1 H e rua hoki to te hiriwa e puta mai ai, he wahi ano to te koura e whakarewaina ai.

Surely there is a mine for silver, And a place for gold which they refine.

2 H e mea tango mai te rino no roto i te whenua; no te kamaka te parahi, he mea whakarewa.

Iron is taken out of the earth, And copper is molten out of the stone.

3 E whakatakotoria ana e te tangata he mutunga mai mo te pouri, e rapua ana e ia ki te tino tutukitanga atu nga kohatu o te pouri, o te atarangi o te mate.

Man setteth an end to darkness, And searcheth out, to the furthest bound, The stones of obscurity and of thick darkness.

4 E pakaruhia mai ana e ia he rua i ko ake o nga nohoanga tangata; kua wareware ratou i te waewae e haere ana; he tawhiti i te tangata to ratou tarenga, e piu atu ana, e piu ana mai.

He breaketh open a shaft away from where men sojourn; They are forgotten of the foot; They hang afar from men, they swing to and fro.

5 K o te whenua, e puta mai ana he taro i roto i a ia: a e hurihia ake ana a raro iho ano he ahi.

As for the earth, out of it cometh bread; And underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.

6 H ei wahi mo nga hapira ona kohatu, he puehu koura ano tona.

The stones thereof are the place of sapphires, And it hath dust of gold.

7 H e ara tena kahore i mohiotia e te manu, kiano i kitea e te kanohi o te whatura.

That path no bird of prey knoweth, Neither hath the falcon's eye seen it:

8 K ahore nga kirehe whakahi kia takahi i taua ara kahore hoki a reira kia haerea e te raiona tutu.

The proud beasts have not trodden it, Nor hath the fierce lion passed thereby.

9 E pa atu ana tona ringa ki te kiripaka; hurihia ake e ia nga take o nga maunga.

He putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock; He overturneth the mountains by the roots.

10 E tapahia ana e ia he awa i roto i nga kamaka, a e kite ana tona kanohi i nga mea utu nui katoa.

He cutteth out channels among the rocks; And his eye seeth every precious thing.

11 E herea ana e ia nga awa kei maturuturu; e whakaputa mai ana hoki i nga mea ngaro ki te marama.

He bindeth the streams that they trickle not; And the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.

12 E kitea ia ki hea te whakaaro nui? kei hea hoki te wahi o te mohio?

But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?

13 E kore te tangata e mohio ki tona utu, e kore ano taua hanga e kitea ki te whenua o te ora.

Man knoweth not the price thereof; Neither is it found in the land of the living.

14 E ki ake ana te rire, Kahore i ahau; e ki mai ana hoki te moana, Kahore i ahau.

The deep saith, It is not in me; And the sea saith, It is not with me.

15 E kore e hokona ki te koura, e kore ano hoki e taea te pauna te hiriwa hei utu mona.

It cannot be gotten for gold, Neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.

16 E kore e taea te whakarite ki te koura o Opira, ki te onika utu nui, ki te hapira.

It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, With the precious onyx, or the sapphire.

17 E kore e rite te koura, te kohatu piata ki a ia: e kore e hokona ki nga oko koura parakore.

Gold and glass cannot equal it, Neither shall it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.

18 E kore e whakahuatia te kaoa, nga peara ranei; hira ake hoki te utu o te whakaaro nui i to te rupi.

No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal: Yea, the price of wisdom is above rubies.

19 E kore te topaha o Etiopia e rite ki a ia, e kore e tau te koura parakore hei utu.

The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, Neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

20 K a haere mai ra i hea te whakaaro nui? Kei hea te wahi o te matau?

Whence then cometh wisdom? And where is the place of understanding?

21 H e mea huna atu na hoki i nga kanohi o nga mea ora katoa, ngaro rawa i nga manu o te rangi.

Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, And kept close from the birds of the heavens.

22 E ki ake ana te whakangaromanga raua ko te mate, i hakiri o maua taringa ki tona rongo.

Destruction and Death say, We have heard a rumor thereof with our ears.

23 E mohio ana te Atua ki tona ara, kua kite ano ia i tona wahi.

God understandeth the way thereof, And he knoweth the place thereof.

24 E titiro ana hoki ia ki nga pito o te whenua, e kite ana ia i nga mea i raro i te rangi, a puta noa;

For he looketh to the ends of the earth, And seeth under the whole heaven;

25 E mea ana i te whakataimaha mo te hau; ae, e mehua ana ia i nga wai ki te mehua.

To make a weight for the wind: Yea, he meteth out the waters by measure.

26 I a ia e whakatakoto ana i te tikanga mo te ua, i te huarahi mo te uira o te whatitiri,

When he made a decree for the rain, And a way for the lightning of the thunder;

27 K a kitea e ia i reira, a whakapuakina mai ana; i whakaukia e ia, a ata rapua ana e ia.

Then did he see it, and declare it; He established it, yea, and searched it out.

28 A ka mea ia ki te tangata, Na, ko te wehi ki te Ariki, ko te whakaaro nui tena; a ko te mawehe atu i te kino, koia te matauranga.

And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.