¹My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me.

¹¶ Kua pau toku manawa, moti rawa oku ra, kua rite te urupa moku.

²Are there not mockers with me? and doth not mine eye continue in their provocation?

²He pono he hunga tawai enei kei ahau, a kei roto tonu toku kanohi i a ratou whakakarangitanga.

³Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee; who is he that will strike hands with me?

³Tena ra, homai he punga ko koe tonu hei whakakapi turanga moku; ko wai hei papaki ringa ki ahau?

⁴For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt them.

⁴Kua huna hoki e koe to ratou ngakau kei mohio; na reira e kore koe e whakaneke ake i a ratou.

⁵He that speaketh flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail.

⁵Ko te tangata e whaki ana i ona hoa, he mea mo te utu, ko nga kanohi tonu o ana tamariki e hemo.

⁶He hath made me also a byword of the people; and aforetime I was as a tabret.

⁶Kua meinga hoki ahau e ia hei hahani ma nga iwi; a kua waiho marakerake ahau hei whakaetietinga.

⁷Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow.

⁷Kua atarua toku kanohi i te tangi, rite tonu ki te atarangi oku wahi katoa.

⁸Upright men shall be astonied at this, and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite.

⁸Ka miharo te hunga tika ki tenei, a ka whakaoho te tangata harakore i a ia ano hei whakahe i te atuakore.

⁹The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.

⁹Otiia ka mau te tangata tika ki tona ara, a ko te tangata ringa ma ka neke haere ake te kaha.

¹⁰But as for you all, do ye return, and come now: for I cannot find one wise man among you.

¹⁰¶ Ko koutou katoa ia tahuri, anga mai nei, e kore hoki tetahi tangata mahara e kitea e ahau i roto i a koutou.

¹¹My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart.

¹¹Kua pahemo oku ra, motumotuhia ake oku whakaaro i whakatakoto ai, tae noa ki nga whakaaro o toku ngakau.

¹²They change the night into day: the light is short because of darkness.

¹²Ko te po kua meinga e ratou hei ao; ko te marama, e ki ana ratou, e tata tonu ana ki te pouri.

¹³If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness.

¹³Ki te titiro ahau i te reinga hei whare moku; mehemea kua wharikitia e ahau toku moenga ki te pouri;

¹⁴I have said to corruption, Thou art my father: to the worm, Thou art my mother, and my sister.

¹⁴Mehemea kua karanga ahau ki te pirau, ko koe toku papa; ki te iro ranei, ko koe toku whaea, toku tuahine!

¹⁵And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it?

¹⁵Kei hea ra he tumanakohanga atu moku? A ko taku e tumanako atu ai ko wai e kite?

¹⁶They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust.

¹⁶Ka riro ki raro ki nga taha o te reinga, ina whai okiokinga i roto i te puehu.