1 H e aha nga wa te whakapurangatia ai e te Kaha Rawa? A he aha hoki te hunga e mohio ana ki a ia te kite ai i ona ra?

Why does He not set seasons for judgment? Why do those who know Him see not His days ?

2 T era etahi e whakaneke atu ana i nga rohe; e kahakina ana e ratou nga kahui, whangaia iho e ratou.

Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks and pasture them.

3 E aia atu ana e ratou te kaihe a nga pani, e tangohia ana hei taunaha te kau a te pouaru.

They drive away the donkey of the fatherless; they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.

4 W hakapekaia ketia ana e ratou nga rawakore i te ara: huihui ana nga ware o te whenua, piri ana.

They crowd the poor and needy off the road; the poor and meek of the earth all hide themselves.

5 N ana, rite tonu ratou ki te kaihe mahoao i te koraha, haere atu ana ki ta ratou mahi, e whai ana ki te kai; hei kai te koraha ma ratou, ma a ratou tamariki.

Behold, as wild asses in the desert, go forth to their work, seeking diligently for prey and food; the wilderness yields them bread for their children.

6 E kotia ana e ratou ta ratou witi i te mara; e kohia ana e ratou nga waina a te hunga tutu.

They reap each one his fodder in a field, and they glean the vintage of the wicked man.

7 E takoto tahanga ana ratou i te po roa, kahore he kakahu, kahore hoki he hipoki i te maeke.

They lie all night naked, without clothing, and have no covering in the cold.

8 M aku iho ratou i te awha o nga maunga, a, ka kore he rerenga, ka awhi i te kamaka.

They are wet with the showers of the mountains and cling to the rock for want of shelter.

9 T era te hunga, e tangohia mai ana e ratou te pani i te u, e tango ana i ta te rawakore taunaha:

pluck the fatherless infants from the breast, and take the poor for a pledge,

10 K oia ka haere tahanga ratou, kahore he kakahu, a, i te matekai ka hari i nga paihere witi;

So that the needy go about naked for lack of clothing, and though hungry, they must carry the sheaves.

11 E mahi nei i te hinu i roto i nga taiepa a aua tangata; e takahi nei i a ratou poka waina, me te mate i te wai.

Among the olive rows make oil; they tread the presses, but suffer thirst.

12 E aue ana nga tangata i roto i te pa, e karanga ana hoki te wairua o te hunga i patua: kahore ano ia a te Atua whakakuware ki a ratou.

From out of the populous city men groan, and the very life of the wounded cries for help; yet God regards not the wrong done them.

13 N o te hunga ratou e whakakeke ana ki te marama; kahore o ratou mohio ki ona ara, e kore ano ratou e noho ki ona huarahi.

These wrongdoers are of those who rebel against the light; they know not its ways nor stay in its paths.

14 E maranga ana te kaikohuru i te mea ka marama, patua iho e ia te ware me te rawakore; a i te po ka pena ia i te tahae.

The murderer rises with the light; he kills the poor and the needy, and in the night he becomes as a thief.

15 E tatari ana te kanohi o te tangata puremu kia nehunehu iho, e mea ana, E kore te kanohi e kite i ahau: e huna ana ia i tona mata.

The eye also of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me, and he puts a disguise upon his face.

16 E keri ana ratou i nga whare i te pouri: i te awatea e pa ana ratou i a ratou: kahore ratou e mohio ki te marama.

In the dark, they dig through houses; by day they shut themselves up; they do not know the sunlight.

17 K i a ratou katoa hoki e rite ana te ata ki te atarangi o te mate; e matau ana hoki ratou ki nga whakamataku o te atarangi o te mate.

For midnight is morning to all of them; for they are familiar with the terrors of deep darkness.

18 T ere tonu ia ki runga ki te mata o nga wai; he mea kanga to ratou wahi i runga i te whenua: e kore ia e anga mai ki te ara ki nga mara waina.

Swiftly such men pass away on the face of the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth; turns into their vineyards.

19 K a riro nga wai o te hukarere i te tauraki, i te wera: te hunga hara ano hoki i te reinga.

Drought and heat consume the snow waters; so does Sheol (the place of the dead) those who have sinned.

20 K a wareware te kopu ki a ia; he kai reka ia ma te iro; e kore ia e maharatia i muri iho; ka whati hoki te kino ano he rakau.

The womb shall forget him, the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered, and unrighteousness shall be broken like a tree.

21 E tukinotia ana e ia te pakoko kihai nei i whanau; kahore hoki ana mahi pai ki te pouaru.

preys upon the barren, childless woman and does no good to the widow.

22 E kumea atu ana hoki e ia nga marohirohi ki tona kaha: ka whakatika ake ia, kahore he tangata e u ki te ora.

Yet prolongs the life of the mighty by His power; they rise up when they had despaired of life.

23 I homai ano e te Atua ki a ratou kia au te noho, a ka whakawhirinaki ratou ki reira; kei runga hoki i o ratou huarahi ona kanohi.

God gives them security, and they rest on it; and His eyes are upon their ways.

24 E whakanekehia ake ana ratou; otiia wahi iti nei, kua kahore noa iho ratou; ae ra, ka whakaitia ratou, ka whakawateatia atu pera i era atu katoa, a ka tapahia atu ano ko nga kauru o nga puku witi.

They are exalted for a little while, and then are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all others are and are cut off as the tops of the ears of grain.

25 K i te mea he teka tenei ko wai hei whakateka ki ahau, hei whakakahore i taku korero?

And if this is not so, who will prove me a liar and make my speech worthless?