¹¶ Ano ra ko Eripata Temani; i mea ia,

¹And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: —

²E whai pai ano ranei te Atua i te tangata? He pono e whai pai te tangata i a ia ano ki te mea he ngakau mohio tona.

²To God is a man profitable, Because a wise man to himself is profitable?

³He oranga ngakau ranei ki te Kaha Rawa tou tika? Hei taonga ranei ki a ia, ki te meinga e koe ou ara kia tino tika?

³Is it a delight to the Mighty One That thou art righteous? is it gain, That thou makest perfect thy ways?

⁴He wehi ranei nou i a ia i whakahe ai ia i a koe, i whakawa ai i a koe?

⁴Because of thy reverence Doth He reason [with] thee? He entereth with thee into judgment:

⁵¶ He teka ianei he nui tou he? Kahore hoki he pito whakamutunga o ou kino.

⁵Is not thy wickedness abundant? And there is no end to thine iniquities.

⁶I tangohia noatia hoki e koe nga mea a tou teina hei taunaha, huia ana e koe nga kakahu o te hunga e noho tahanga ana.

⁶For thou takest a pledge of thy brother for nought, And the garments of the naked Thou dost strip off.

⁷Kihai i whakainumia e koe ki te wai te hunga ngenge; kaiponuhia ana e koe he taro ki te hunga e matekai ana.

⁷Thou causest not the weary to drink water, And from the hungry thou withholdest bread.

⁸Ko te tangata marohirohi, i a ia te whenua; ko te tangata honore, noho ana ia i reira.

⁸As to the man of arm — he hath the earth, And the accepted of face — he dwelleth in it.

⁹Ko nga pouaru, unga rawakoretia atu ana e koe, whatiwhatiia ana nga ringa o nga pani.

⁹Widows thou hast sent away empty, And the arms of the fatherless are bruised.

¹⁰Na reira karapotia putia ana koe e nga mahanga, raruraru ana koe i te wehi pa whakarere;

¹⁰Therefore round about thee [are] snares, And trouble thee doth fear suddenly.

¹¹I te pouri ranei, e kore ai koe e kite; a nui atu te wai e taupoki na i a koe.

¹¹Or darkness — thou dost not see, And abundance of waters doth cover thee.

¹²He teka ianei kei te wahi tiketike o te rangi te Atua? Tirohia atu ano hoki a runga o nga whetu, to ratou teitei!

¹²Is not God high [in] heaven? And see the summit of the stars, That they are high.

¹³A e mea na koe, He aha ta te Atua e mohio ai? E puta mai ranei tana whakawa i roto i te kapua pouri?

¹³And thou hast said, `What — hath God known? Through thickness doth He judge?

¹⁴Ko tona wahi ngaro ko nga kapua matotoru, te kite ia; kei te taiawhio ano ia i nga rangi.

¹⁴Thick clouds [are] a secret place to Him, And He doth not see;` And the circle of the heavens He walketh habitually,

¹⁵¶ Ka mau tonu ranei koe ki te ara o mua, i haerea ra e nga tangata kikino?

¹⁵The path of the age dost thou observe, That men of iniquity have trodden?

¹⁶I kapohia atu nei i te mea kahore ano i rite o ratou ra; tahoroa ana to ratou turanga ano he awa:

¹⁶Who have been cut down unexpectedly, A flood is poured out on their foundation.

¹⁷I mea nei ki te Atua, Mawehe atu i a matou; a, He aha e taea e te Kaha Rawa mo matou?

¹⁷Those saying to God, `Turn aside from us,` And what doth the Mighty One to them?

¹⁸Heoi i whakakiia e ia o ratou whare ki nga mea papai: ko te whakaaro ia o te hunga kino e matara atu ana i ahau.

¹⁸And he hath filled their houses [with] good: (And the counsel of the wicked Hath been far from me.)

¹⁹E kite ana te hunga tika, a koa ana: kataina iho ratou e te hunga harakore:

¹⁹See do the righteous and they rejoice, And the innocent mocketh at them,

²⁰Me te ki, He pono kua haukotia te hunga i tahuri mai ki a tatou, pau ake i te ahi te toenga o ratou.

²⁰`Surely our substance hath not been cut off, And their excellency hath fire consumed.`

²¹¶ Waiho ia hei hoa mou, katahi koe ka ata noho; ma reira ka tae mai ai te pai ki a koe.

²¹Acquaint thyself, I pray thee, with Him, And be at peace, Thereby thine increase [is] good.

²²Tahuri mai ra ki te ture a tona mangai, rongoatia hoki ana kupu ki roto ki tou ngakau.

²²Receive, I pray thee, from His mouth a law, And set His sayings in thy heart.

²³Ki te hoki koe ki te Kaha Rawa, tera koe e hanga; ki te nekehia atu e koe te kino kia mamao i ou teneti.

²³If thou dost return unto the Mighty Thou art built up, Thou puttest iniquity far from thy tents.

²⁴A ka whakapuranga koe i tau taonga ki te puehu, te koura o Opira ki waenga i nga kohatu o nga awa;

²⁴So as to set on the dust a defence, And on a rock of the valleys a covering.

²⁵A ko te Kaha Rawa hei taonga mou, hei hiriwa utu nui ki a koe.

²⁵And the Mighty hath been thy defence, And silver [is] strength to thee.

²⁶Ko reira hoki koe ahuareka ai ki te Kaha Rawa, a ka ara ake tou mata ki te Atua.

²⁶For then on the Mighty thou delightest thyself, And dost lift up unto God thy face,

²⁷Ka inoi ano koe ki a ia, a ka whakarongo mai ia ki a koe; ka whakamana ano e koe au kupu taurangi.

²⁷Thou dost make supplication unto Him, And He doth hear thee, And thy vows thou completest.

²⁸Ka whakatakotoria hoki e koe he tikanga, a ka whakapumautia ki a koe; ka whiti ano te marama ki runga ki ou ara.

²⁸And thou decreest a saying, And it is established to thee, And on thy ways hath light shone.

²⁹Ki te maka koe e ratou ki raro, ka ki koe, Tenei ano he whakaarahanga ake; ka whakaorangia ano e ia te ngakau whakaiti.

²⁹For they have made low, And thou sayest, `Lift up.` And the bowed down of eyes he saveth.

³⁰Ka whakaorangia e ia te tangata ahakoa ehara i te harakore: ae ra, ka whakaorangia ia e te ma o ou ringa.

³⁰He delivereth the not innocent, Yea, he hath been delivered By the cleanness of thy hands.