¹My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

¹¶ Kua hoha toku wairua ki toku ora; ka tukua e ahau taku tangi kia rere ana; ka korero ahau i te kikiwatanga o toku ngakau.

²I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.

²Ka mea ahau ki te Atua, Kaua ahau e whakahengia; whakakitea ki ahau te take i totohe ai koe ki ahau.

³Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?

³He mea pai ranei ki a koe kia tukino koe, kia whakahawea ki te mahi a ou ringa, a kia whiti tou marama ki te whakaaro o te hunga kino?

⁴Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth?

⁴He kanohi kikokiko ranei ou? he penei ranei tau titiro me ta te tangata titiro?

⁵Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man's days,

⁵He rite ranei ou ra ki o te tangata ra? He rite ranei ou tau ki o te tangata ra?

⁶That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin?

⁶I uiuia ai e koe toku kino, i rapua ai e koe toku hara?

⁷Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.

⁷Ahakoa e mohio ana ano koe ehara ahau i te mea he, kahore ano tetahi hei whakaora i roto i tou ringa?

⁸Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.

⁸¶ Na ou ringa ahau i mahi, i hanga, he mea hono marie i tetahi taha, i tetahi taha; otiia e whakangaromia ana ahau e koe.

⁹Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?

⁹Kia mahara ra, nau ahau i hanga, ano he paru; tera ranei koe e whakahoki ano i ahau ki te puehu?

¹⁰Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?

¹⁰He teka ianei he mea riringi ahau nau ano he waiu, meinga ana ahau e koe kia tetepe ano he tiihi?

¹¹Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews.

¹¹Nau ahau i whakakakahu ki te kiri, ki te kikokiko, a nau ano ahau i hohou ki te wheua, ki te uaua.

¹²Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.

¹²Whakawhiwhi ana ahau e koe ki te ora, ki te atawhai, a he tirotirohanga mai nau i mau ai toku wairua.

¹³And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee.

¹³Heoi huna ana ano enei mea e koe i roto i tou ngakau: e mohio ana hoki ahau kei a koe ano tenei.

¹⁴If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.

¹⁴¶ Ki te hara ahau, ka matauria e koe; e kore ano koe e whakakahore ki toku he.

¹⁵If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction;

¹⁵Ki te he ahau, aue toku mate: ki te tika ahau, e kore tonu e ara toku mahunga; he ki hoki noku i te whakama me te titiro iho ki toku mate.

¹⁶For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou shewest thyself marvellous upon me.

¹⁶A ki te whakarewa ake toku mahunga i a ia, ka whaia ahau e koe ano he raiona; a ka whakakite ano koe i a koe, i tou miharo, ki ahau.

¹⁷Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and increasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war are against me.

¹⁷E whakahoutia ana e koe au kaiwhakaatu i oku he, e whakanuia ana hoki e koe tou riri ki ahau; ko nga putanga ketanga ko te whawhai hei pehi i ahau.

¹⁸Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me!

¹⁸He aha ra ahau i whakaputaina mai ai e koe i roto i te kopu? te hemo noa atu ai ahau, a kihai tetahi kanohi i kite i ahau.

¹⁹I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

¹⁹Penei kua rite ahau, ano kua kahore noa iho; kua mauria atu ahau i te kopu ki te urupa.

²⁰Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,

²⁰He teka ranei he torutoru oku ra? Kati ra, waiho ake koa ahau, kia ahua makoha ana i tenei wa iti,

²¹Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death;

²¹Keiwha haere, ahau ki te wahi e kore nei ahau e hoki mai, ki te whenua o te pouri, o te atarangi o te mata;

²²A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.

²²Ki te whenua o te pouri kerekere, o te tino o te pouri; he whenua no te atarangi o te mate, kahore nei o reira tikanga, a ko tona marama, koia ano te pouri.