1¶ He rua hoki to te hiriwa e puta mai ai, he wahi ano to te koura e whakarewaina ai.
1Surely there is for silver a source, And a place for the gold they refine;
2He mea tango mai te rino no roto i te whenua; no te kamaka te parahi, he mea whakarewa.
2Iron from the dust is taken, And [from] the firm stone brass.
3E whakatakotoria ana e te tangata he mutunga mai mo te pouri, e rapua ana e ia ki te tino tutukitanga atu nga kohatu o te pouri, o te atarangi o te mate.
3An end hath he set to darkness, And to all perfection he is searching, A stone of darkness and death-shade.
4E pakaruhia mai ana e ia he rua i ko ake o nga nohoanga tangata; kua wareware ratou i te waewae e haere ana; he tawhiti i te tangata to ratou tarenga, e piu atu ana, e piu ana mai.
4A stream hath broken out from a sojourner, Those forgotten of the foot, They were low, from man they wandered.
5Ko te whenua, e puta mai ana he taro i roto i a ia: a e hurihia ake ana a raro iho ano he ahi.
5The earth! from it cometh forth bread, And its under-part is turned like fire.
6Hei wahi mo nga hapira ona kohatu, he puehu koura ano tona.
6A place of the sapphire [are] its stones, And it hath dust of gold.
7He ara tena kahore i mohiotia e te manu, kiano i kitea e te kanohi o te whatura.
7A path — not known it hath a ravenous fowl, Nor scorched it hath an eye of the kite,
8Kahore nga kirehe whakahi kia takahi i taua ara kahore hoki a reira kia haerea e te raiona tutu.
8Nor trodden it have the sons of pride, Not passed over it hath the fierce lion.
9E pa atu ana tona ringa ki te kiripaka; hurihia ake e ia nga take o nga maunga.
9Against the flint he sent forth his hand, He overturned from the root mountains.
10E tapahia ana e ia he awa i roto i nga kamaka, a e kite ana tona kanohi i nga mea utu nui katoa.
10Among rocks, brooks he hath cleaved, And every precious thing hath his eye seen.
11E herea ana e ia nga awa kei maturuturu; e whakaputa mai ana hoki i nga mea ngaro ki te marama.
11From overflowing floods he hath bound, And the hidden thing bringeth out [to] light.
12E kitea ia ki hea te whakaaro nui? kei hea hoki te wahi o te mohio?
12And the wisdom — whence is it found? And where [is] this, the place of understanding?
13E kore te tangata e mohio ki tona utu, e kore ano taua hanga e kitea ki te whenua o te ora.
13Man hath not known its arrangement, Nor is it found in the land of the living.
14¶ E ki ake ana te rire, Kahore i ahau; e ki mai ana hoki te moana, Kahore i ahau.
14The deep hath said, `It [is] not in me,` And the sea hath said, `It is not with me.`
15E kore e hokona ki te koura, e kore ano hoki e taea te pauna te hiriwa hei utu mona.
15Gold is not given for it, Nor is silver weighed — its price.
16E kore e taea te whakarite ki te koura o Opira, ki te onika utu nui, ki te hapira.
16It is not valued with pure gold of Ophir, With precious onyx and sapphire,
17E kore e rite te koura, te kohatu piata ki a ia: e kore e hokona ki nga oko koura parakore.
17Not equal it do gold and crystal, Nor [is] its exchange a vessel of fine gold.
18E kore e whakahuatia te kaoa, nga peara ranei; hira ake hoki te utu o te whakaaro nui i to te rupi.
18Corals and pearl are not remembered, The acquisition of wisdom [is] above rubies.
19E kore te topaha o Etiopia e rite ki a ia, e kore e tau te koura parakore hei utu.
19Not equal it doth the topaz of Cush, With pure gold it is not valued.
20¶ Ka haere mai ra i hea te whakaaro nui? Kei hea te wahi o te matau?
20And the wisdom — whence doth it come? And where [is] this, the place of understanding?
21He mea huna atu na hoki i nga kanohi o nga mea ora katoa, ngaro rawa i nga manu o te rangi.
21It hath been hid from the eyes of all living. And from the fowl of the heavens It hath been hidden.
22E ki ake ana te whakangaromanga raua ko te mate, i hakiri o maua taringa ki tona rongo.
22Destruction and death have said: `With our ears we have heard its fame.`
23E mohio ana te Atua ki tona ara, kua kite ano ia i tona wahi.
23God hath understood its way, And He hath known its place.
24E titiro ana hoki ia ki nga pito o te whenua, e kite ana ia i nga mea i raro i te rangi, a puta noa;
24For He to the ends of the earth doth look, Under the whole heavens He doth see,
25E mea ana i te whakataimaha mo te hau; ae, e mehua ana ia i nga wai ki te mehua.
25To make for the wind a weight, And the waters He meted out in measure.
26I a ia e whakatakoto ana i te tikanga mo te ua, i te huarahi mo te uira o te whatitiri,
26In His making for the rain a limit, And a way for the brightness of the voices,
27Ka kitea e ia i reira, a whakapuakina mai ana; i whakaukia e ia, a ata rapua ana e ia.
27Then He hath seen and declareth it, He hath prepared it, and also searched it out,
28A ka mea ia ki te tangata, Na, ko te wehi ki te Ariki, ko te whakaaro nui tena; a ko te mawehe atu i te kino, koia te matauranga.
28And He saith to man: — `Lo, fear of the Lord, that [is] wisdom, And to turn from evil [is] understanding.`