1 H e teka ranei kua takoto he pakanga mo te tangata i runga i te whenua, he rite ano ona ra ki nga ra o te kaimahi?

“Is not man made to work on earth? Are not his days like the days of a man paid to work?

2 E rite ana ki te pononga, e matenui nei ki te atarangi, ki te kaimahi, e tumanako nei ki te utu mo tana mahi;

Like a servant who desires to be out of the sun, and like a working man who waits for his pay,

3 K oia toku rite, ka whiwhi nei ki nga marama horihori, a he mauiui nga po kua whakaritea moku.

I am given months of pain and nights of suffering for no reason.

4 K a takoto ahau, ka mea ahau, A hea ahau ara ai? he roa ia te po; heoi ka tahurihuri kau ahau a ao noa.

When I lie down I say, ‘When will I get up?’ But the night is long, and I am always turning from side to side until morning.

5 K o te kakahu mo oku kikokiko he kutukutu, he pokuru oneone; ka kukuti toku kiri, a ka ngatata ano.

My flesh is covered with worms and dirt. My skin becomes hard and breaks open.

6 K o oku ra hohoro atu i te rakau a te kaiwhatu; pau ake, te ai he tumanakohanga atu.

My days are faster than a cloth-maker’s tool, and come to their end without hope.

7 K ia mahara he hau oku ra; heoi ano kitenga o toku kanohi i te pai.

“Remember that my life is only a breath. My eye will not again see good.

8 K o te kanohi o te tangata e kite ana i ahau, heoi ano tona tirohanga mai ki ahau: kei runga i ahau ou kanohi, heoi kahore iho ahau.

The eye of him who sees me will see me no more. Your eyes will be on me, but I will be gone.

9 M emeha atu te kapua, ngaro atu: he pera ano te tangata e haere ana ki te urupa; e kore e hoki ake.

When a cloud goes away, it is gone. And he who goes down to the place of the dead does not come back.

10 E kore ia e hoki mai ano ki tona whare, e kore ano tona wahi e mahara ki a ia i muri.

He will not return to his house, and his place will not know him any more.

11 N a e kore e kaiponuhia e ahau toku mangai; ka korero ahau i toku wairua e mamae nei; ka tangi i te kawa i toku ngakau.

“So I will not keep my mouth shut. I will speak in the suffering of my spirit. I will complain because my soul is bitter.

12 H e moana ranei ahau, he tohora, i mea ai koe i te kaitirotiro moku/

Am I the sea, or a large sea animal, that You put someone to watch me?

13 K i te mea ahau, kei toku moenga ahau te marie ai, ma toku takotoranga e whakamama taku tangi;

When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me, and there I will find rest from my complaining,’

14 N a ka whakahaehaetia ahau e koe ki nga moe, ka whakawehia ahau ki nga mea e whakakitea mai.

then You send dreams to me which fill me with fear.

15 A ki ta toku wairua he pai te tarona; pai ake te mate i enei wheua oku.

So a quick death by having my breath stopped would be better to me than my pains.

16 E whakarihariha ana ahau ki toku ora; kahore oku hiahia kia ora tonu ahau: waiho noa iho ahau, he mea teka noa hoki oku ra.

I hate my life. I will not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are only a breath.

17 H e aha te tangata, i whakanuia ai e koe? i anga ai tou ngakau ki a ia?

What is man, that You make so much of him? Why do You care about him,

18 I titiro ai koe i a ia i tenei ata, i tenei ata, i honohono ai tau whakamatautau i a ia?

that You look at him every morning, and test him all the time?

19 K ia pehea ake te roa ou kahore nei e tahuri atu i ahau, oku kahore nei e waiho noa iho e koe, kia horomia ai toku huware?

How long will it be until You look away from me? Will You not let me alone until I swallow my spit?

20 M ehemea kua hara ahau, kia aha atu ahau ki a koe, e te kaitiaki o nga tangata? he aha ahau i waiho ai e koe hei patunga mau i taimaha iho ai ahau ki ahau ano.

Have I sinned? What have I done to You, O watcher of men? Why have you made me something to shoot at, so that I am a problem to myself?

21 H e aha koe te whakarere noa ai i toku he, te whakapahemo ai i toku kino? Akuanei hoki ahau moe ai ki te puehu, a ka ata rapu koe i ahau, otiia kahore noa iho ahau.

Why then do You not forgive my wrong-doing and take away my sin? For now I will lie down in the dust. You will look for me, but I will not be.”