1 N a ka whakahoki a Hopa, ka mea,

Then Job answered and said:

2 E mohiotia ana ano tenei e ahau; engari ma te aha ka tika ai te tangata ki te Atua?

“Truly I know it is so, But how can a man be righteous before God?

3 K i te pai ia ki te totohe ki a ia, kahore he kupu kotahi o roto i te mano e taea e ia te whakahoki ki a ia.

If one wished to contend with Him, He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.

4 H e ngakau mohio ia, he pakari tona kaha: ko wai e whakauaua ki a ia, a e whiwhi i te pai?

God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?

5 E nekehia ana e ia nga maunga, te mohio ratou; hurihia ake e ia i a ia e riri ana.

He removes the mountains, and they do not know When He overturns them in His anger;

6 E whakangaueuetia ana e ia te whenua, e nekehia atu ana i tona wahi, wiri ana ona pou.

He shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble;

7 E korero nei ki te ra, a kore ake e whiti; hiritia putia iho e ia nga whetu.

He commands the sun, and it does not rise; He seals off the stars;

8 K o ia nei anake hei hora i nga rangi, hei takahi i runga i nga ngaru o te moana.

He alone spreads out the heavens, And treads on the waves of the sea;

9 N ana nei i hanga a Aketura, a Tautoru, a Matariki, me nga ruma i te tonga.

He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south;

10 N ana nei i mahi nga mea nunui, e kore nei e taea te rapu atu, ae ra nga mea whakamiharo, e kore nei e taea te tatau.

He does great things past finding out, Yes, wonders without number.

11 I na tonu ia e haere atu nei, a kahore ahau i kite; ka pahemo atu hoki ia, a kahore ahau e matau ki a ia.

If He goes by me, I do not see Him; If He moves past, I do not perceive Him;

12 N ana, ka hopu ia i tana i aru ai, ma wai ia e arai? Ko wai hei ki atu ki a ia, E aha ana koe?

If He takes away, who can hinder Him? Who can say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’

13 E kore te Atua e whakahoki iho i tona riri; e piko ana ki raro i a ia nga kaiawhina o Rahapa.

God will not withdraw His anger, The allies of the proud lie prostrate beneath Him.

14 A kia whakahoki kupu ano ahau ki a ia, kia whiriwhiri kupu ano maku ki a ia?

“How then can I answer Him, And choose my words to reason with Him?

15 A hakoa he tika ahau, e kore ahau e whakahoki kupu atu; engari ka inoi ahau ki toku kaiwhakawa.

For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him; I would beg mercy of my Judge.

16 M e i karanga atu ahau, a whakahokia mai ai e ia te kupu ki ahau, kihai ahau i whakaae tera kua whakarongo mai ia ki toku reo.

If I called and He answered me, I would not believe that He was listening to my voice.

17 E aki ana hoki ia ia ahau ki te tupuhi, e whakanui takekore ana hoki i oku mate.

For He crushes me with a tempest, And multiplies my wounds without cause.

18 K ahore ahau e tukua e ia kia ta toku manawa; otiia whakakiia ana e ia toku wairua ki te kawa.

He will not allow me to catch my breath, But fills me with bitterness.

19 K i te korero tatou mo te kaha o te hunga pakari, nana, kei reira ia! A ki te mea he whakawa, ko wai ra hei whakatakoto i te taima moku?

If it is a matter of strength, indeed He is strong; And if of justice, who will appoint my day in court?

20 A hakoa he tika ahau, ma toku mangai ano ahau e whakahe; ahakoa he tikanga tapatahi taku, ma reira ano e whakaatu toku ngaunga ketanga.

Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me; Though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse.

21 H e tapatahi ahau; kahore ahau e whakaaro ki ahau ano; e whakahawea ana ahau ki toku ora.

“I am blameless, yet I do not know myself; I despise my life.

22 H e kotahi tonu ena; koia ahau ka mea, e whakamotitia ana e ia te tapatahi raua ko te kino.

It is all one thing; Therefore I say, ‘He destroys the blameless and the wicked.’

23 N a ka whakamate tata nei te whiu, he kata tana ki te whakamatautauranga o te hunga harakore.

If the scourge slays suddenly, He laughs at the plight of the innocent.

24 K ua hoatu te whenua ki te ringa o te tangata kino; e taupokina ana e ia nga mata o nga kaiwhakawa; ki te mea ehara i a ia, tena ko wai?

The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of its judges. If it is not He, who else could it be?

25 N a, ko te hohoro o oku ra, nui atu i to te kaikawe pukapuka; e rere ana, kahore hoki e kite i te pai.

“Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good.

26 K ua pahemo, kua pera me nga kaipuke tere, me te ekara ano e topa iho ana ki tana kai.

They pass by like swift ships, Like an eagle swooping on its prey.

27 K i te mea ahau, ka wareware ahau ki taku tangi, ka unuhia atu e ahau te pouri o toku mata, a ka marama:

If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face and wear a smile,’

28 E wehi ana ahau i oku mamae katoa, e mohio ana ahau e kore ahau e meinga e koe he harakore.

I am afraid of all my sufferings; I know that You will not hold me innocent.

29 T era hoki ahau e whakahengia; he aha ahau i whakangenge kau ai i ahau?

If I am condemned, Why then do I labor in vain?

30 K i te horoi ahau i ahau ki te hukarere, a ka meinga oku ringa kia ma rawa;

If I wash myself with snow water, And cleanse my hands with soap,

31 K atahi ahau ka rumakina e koe ki te poka, a whakarihariha mai ana oku kakahu ki ahau.

Yet You will plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes will abhor me.

32 E hara hoki ia i te tangata, i te penei me ahau nei, e whakahoki kupu ai ahau ki a ia, e haere tahi ai maua ki te whakawa.

“For He is not a man, as I am, That I may answer Him, And that we should go to court together.

33 K ahore he kaiwhakatikatika mo ta maua, kahore he tangata hei whakapa i tona ringa ki a maua tahi.

Nor is there any mediator between us, Who may lay his hand on us both.

34 M e tango atu e ia tana patu i ahau, a kaua hoki tana whakamataku e whakawehi i ahau:

Let Him take His rod away from me, And do not let dread of Him terrify me.

35 H ei reira ahau ka korero, a kahore e wehi i a ia; kahore hoki ahau e pera i roto i ahau.

Then I would speak and not fear Him, But it is not so with me.