1¶ He rua hoki to te hiriwa e puta mai ai, he wahi ano to te koura e whakarewaina ai.
1Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold which they refine;
2He mea tango mai te rino no roto i te whenua; no te kamaka te parahi, he mea whakarewa.
2Iron is taken out of the dust, and copper is molten out of the stone.
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.
3[Man] putteth an end to the darkness, and exploreth to the utmost limit, the stones of darkness and of the shadow of death.
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.
4He openeth a shaft far from the inhabitants [of the earth]: forgotten of the foot, they hang suspended; away below men they hover.
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.
5As for the earth, out of it cometh bread, and underneath it is turned up as by fire;
6Hei wahi mo nga hapira ona kohatu, he puehu koura ano tona.
6The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and it hath dust of gold.
7He ara tena kahore i mohiotia e te manu, kiano i kitea e te kanohi o te whatura.
7It is a path no bird of prey knoweth, and the vulture's eye hath not seen it;
8Kahore nga kirehe whakahi kia takahi i taua ara kahore hoki a reira kia haerea e te raiona tutu.
8The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed over it.
9E pa atu ana tona ringa ki te kiripaka; hurihia ake e ia nga take o nga maunga.
9[Man] putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock, he overturneth the mountains by the root.
10E tapahia ana e ia he awa i roto i nga kamaka, a e kite ana tona kanohi i nga mea utu nui katoa.
10He cutteth out channels in the rocks, and his eye seeth every precious thing.
11E herea ana e ia nga awa kei maturuturu; e whakaputa mai ana hoki i nga mea ngaro ki te marama.
11He bindeth the streams that they drip not, and what is hidden he bringeth forth to light.
12E kitea ia ki hea te whakaaro nui? kei hea hoki te wahi o te mohio?
12But wisdom, where shall it be found? and where is 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 knoweth not the value thereof; and it is not 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 saith, It is not in me; and the sea saith, 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.
15Choice gold cannot be given for it, nor silver be weighed for its price.
16E kore e taea te whakarite ki te koura o Opira, ki te onika utu nui, ki te hapira.
16It is not set in the balance with gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, and the sapphire.
17E kore e rite te koura, te kohatu piata ki a ia: e kore e hokona ki nga oko koura parakore.
17Gold and glass cannot be compared to it, nor vessels of fine gold be its exchange.
18E kore e whakahuatia te kaoa, nga peara ranei; hira ake hoki te utu o te whakaaro nui i to te rupi.
18Corals and crystal are no more remembered; yea, 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.
19The topaz of Ethiopia shall not be compared to it, neither shall it be set in the balance with pure gold.
20¶ Ka haere mai ra i hea te whakaaro nui? Kei hea te wahi o te matau?
20Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is 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.
21For it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the fowl of the heavens.
22E ki ake ana te whakangaromanga raua ko te mate, i hakiri o maua taringa ki tona rongo.
22Destruction and death say, We have heard its report with our ears.
23E mohio ana te Atua ki tona ara, kua kite ano ia i tona wahi.
23God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth 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 looketh to the ends of the earth, he seeth under the whole heaven.
25E mea ana i te whakataimaha mo te hau; ae, e mehua ana ia i nga wai ki te mehua.
25In making a weight for the wind, and meting out the waters by measure,
26I a ia e whakatakoto ana i te tikanga mo te ua, i te huarahi mo te uira o te whatitiri,
26In appointing a statute for the rain, and a way for the thunder's flash:
27Ka kitea e ia i reira, a whakapuakina mai ana; i whakaukia e ia, a ata rapua ana e ia.
27Then did he see it, and declare it; he established it, yea, and 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 unto man he said, Lo, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.