¹And Job answereth and saith: —

¹¶ Katahi a Hopa ka whakautu, ka mea,

²I have heard many such things, Miserable comforters [are] ye all.

²Ka maha nga mea pena kua rangona nei e ahau: he kaiwhakamarie haumaruru rawa koutou katoa.

³Is there an end to words of wind? Or what doth embolden thee that thou answerest?

³E whai mutunga ranei nga kupu tikangakore? Na te aha ranei koe i whakaoho ki te whakahoki kupu mai?

⁴I also, like you, might speak, If your soul were in my soul`s stead. I might join against you with words, And nod at you with my head.

⁴E taea ano e ahau te korero pena i a koutou; me i penei to koutou wairua me toku wairua, hono tonu aku kupu ki a koutou, ka ruru ano toku upoko ki a koutou.

⁵I might harden you with my mouth, And the moving of my lips might be sparing.

⁵E whakakaha ano ia toku mangai i a koutou, ka ai ano hoki te whakamarie a oku ngutu hei pehi i to koutou mamae.

⁶If I speak, my pain is not restrained, And I cease — what goeth from me?

⁶¶ Ahakoa korero ahau, kahore toku pouri e iti iho; ki te mutu taku, ko tehea wahi o toku mamae ka taharahara iho.

⁷Only, now, it hath wearied me; Thou hast desolated all my company,

⁷Inaianei ano kua meinga ahau e ia kia ruha: moti iho i a koe toku whakaminenga katoa.

⁸And Thou dost loathe me, For a witness it hath been, And rise up against me doth my failure, In my face it testifieth.

⁸Na kua mau kita koe ki ahau, hei kaiwhakaatu i toku he: e whakatika ana mai hoki toku hirokitanga ki ahau, hei whakapuaki i toku he: e whakatika ana mai hoki toku hirokitanga ki ahau hei whakapuaki i toku he.

⁹His anger hath torn, and he hateth me, He hath gnashed at me with his teeth, My adversary sharpeneth his eyes for me.

⁹Haehaea ana ahau e ia i a ia e riri ana, e tukino ana ia i ahau; pakiri ana ona niho ki ahau; e whakakoi mai ana toku hoariri i ona kanohi ki ahau.

¹⁰They have gaped on me with their mouth, In reproach they have smitten my cheeks, Together against me they set themselves.

¹⁰Hamama mai ana o ratou mangai ki ahau; whakahewea mai ana, kei te papaki ratou i toku paparinga; huihui ana ratou kia kotahi hei whawhai ki ahau.

¹¹God shutteth me up unto the perverse, And to the hands of the wicked turneth me over.

¹¹Kua tukua ahau e te Atua ki te hunga he, whakarerea putia ana ahau ki nga ringa o te hunga kino.

¹²At ease I have been, and he breaketh me, And he hath laid hold on my neck, And he breaketh me in pieces, And he raiseth me to him for a mark.

¹²Humarie ana taku noho, heoi kua wawahi ia i ahau; kua mau ia ki toku kaki, tatatia ake ahau kia pakaru rikiriki; whakaturia ana ahau e ia hei koperenga pere mana.

¹³Go round against me do his archers. He splitteth my reins, and spareth not, He poureth out to the earth my gall.

¹³Karapotia ana ahau e ana kaikopere, motumotuhia ana e ia oku whatumanawa, kahore hoki e tohungia; ringihia ana e ia toku au ki te whenua.

¹⁴He breaketh me — breach upon breach, He runneth upon me as a mighty one.

¹⁴He mea wawahi ahau nana, he wahanga, he wahanga; ano he tangata kaha ia e rere mai ana ki runga ki ahau.

¹⁵Sackcloth I have sewed on my skin, And have rolled in the dust my horn.

¹⁵Tuituia ana e ahau he kakahu taratara mo toku kiri, whakaititia iho e ahau toku haona ki te puehu.

¹⁶My face is foul with weeping, And on mine eyelids [is] death-shade.

¹⁶Paruparu noa iho toku mata i te tangihanga, kei runga i oku kamo te atarangi o te mate;

¹⁷Not for violence in my hands, And my prayer [is] pure.

¹⁷¶ Ahakoa kahore he tutu i oku ringa, a he ma taku inoi.

¹⁸O earth, do not thou cover my blood! And let there not be a place for my cry.

¹⁸Kaua, e te whenua, e hipokina oku toto, kei whai wahi tanga ano hoki taku karanga.

¹⁹Also, now, lo, in the heavens [is] my witness, And my testifier in the high places.

¹⁹Kei te rangi nei ano inaianei te kaiwhakaatu o taku, kei te wahi i runga toku kaititiro.

²⁰My interpreter [is] my friend, Unto God hath mine eye dropped:

²⁰E tawai mai ana oku hoa ki ahau, maturuturu tonu ia nga roimata o toku kanohi ki te Atua.

²¹And he reasoneth for a man with God, And a son of man for his friend.

²¹Kia tohe koa ia i to te tangata tika ki te Atua, i to te tama hoki a te tangata ki tona hoa!

²²When a few years do come, Then a path I return not do I go.

²²Kia taka mai hoki nga tau torutoru nei, ka haere ahau i te ara e kore ai ahau e hoki mai ano.