¹Is there not a warfare to man on earth? And as the days of an hireling his days?

¹¶ He teka ranei kua takoto he pakanga mo te tangata i runga i te whenua, he rite ano ona ra ki nga ra o te kaimahi?

²As a servant desireth the shadow, And as a hireling expecteth his wage,

²E rite ana ki te pononga, e matenui nei ki te atarangi, ki te kaimahi, e tumanako nei ki te utu mo tana mahi;

³So I have been caused to inherit months of vanity, And nights of misery they numbered to me.

³Koia toku rite, ka whiwhi nei ki nga marama horihori, a he mauiui nga po kua whakaritea moku.

⁴If I lay down then I said, `When do I rise!` And evening hath been measured, And I have been full of tossings till dawn.

⁴Ka takoto ahau, ka mea ahau, A hea ahau ara ai? he roa ia te po; heoi ka tahurihuri kau ahau a ao noa.

⁵Clothed hath been my flesh [with] worms, And a clod of dust, My skin hath been shrivelled and is loathsome,

⁵Ko te kakahu mo oku kikokiko he kutukutu, he pokuru oneone; ka kukuti toku kiri, a ka ngatata ano.

⁶My days swifter than a weaving machine, And they are consumed without hope.

⁶Ko oku ra hohoro atu i te rakau a te kaiwhatu; pau ake, te ai he tumanakohanga atu.

⁷Remember Thou that my life [is] a breath, Mine eye turneth not back to see good.

⁷¶ Kia mahara he hau oku ra; heoi ano kitenga o toku kanohi i te pai.

⁸The eye of my beholder beholdeth me not. Thine eyes [are] upon me — and I am not.

⁸Ko te kanohi o te tangata e kite ana i ahau, heoi ano tona tirohanga mai ki ahau: kei runga i ahau ou kanohi, heoi kahore iho ahau.

⁹Consumed hath been a cloud, and it goeth, So he who is going down to Sheol cometh not up.

⁹Memeha atu te kapua, ngaro atu: he pera ano te tangata e haere ana ki te urupa; e kore e hoki ake.

¹⁰He turneth not again to his house, Nor doth his place discern him again.

¹⁰E kore ia e hoki mai ano ki tona whare, e kore ano tona wahi e mahara ki a ia i muri.

¹¹Also I — I withhold not my mouth — I speak in the distress of my spirit, I talk in the bitterness of my soul.

¹¹Na e kore e kaiponuhia e ahau toku mangai; ka korero ahau i toku wairua e mamae nei; ka tangi i te kawa i toku ngakau.

¹²A sea-[monster] am I, or a dragon, That thou settest over me a guard?

¹²He moana ranei ahau, he tohora, i mea ai koe i te kaitirotiro moku/

¹³When I said, `My bed doth comfort me,` He taketh away in my talking my couch.

¹³Ki te mea ahau, kei toku moenga ahau te marie ai, ma toku takotoranga e whakamama taku tangi;

¹⁴And thou hast affrighted me with dreams, And from visions thou terrifiest me,

¹⁴Na ka whakahaehaetia ahau e koe ki nga moe, ka whakawehia ahau ki nga mea e whakakitea mai.

¹⁵And my soul chooseth strangling, Death rather than my bones.

¹⁵A ki ta toku wairua he pai te tarona; pai ake te mate i enei wheua oku.

¹⁶I have wasted away — not to the age do I live. Cease from me, for my days [are] vanity.

¹⁶E whakarihariha ana ahau ki toku ora; kahore oku hiahia kia ora tonu ahau: waiho noa iho ahau, he mea teka noa hoki oku ra.

¹⁷What [is] man that Thou dost magnify him? And that Thou settest unto him Thy heart?

¹⁷¶ He aha te tangata, i whakanuia ai e koe? i anga ai tou ngakau ki a ia?

¹⁸And inspectest him in the mornings, In the evenings dost try him?

¹⁸I titiro ai koe i a ia i tenei ata, i tenei ata, i honohono ai tau whakamatautau i a ia?

¹⁹How long dost Thou not look from me? Thou dost not desist till I swallow my spittle.

¹⁹Kia pehea ake te roa ou kahore nei e tahuri atu i ahau, oku kahore nei e waiho noa iho e koe, kia horomia ai toku huware?

²⁰I have sinned, what do I to Thee, O watcher of man? Why hast Thou set me for a mark to Thee, And I am for a burden to myself — and what?

²⁰Mehemea kua hara ahau, kia aha atu ahau ki a koe, e te kaitiaki o nga tangata? he aha ahau i waiho ai e koe hei patunga mau i taimaha iho ai ahau ki ahau ano.

²¹Thou dost not take away my transgression, And cause to pass away mine iniquity, Because now, for dust I lie down: And Thou hast sought me — and I am not!

²¹He aha koe te whakarere noa ai i toku he, te whakapahemo ai i toku kino? Akuanei hoki ahau moe ai ki te puehu, a ka ata rapu koe i ahau, otiia kahore noa iho ahau.