¹¶ Ko nga kupu a Akuru tama a Iakehe; ko te poropititanga. I korero taua tangata ki a Itiere, ki a Itiere raua ko Ukara,

¹The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,

²He pono ko ahau te mea poauau rawa o nga tangata, kahore hoki he matauranga tangata i roto i ahau.

²Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.

³Kihai hoki ahau i whakaakona ki te whakaaro nui, kihai ano i mohio ki te Mea Tapu.

³I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.

⁴Ko wai kua piki atu ki te rangi, a heke mai ai ano? Ko wai kua pupu i te hau ki roto ki ona ringa? Na wai i takai nga wai ki roto ki tona kakahu? Na wai i whakapumau nga pito katoa o te whenua? Ko wai tona ingoa, a ko wai hoki te ingoa o tana tam a, ki te mohiotia e koe?

⁴Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?

⁵Ko nga kupu katoa a te Atua he mea whakamatau: he whakangungu rakau ia ki te hunga katoa e whakawhirinaki ana ki a ia.

⁵Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

⁶Kaua e tapiritia etahi kupu ki ana, kei riria e ia tou he, a ka kitea koe he tangata korero teka.

⁶Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

⁷¶ E rua nga mea kua inoia e ahau i a koe; kaua ena e kaiponuhia i ahau i mua i toku matenga;

⁷Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:

⁸Whakamataratia atu i ahau te horihori me te korero teka; kaua e homai te rawakore ki ahau, te taonga ranei; whangaia ahau ki te kai e rite ana maku:

⁸Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:

⁹Kei makona ahau, a ka whakakahore ki a koe, ka mea, Ko wai a Ihowa? Kei rawakore ranei ahau, a ka whanako, ka whakahua noa hoki i te ingoa o toku Atua.

⁹Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

¹⁰¶ Kaua e korerotia te pononga ki tona ariki, kei kanga ia i a koe, a ko koe e he.

¹⁰Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.

¹¹Tera te whakatupuranga, he kanga ta ratou i to ratou papa, kahore hoki e manaaki i to ratou whaea.

¹¹There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.

¹²Tera te whakatupuranga, he ma ki ta ratou na titiro, otira kahore ano kia horoia atu to ratou paru.

¹²There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.

¹³Tera te whakatupuranga, Na, te whakakake o o ratou kanohi! Kua whakarewaina ake hoki o ratou kamo.

¹³There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.

¹⁴Tera te whakatupuranga, ko o ratou niho ano he hoari, ko o ratou niho purakau ano he maripi, hei horo i te hunga iti i runga i te whenua, i nga rawakore hoki i roto i nga tangata.

¹⁴There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

¹⁵¶ E rua nga tamahine a te ngate, ko ta raua karanga, Homai, homa. E toru nga mea e kore rawa e makona, ae ra, e wha nga mea e kore e ki, Kati:

¹⁵The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:

¹⁶Ko te rua tupapaku; ko te kopu pakoko; ko te whenua kihai i pukuwaitia; a ko te ahi e kore nei e ki, Kati.

¹⁶The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.

¹⁷Ko te kanohi e whakahi ana ki te papa, e whakahawea ana ki te whakarongo ki tona whaea, ma nga raweni o te awaawa ia e tikaro, a ma nga pi ekara e kai.

¹⁷The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.

¹⁸¶ E toru nga mea he whakamiharo rawa, e kore e taea e ahau, ae ra, e wha kahore e mohiotia e ahau:

¹⁸There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:

¹⁹Ko te huarahi o te ekara i te rangi; ko te huarahi o te nakahi i runga i te kamaka; ko te huarahi o te kaipuke i waenga moana; a ko te huarahi o te tangata ki te kotiro.

¹⁹The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.

²⁰He pera ano te huarahi o te wahine puremu; ka kai ia, a ka horoi i tona mangai, a ka ki, Kahore aku mahi he.

²⁰Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.

²¹E toru nga mea e korikori ai te whenua, a e wha, he mea e kore e manawanuitia e ia:

²¹For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:

²²Ko te pononga ina whakakingitia ia; ko te wairangi hoki ina makona i te taro;

²²For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;

²³Ko te wahine whakarihariha ina whiwhi i te tane; a ko te pononga wahine ina tuku iho mana nga mea a tona rangatira.

²³For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.

²⁴¶ E wha nga mea ririki i runga i te whenua, he nui noa atu ia nga whakaaro:

²⁴There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:

²⁵Ko nga popokorua ehara i te iwi kaha, heoi e mea ana i te kai ma ratou i te raumati;

²⁵The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;

²⁶Ko nga koni, he iwi ngoikore, heoi e hanga ana i o ratou whare ki te kamaka;

²⁶The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;

²⁷Ko nga mawhitiwhiti, kahore o ratou kingi, heoi haere ropu ana ratou katoa;

²⁷The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;

²⁸Ko te mokomoko, ko ona peke hei pupuri mana; otiia kei roto ia i nga whare kingi.

²⁸The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.

²⁹¶ E toru nga mea, he tau ta ratou hikoi, ae ra, e wha he huatau ki te haere:

²⁹There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going:

³⁰Ko te raiona, ko te mea kaha rawa o nga kararehe, e kore nei e tahuri mai i te aroaro o tetahi;

³⁰A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;

³¹Ko te kuri horo; ko te koati toa ano hoki; a ko te kingi, kahore nei tetahi e maranga ake ki a ia.

³¹A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.

³²Ki te mea he mahi kuware tau i a koe i whakaneke ake ai i a koe, ki te mea ranei i whakaaro kino koe, kopania tou ringa ki tou mangai.

³²If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.

³³He pono hoki ki te hurihia te waiu ka puta mai he pata, a ki te kowiria te ihu ka puta mai he toto: waihoki ki te akina te riri ka puta he whawhai.

³³Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.