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, the oracle: the man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:

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

²“Surely I am the most ignorant man, and don’t have a man’s understanding.

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

³I have not learned wisdom, neither do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.

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 has ascended up into heaven, and descended? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has bound the waters in his garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if you know?

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

⁵“Every word of God is flawless. He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

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

⁶Don’t you add to his words, lest he reprove you, and you 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;

⁷“Two things I have asked of you; don’t deny me 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 falsehood and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful 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, deny you, and say, ‘Who is Yahweh?’ or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

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

¹⁰“Don’t slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held 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 curses their father, and doesn’t 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 is pure in their own eyes, yet are 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, oh how lofty are their eyes! 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 like swords, and their jaws like knives, to devour the poor from 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:

¹⁵“The leach has two daughters: ‘Give, give.’ “There are three things that are never satisfied; four that don’t say, ‘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.

¹⁶ Sheol Sheol is the place of the dead. , the barren womb; the earth that is not satisfied with water; and the fire that doesn’t say, ‘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.

¹⁷“The eye that mocks at his father, and scorns obedience to his mother: the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, 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:

¹⁸“There are three things which are too amazing for me, four which I don’t understand:

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 on a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maiden.

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.

²⁰“So is the way of an adulterous woman: she eats and wipes her mouth, and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’

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

²¹“For three things the earth tremble, and under four, it can’t bear up:

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

²²For a servant when he is king; a fool when he is filled with food;

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 unloved woman when she is married; and a handmaid who is heir to her mistress.

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

²⁴“There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise:

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

²⁵the ants are not a strong people, yet they provide their food 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 they advance in ranks.

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

²⁸You can catch a lizard with your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces.

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

²⁹“There are three things which are stately in their march, four which are stately in going:

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

³⁰The lion, which is mightiest among animals, and doesn’t turn 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.

³¹the greyhound, the male goat also; and the 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.

³²“If you have done foolishly in lifting up yourself, or if you have thought evil, put your hand over your 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.

³³For as the churning of milk brings forth butter, and the wringing of the nose brings forth blood; so the forcing of wrath brings forth strife.”