¹Hath not man a life of labour upon earth? and are not his days like the days of a hireling?

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 bondman earnestly desireth the shadow, and a hireling expecteth his wages,

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 am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.

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

⁴If I lie down, I say, When shall I rise up, and the darkness be gone? and I am full of tossings until the 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.

⁵My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and suppurates.

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

⁶My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent 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 wind; mine eye shall no more see good.

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

⁸The eye of him that hath seen me shall behold me no [more]: 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.

⁹The cloud consumeth and vanisheth away; so he that goeth down to Sheol shall not come up.

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

¹⁰He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him again.

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

¹¹Therefore I will not restrain my mouth: I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain 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.

¹²Am I a sea, or a sea-monster, that thou settest a watch over me?

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

¹³When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint;

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

¹⁴Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions;

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

¹⁵So that 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 loathe it; I shall not live always: let me alone, for my days are a breath.

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 makest much of him? and that thou settest thy heart upon him?

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

¹⁸And that thou visitest him every morning, triest him every moment?

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

¹⁹How long wilt thou not look away from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down 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?

²⁰Have I sinned, what do I unto thee, thou Observer of men? Why hast thou set me as an object of assault for thee, so that I am become a burden to myself?

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.

²¹And why dost not thou forgive my transgression and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I lie down in the dust, and thou shalt seek me early, and I shall not be.

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.