¹¶ Nana, ka kingi te kingi i runga i te tika, ka whakahaere tikanga ano nga rangatira i runga i te whakawa.

¹Lo, for righteousness doth a king reign, As to princes, for judgment they rule.

²A ka ai he tangata hei kuhunga ina pa te hau, hei piringa kei mate i te tupuhi; ka rite ki nga awa wai i te wahi maroke, ki te ata o te kohatu nui i te whenua ngaunga ra.

²And each hath been as a hiding-place [from] wind, And as a secret hiding-place [from] inundation, As rivulets of waters in a dry place, As a shadow of a heavy rock in a weary land.

³Na e kore e atarua nga kanohi o te hunga kite; ka whakarongo ano te hunga i te taringa rongo.

³And not dazzled are the eyes of beholders, And the ears of hearers do attend.

⁴Ka matauria ano te matauranga e te ngakau o te hunga ponana, a ka hohoro te arero o nga reo kikiki ki te korero marama.

⁴And the heart of those hastened Understandeth to know, And the tongue of stammerers hasteth to speak clearly.

⁵E kore te wairangi e kiia i muri he ohaoha, e kore ano te kaiponu e kiia he atawhai.

⁵A fool is no more called `noble,` And to a miser it is not said, `rich;`

⁶Ka korero hoki te tangata nanakia i te nanakia, a ka mahi tona ngakau i te kino, kia whakahawea ai ki te tapu, kia puta ke ai tana korero ki a Ihowa, kia noho tahanga ai i a ia te wairua o te tangata matekai, kia moti ai hoki he wai mo te tangata matewai.

⁶For a fool speaketh folly, And his heart doth iniquity, to do profanity, And to speak concerning Jehovah error, To empty the soul of the hungry, Yea, drink of the thirsty he causeth to lack.

⁷He kino hoki nga hanga a te kaiponu: e whakatakotoria ana e ia he whakaaro kino, he korero teka e he ai te hunga iti, ahakoa e tika ana ano nga korero a te rawakore.

⁷And the miser — his instruments [are] evil, He hath counselled wicked devices, To corrupt the poor with lying sayings, Even when the needy speaketh justly.

⁸He ohaoha ia nga tikanga a te ohaoha; a ka u ia ki nga mahi ohaoha.

⁸And the noble counselled noble things, And he for noble things riseth up.

⁹¶ Whakatika e nga wahine e noho pai ana, whakarongo ki toku reo: e nga tamahine whakaarokore, kia whai taringa ki aku kupu.

⁹Women, easy ones, rise, hear my voice, Daughters, confident ones, give ear [to] my saying,

¹⁰He maha nga ra i tua atu i te tau e raruraru ai koutou, e nga wahine maharakore: no te mea ka kore te whakinga waina, e kore hoki e tae mai te kohikohinga.

¹⁰Days and a year ye are troubled, O confident ones, For consumed hath been harvest, The gathering cometh not.

¹¹E wiri, e nga wahine e noho humarie ana; pokaikaha noa iho, e te hunga maharakore; whakarerea nga kakahu, noho tahanga, whitikiria he kakahu taratara ki o koutou hope.

¹¹Tremble ye women, ye easy ones, Be troubled, ye confident ones, Strip and make bare, with a girdle on the loins,

¹²Ka papaki ratou ki nga uma mo nga mara ataahua, mo te waina hua.

¹²For breasts they are lamenting, For fields of desire, for the fruitful vine.

¹³Ka puta ake te tataramoa me te tumatakuru ki te oneone o taku iwi, ina, ki runga ki nga whare koa katoa o te pa hari:

¹³Over the ground of my people thorn — brier goeth up, Surely over all houses of joy of the exulting city,

¹⁴No te mea ka mahue te whare kingi, ka whakarerea te pa tokomaha: ko te puke me te pourewa ka waiho hei ana a ake ake, hei mea e koa ai nga kaihe mohoao, hei wahi kai ma nga kahui;

¹⁴Surely the palace hath been left, The multitude of the city forsaken, Fort and watch-tower hath been for dens unto the age, A joy of wild asses — a pasture of herds;

¹⁵Kia ringihia mai ra ano i runga te wairua ki a tatou, kia meinga ra ano te koraha hei mara whai hua, kia kiia ano te mara whai hua he ngahere.

¹⁵Till emptied out on us is the Spirit from on high, And a wilderness hath become a fruitful field, And the fruitful field for a forest is reckoned.

¹⁶Ko reira te whakawa noho ai ki te koraha, a hei kainga te mara hua mo te tika.

¹⁶And dwelt in the wilderness hath judgment, And righteousness in the fruitful field remaineth.

¹⁷A ko te mahi a te tika he rongo mau; ko te whakaotinga o te tika he ata noho, he ngakau u a ake ake.

¹⁷And a work of the righteousness hath been peace, And a service of the righteousness — Keeping quiet and confidence unto the age.

¹⁸Ka noho hoki taku iwi ki te nohoanga o te rongo mau, ki nga kainga e u ai te ngakau, ki nga okiokinga humarie.

¹⁸And dwelt hath My people in a peaceful habitation, And in stedfast tabernacles, And in quiet resting-places.

¹⁹Ka tarere iho ia te whatu i te hinganga o te ngahere; a ka whakahoroa rawatia te pa ki raro.

¹⁹And it hath hailed in the going down of the forest, And in the valley is the city low.

²⁰Ano te hari o koutou, o te hunga e whakato ana ki te taha o nga wai katoa, e tuku atu ana i nga waewae o te kau, o te kaihe.

²⁰Happy [are] ye sowing by all waters, Sending forth the foot of the ox and the ass!