1 A i korero tonu a Hopa i tana pepeha, i mea,

Job further continued his discourse, and said:

2 A ue, me i rite ki nga marama o mua, ki nga ra i tiaki ai te Atua i ahau!

“Oh, that I were as in months past, As in the days when God watched over me;

3 I tiaho mai ai tana rama ki toku matenga, a na tana whakamarama i haere ai ahau i te pouri:

When His lamp shone upon my head, And when by His light I walked through darkness;

4 M e i pera ano me ahau i nga ra o toku taiohitanga, i te mea nei kei runga to te Atua whakaaro puku i toku teneti;

Just as I was in the days of my prime, When the friendly counsel of God was over my tent;

5 I te mea e noho ana ano te Kaha Rawa i ahau, a kei tetahi taha oku aku tamariki, kei tetahi taha;

When the Almighty was yet with me, When my children were around me;

6 I horoia ai oku takahanga ki te pata, a rere mai ana nga awa hinu ki ahau i roto i te kohatu!

When my steps were bathed with cream, And the rock poured out rivers of oil for me!

7 I toku haerenga atu ki te kuwaha ki te pa, a whakapai ana i te nohoanga moku i te waharoa,

“When I went out to the gate by the city, When I took my seat in the open square,

8 K a kite nga taitamariki i ahau, a piri ana ratou: whakatika ana nga koroheke, tu ana ki runga;

The young men saw me and hid, And the aged arose and stood;

9 M utu pu te korero a nga tino tangata, kua kopania te ringa ki o ratou mangai;

The princes refrained from talking, And put their hand on their mouth;

10 N garo ana te reo o nga rangatira, piri ana o ratou arero ki o ratou ngao.

The voice of nobles was hushed, And their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.

11 N o te rongonga hoki o te taringa i ahau manaaki ana i ahau; te kitenga o te kanohi i ahau, whakaae mai ana ki aku mahi:

When the ear heard, then it blessed me, And when the eye saw, then it approved me;

12 N o te mea naku i whakaora te rawakore i a ia e karanga ana, te pani me te tangata hoki kahore nei ona kaiawhina.

Because I delivered the poor who cried out, The fatherless and the one who had no helper.

13 I tau ki runga ki ahau te manaaki a te tangata e tata ana ki te whakangaromanga; harakoa ana i ahau te ngakau o te pouaru.

The blessing of a perishing man came upon me, And I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

14 I kakahuria e ahau te tika, a ko tera toku kakahu: e rite ana taku whakarite whakawa he koroka, he karauna.

I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; My justice was like a robe and a turban.

15 H e kanohi ahau ki te matapo, he waewae ki te kopa.

I was eyes to the blind, And I was feet to the lame.

16 H e matua ahau ki nga rawakore: a i ata rapua e ahau te tikanga o te totohe a te tangata kihai nei ahau i mohio.

I was a father to the poor, And I searched out the case that I did not know.

17 W awahia ana e ahau nga kauae o te tangata kino, a takiritia mai ana e ahau tana mea pahua i roto i ona niho.

I broke the fangs of the wicked, And plucked the victim from his teeth.

18 K atahi ahau ka mea, Tera ahau e mate i roto i toku ohanga; ka whakanuia oku ra kia rite ki te onepu te maha:

“Then I said, ‘I shall die in my nest, And multiply my days as the sand.

19 K o toku pakiaka tautoro tonu ki nga wai, a i te po tau ana te tomairangi ki runga ki toku peka:

My root is spread out to the waters, And the dew lies all night on my branch.

20 K o toku kororia hou tonu i roto i ahau, a hoki ake ana te kaha o taku kopere i toku ringa.

My glory is fresh within me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.’

21 I whakarongo mai nga tangata ki ahau, i tatari, whakarongo puku ana ratou i ahau e whakatakoto whakaaro ana.

“ Men listened to me and waited, And kept silence for my counsel.

22 I muri i aku kupu kore ake ratou i korero ano; maturuturu iho ana aku kupu ki runga ki a ratou.

After my words they did not speak again, And my speech settled on them as dew.

23 I taria mai ahau e ratou ano ko te ua; hamama mai ana o ratou mangai ano e tatari ana ki te ua o muri.

They waited for me as for the rain, And they opened their mouth wide as for the spring rain.

24 K a kata ahau ki a ratou, kihai i whakaponohia e ratou; kihai hoki ratou i whakataka i te marama o toku mata.

If I mocked at them, they did not believe it, And the light of my countenance they did not cast down.

25 N aku to ratou ara i whiriwhiri, a noho ana ahau hei rangatira, noho ana hoki ahau ano he kingi i roto i te ope; i rite ahau ki te kaiwhakamarie o te hunga e tangi ana.

I chose the way for them, and sat as chief; So I dwelt as a king in the army, As one who comforts mourners.