dost thou not know this that always was, since man was placed upon earth,

5 H e poto te wa e whakamanamana ai te tangata kino, a ko te hari o te tangata atuakore he wheriko kau?

that the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?

6 A hakoa eke noa tona nui ki nga rangi, a pa atu tona mahunga ki nga kapua;

Though his excellency mounts up to the heavens, and his head reaches unto the clouds,

7 K a memeha atu ano ia a ake ake, ka pera ano me tona paru: ko te hunga kua kite i a ia, ka mea, Kei hea ia?

yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung; those who have seen him shall say, What is become of him?

8 K a rere atu ia ano he moemoea, e kore ano hoki e kitea: ae ka aia atu ia, ano he rekanga kanohi no te po.

He shall fly away as a dream and shall not be found: yea, he shall flee away as a vision of the night.

9 K o te kanohi i kite i a ia e kore e kite ano; a heoi ano tirohanga a tona wahi ki a ia.

The eye which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his place behold him any more.

10 E whakamanawareka ana tamariki i nga rawakore, ma ona ringa ano e whakahoki ona rawa.

¶ His poor sons shall go forth begging, and their hands shall restore that which he stole.

11 E ki ana ona wheua i te tamarikitanga; engari ka takoto tahi me ia i roto i te puehu.

His bones are full of the sins of his youth, which shall be buried with him in the dust.

12 A hakoa reka te kino i roto i tona mangai, ahakoa huna e ia i raro i tona arero;

If wickedness was sweet in his mouth, if he hid it under his tongue,

13 A hakoa manawapatia noatia e ia, a kahore e mahue i a ia, heoi pupuri tonu i roto i tona mangai;

if it seemed good unto him, and he did not forsake it, but savored it within his mouth,

14 O tira ka puta ke tana kai i roto i ona whekau, ko te au o nga ahipi i roto i a ia.

his food shall be changed in his bowels, it shall be the gall of asps within him.

15 I horomia e ia te taonga, ka ruakina mai ano e ia; ma te Atua e akiri mai i roto i tona kopu.

He has swallowed down riches, but he shall vomit them up again; God shall cast them out of his belly.

16 K a ngotea e ia te huware whakamate o nga ahipi; ka mate ano ia i te arero o te waipera.

He shall suck the poison of asps; the viper’s tongue shall slay him.

17 E kore ia e kite i nga awa, i nga wai rere o te honi, o te pata.

He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter.

18 K o tana i uaua ai ka whakahokia e ia, e kore ano e horomia; ko tana utu ka rite ki ona taonga; e kore ano e koa ki reira.

He shall restore the work that was not his; according to the substance that he took; neither shall he devour, nor rejoice.

19 N ana hoki i tukino nga rawakore, whakarerea iho; murua ana e ia he whare, a e kore e hanga ano e ia.

Because he oppressed and forsook the poor; because he has violently taken away houses which he did not build,

20 I te mea kahore ia i kite i te tatutanga i roto i a ia, e kore ano etahi o nga mea e matea nuitia ana e ia e mau ki a ia.

therefore, he shall not feel quietness in his belly; he shall not escape with that which he desired.

21 K ahore tetahi mea i toe i kore te horomia e ia; no reira e kore tetahi mea pai ona e mau tonu.

Nothing is left that he did not eat; therefore, his goods shall not last.

22 I a ia e whiwhi nui nei i te rawa, e rawakore ano ia; ka tae mai ki a ia nga ringa katoa o te hunga kei roto i te mata.

In the fullness of his sufficiency, he shall come into anguish; the hands of all the wicked shall come upon him.

23 I a ia ka mea ki te whakaki i tona kopu, ka maka mai e te Atua te kaha o tona riri ki runga ki a ia, a ka ringihia iho ki a ia, i a ia ano e kai ana.

¶ When he is about to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him and shall rain it upon him and upon his food.

24 K a rere atu ia i te patu rino, ka tu ia i te kopere parahi, puta pu.

He shall flee from the weapons of iron, and the bow of bronze shall strike him through.

25 E unuhia ana, kua puta mai i roto i te tinana, ina, puta mai ana te mata wheriko i roto i tona au: kua tau nga wehi ki a ia.

He shall draw forth an arrow from his quiver, and like lightning it shall strike through his gall; terrors shall come upon him.

26 K o te pouri katoa kei te takoto mai mo ana taonga: ka kainga ia e te ahi, kihai i puhia e te tangata; ma reira e pau ai te toenga i roto i tona teneti.

All darkness is kept for his secrets; a fire not blown shall consume him; his successor shall be broken in his tent.

27 K a whakakitea mai tona he e nga rangi ka whakatika mai ano te whenua ki a ia.

The heavens shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him.

28 K o nga hua o tona whare ka riro: ka rere, ano he wai, ona mea i te ra e riri ai ia.

The increase of his house shall be taken captive; they shall be scattered in the day of his wrath.

29 K o ta te Atua wahi tenei ma te tangata kino, ko te taonga tupu i kiia e te Atua mona.

This is the portion of a wicked man from God and the heritage that God appoints unto him by his word.