1 N a ka whakautu a Pirirara Huhi, ka mea,

And Bildad the Shuhite answereth and saith: --

2 K ia pehea ake te roa o tau korero i enei mea? Kia pehea ake te roa o nga kupu a tou mangai e rite ai ki te hau kaha?

Till when dost thou speak these things? And a strong wind -- sayings of thy mouth?

3 E whakaparori ke ranei te Atua i te whakawa? E whakaparori ke ranei te Kaha Rawa i te tika?

Doth God pervert judgment? And doth the Mighty One pervert justice?

4 K i te mea i hara au tamariki ki a ia, a kua maka atu ratou e ia hei utu mo to ratou he;

If thy sons have sinned before Him, And He doth send them away, By the hand of their transgression,

5 K i te rapu wawe koe i to Atua, a ka inoi ki te Kaha Rawa;

If thou dost seek early unto God, And unto the Mighty makest supplication,

6 K i te mea he ma koe, he tika, ina, ka ara ake ia ki a koe aianei, ka manaakitia ano e ia te nohoanga o tou tika.

If pure and upright thou, Surely now He waketh for thee, And hath completed The habitation of thy righteousness.

7 A hakoa i iti tou timatanga, e nui noa atu tou whakamutunga.

And thy beginning hath been small, And thy latter end is very great.

8 T ena ra, ui atu ki to mua whakatupuranga; anga atu hoki ki te mea kua rapua e o ratou matua.

For, ask I pray thee of a former generation, And prepare to a search of their fathers,

9 N onanahi nei hoki tatou, kahore hoki e mohio; he atarangi nei hoki o tatou ra i runga i te whenua;

(For of yesterday we, and we know not, For a shadow our days on earth.)

10 E kore ranei ratou e whakaako i a koe, e korero ki a koe, e puaki mai ranei he kupu i o ratou ngakau?

Do they not shew thee -- speak to thee, And from their heart bring forth words?

11 E tupu ranei te wiwi i te mea kahore he repo? E nui ranei te raupo ki te kahore he wai?

`Doth a rush wise without mire? A reed increase without water?

12 I te mea he kaiota tonu, a kihai i tapahia, kua maroke i mua ake i nga otaota katoa.

While it in its budding -- uncropt, Even before any herb it withereth.

13 K a pera ano nga ara o te hunga katoa e wareware ana ki te Atua, a ka riro ki te kore ta te tangata whakaponokore i tumanako ai.

So the paths of all forgetting God, And the hope of the profane doth perish,

14 K a motuhia atu tana i whakamanawa atu ai, ko te whare hoki o te pungawerewere hei tumanakohanga mona.

Whose confidence is loathsome, And the house of a spider his trust.

15 K a okioki atu ia ki tona whare; heoi e kore e tu: u tonu tana pupuri atu, otiia e kore e mau.

He leaneth on his house -- and it standeth not: He taketh hold on it -- and it abideth not.

16 E matomato ana i te mea kahore nei te ra, a e wana ana ona peka i tana kari.

Green he before the sun, And over his garden his branch goeth out.

17 K api tonu te puranga i ona pakiaka, e kitea ana e ia te wahi kamaka.

By a heap his roots are wrapped, A house of stones he looketh for.

18 K i te whakamotitia iho ia i tona wahi, ka whakakahore taua wahi ki a ia, ka mea, Kahore ahau i kite i a koe.

If doth destroy him from his place, Then it hath feigned concerning him, I have not seen thee!

19 N ana, ko te hari tenei o tona ara, a ka tupu ake etahi atu i roto i te puehu.

Lo, this the joy of his way, And from the dust others spring up.'

20 N ana, e kore te Atua e whakakahore ki te tangata tika, e kore ano e puritia e ia te ringa o nga tangata kino.

Lo, God doth not reject the perfect, Nor taketh hold on the hand of evil doers.

21 T era ano tou mangaika whakakiia e ia ki te kata, ou ngutu ki te hamama.

While he filleth with laughter thy mouth, And thy lips with shouting,

22 H e whakama te kakahu mo te hunga e kino ana ki a koe, a ka kahore noa iho te tapenakara o te hunga kino.

Those hating thee do put on shame, And the tent of the wicked is not!