1 K o nga kupu a Akuru tama a Iakehe; ko te poropititanga. I korero taua tangata ki a Itiere, ki a Itiere raua ko Ukara,

The words of Agur the son of Jakeh; the prophecy uttered by the man unto Ithiel, unto Ithiel and Ucal:

2 H e pono ko ahau te mea poauau rawa o nga tangata, kahore hoki he matauranga tangata i roto i ahau.

Truly I am more stupid than any one; and I have not a man's intelligence.

3 K ihai hoki ahau i whakaakona ki te whakaaro nui, kihai ano i mohio ki te Mea Tapu.

I have neither learned wisdom, nor have I the knowledge of the Holy.

4 K o wai kua piki atu ki te rangi, a heke mai ai ano? Ko wai kua pupu i te hau ki roto ki ona ringa? Na wai i takai nga wai ki roto ki tona kakahu? Na wai i whakapumau nga pito katoa o te whenua? Ko wai tona ingoa, a ko wai hoki te ingoa o tana tam a, ki te mohiotia e koe?

Who hath ascended up into the heavens, and descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in a mantle? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou knowest?

5 K o nga kupu katoa a te Atua he mea whakamatau: he whakangungu rakau ia ki te hunga katoa e whakawhirinaki ana ki a ia.

Every word of +God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

6 K aua e tapiritia etahi kupu ki ana, kei riria e ia tou he, a ka kitea koe he tangata korero teka.

Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

7 E rua nga mea kua inoia e ahau i a koe; kaua ena e kaiponuhia i ahau i mua i toku matenga;

Two things do I ask of thee; deny me not before I die:

8 W hakamataratia atu i ahau te horihori me te korero teka; kaua e homai te rawakore ki ahau, te taonga ranei; whangaia ahau ki te kai e rite ana maku:

Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread of my daily need:

9 K ei makona ahau, a ka whakakahore ki a koe, ka mea, Ko wai a Ihowa? Kei rawakore ranei ahau, a ka whanako, ka whakahua noa hoki i te ingoa o toku Atua.

lest I be full and deny, and say, Who is Jehovah? or lest I be poor and steal, and outrage the name of my God.

10 K aua e korerotia te pononga ki tona ariki, kei kanga ia i a koe, a ko koe e he.

Speak not too much about a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be held guilty.

11 T era te whakatupuranga, he kanga ta ratou i to ratou papa, kahore hoki e manaaki i to ratou whaea.

There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother;

12 T era te whakatupuranga, he ma ki ta ratou na titiro, otira kahore ano kia horoia atu to ratou paru.

there is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, yet are not washed from their filthiness;

13 T era te whakatupuranga, Na, te whakakake o o ratou kanohi! Kua whakarewaina ake hoki o ratou kamo.

there is a generation,—how lofty are their eyes, how their eyelids are lifted up!

14 T era te whakatupuranga, ko o ratou niho ano he hoari, ko o ratou niho purakau ano he maripi, hei horo i te hunga iti i runga i te whenua, i nga rawakore hoki i roto i nga tangata.

—a generation whose teeth are swords, and their jaw-teeth knives, to devour the afflicted from off the earth, and the needy from men.

15 E rua nga tamahine a te ngate, ko ta raua karanga, Homai, homa. E toru nga mea e kore rawa e makona, ae ra, e wha nga mea e kore e ki, Kati:

The leech hath two daughters: Give, give. There are three never satisfied; four which say not, It is enough:

16 K o te rua tupapaku; ko te kopu pakoko; ko te whenua kihai i pukuwaitia; a ko te ahi e kore nei e ki, Kati.

—Sheol, and the barren womb; the earth which is not filled with water, and the fire which saith not, It is enough.

17 K o te kanohi e whakahi ana ki te papa, e whakahawea ana ki te whakarongo ki tona whaea, ma nga raweni o te awaawa ia e tikaro, a ma nga pi ekara e kai.

The eye that mocketh at a father, and despiseth to obey a mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.

18 E toru nga mea he whakamiharo rawa, e kore e taea e ahau, ae ra, e wha kahore e mohiotia e ahau:

There are three too wonderful for me, and four that I know not:

19 K o te huarahi o te ekara i te rangi; ko te huarahi o te nakahi i runga i te kamaka; ko te huarahi o te kaipuke i waenga moana; a ko te huarahi o te tangata ki te kotiro.

The way of an eagle in the heavens, the way of a serpent upon a rock, the way of a ship in the midst of the sea, and the way of a man with a maid.

20 H e pera ano te huarahi o te wahine puremu; ka kai ia, a ka horoi i tona mangai, a ka ki, Kahore aku mahi he.

Such is the way of an adulterous woman: she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.

21 E toru nga mea e korikori ai te whenua, a e wha, he mea e kore e manawanuitia e ia:

Under three the earth is disquieted, and under four it cannot bear up:

22 K o te pononga ina whakakingitia ia; ko te wairangi hoki ina makona i te taro;

Under a servant when he reigneth, and a churl when he is filled with meat;

23 K o te wahine whakarihariha ina whiwhi i te tane; a ko te pononga wahine ina tuku iho mana nga mea a tona rangatira.

under an odious when she is married, and a handmaid when she is heir to her mistress.

24 E wha nga mea ririki i runga i te whenua, he nui noa atu ia nga whakaaro:

There are four little upon the earth, and they are exceeding wise:

25 K o nga popokorua ehara i te iwi kaha, heoi e mea ana i te kai ma ratou i te raumati;

The ants, a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer;

26 K o nga koni, he iwi ngoikore, heoi e hanga ana i o ratou whare ki te kamaka;

the rock-badgers are but a feeble folk, yet they make their house in the cliff;

27 K o nga mawhitiwhiti, kahore o ratou kingi, heoi haere ropu ana ratou katoa;

the locusts have no king, yet they go forth all of them by bands;

28 K o te mokomoko, ko ona peke hei pupuri mana; otiia kei roto ia i nga whare kingi.

thou takest hold of the lizard with the hands, yet is she in kings' palaces.

29 E toru nga mea, he tau ta ratou hikoi, ae ra, e wha he huatau ki te haere:

There are three which have a stately step, and four are comely in going:

30 K o te raiona, ko te mea kaha rawa o nga kararehe, e kore nei e tahuri mai i te aroaro o tetahi;

The lion, mighty among beasts, which turneth not away for any;

31 K o te kuri horo; ko te koati toa ano hoki; a ko te kingi, kahore nei tetahi e maranga ake ki a ia.

a girt in the loins; or the he-goat; and a king, against whom none can rise up.

32 K i te mea he mahi kuware tau i a koe i whakaneke ake ai i a koe, ki te mea ranei i whakaaro kino koe, kopania tou ringa ki tou mangai.

If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, the hand upon thy mouth.

33 H e pono hoki ki te hurihia te waiu ka puta mai he pata, a ki te kowiria te ihu ka puta mai he toto: waihoki ki te akina te riri ka puta he whawhai.

For the pressing of milk bringeth forth butter, and the pressing of the nose bringeth forth blood; and the pressing of anger bringeth forth strife.