¹“Isn’t a man forced to labor on earth? Aren’t his days like the days of a hired hand?

¹¶ He teka ranei kua takoto he pakanga mo te tangata i runga i te whenua, he rite ano ona ra ki nga ra o te kaimahi?

²As a servant who earnestly desires the shadow, as a hireling who looks for his wages,

²E rite ana ki te pononga, e matenui nei ki te atarangi, ki te kaimahi, e tumanako nei ki te utu mo tana mahi;

³so am I made to possess months of misery, wearisome nights are appointed to me.

³Koia toku rite, ka whiwhi nei ki nga marama horihori, a he mauiui nga po kua whakaritea moku.

⁴When I lie down, I say, ‘When shall I arise, and the night be gone?’ I toss and turn until the dawning of the day.

⁴Ka takoto ahau, ka mea ahau, A hea ahau ara ai? he roa ia te po; heoi ka tahurihuri kau ahau a ao noa.

⁵My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust. My skin closes up, and breaks out afresh.

⁵Ko te kakahu mo oku kikokiko he kutukutu, he pokuru oneone; ka kukuti toku kiri, a ka ngatata ano.

⁶My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope.

⁶Ko oku ra hohoro atu i te rakau a te kaiwhatu; pau ake, te ai he tumanakohanga atu.

⁷Oh remember that my life is a breath. My eye shall no more see good.

⁷¶ Kia mahara he hau oku ra; heoi ano kitenga o toku kanohi i te pai.

⁸The eye of him who sees me shall see me no more. Your eyes shall be on me, but I shall not be.

⁸Ko te kanohi o te tangata e kite ana i ahau, heoi ano tona tirohanga mai ki ahau: kei runga i ahau ou kanohi, heoi kahore iho ahau.

⁹As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so he who goes down to Sheol Sheol is the place of the dead. shall come up no more.

⁹Memeha atu te kapua, ngaro atu: he pera ano te tangata e haere ana ki te urupa; e kore e hoki ake.

¹⁰He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.

¹⁰E kore ia e hoki mai ano ki tona whare, e kore ano tona wahi e mahara ki a ia i muri.

¹¹“Therefore I will not keep silent. I will speak in the anguish of my spirit. I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

¹¹Na e kore e kaiponuhia e ahau toku mangai; ka korero ahau i toku wairua e mamae nei; ka tangi i te kawa i toku ngakau.

¹²Am I a sea, or a sea monster, that you put a guard over me?

¹²He moana ranei ahau, he tohora, i mea ai koe i te kaitirotiro moku/

¹³When I say, ‘My bed shall comfort me. My couch shall ease my complaint;’

¹³Ki te mea ahau, kei toku moenga ahau te marie ai, ma toku takotoranga e whakamama taku tangi;

¹⁴then you scare me with dreams, and terrify me through visions:

¹⁴Na ka whakahaehaetia ahau e koe ki nga moe, ka whakawehia ahau ki nga mea e whakakitea mai.

¹⁵so that my soul chooses strangling, death rather than my bones.

¹⁵A ki ta toku wairua he pai te tarona; pai ake te mate i enei wheua oku.

¹⁶I loathe my life. I don’t want to live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.

¹⁶E whakarihariha ana ahau ki toku ora; kahore oku hiahia kia ora tonu ahau: waiho noa iho ahau, he mea teka noa hoki oku ra.

¹⁷What is man, that you should magnify him, that you should set your mind on him,

¹⁷¶ He aha te tangata, i whakanuia ai e koe? i anga ai tou ngakau ki a ia?

¹⁸that you should visit him every morning, and test him every moment?

¹⁸I titiro ai koe i a ia i tenei ata, i tenei ata, i honohono ai tau whakamatautau i a ia?

¹⁹How long will you not look away from me, nor leave me alone until I swallow down my spittle?

¹⁹Kia pehea ake te roa ou kahore nei e tahuri atu i ahau, oku kahore nei e waiho noa iho e koe, kia horomia ai toku huware?

²⁰If I have sinned, what do I do to you, you watcher of men? Why have you set me as a mark for you, so that I am a burden to myself?

²⁰Mehemea kua hara ahau, kia aha atu ahau ki a koe, e te kaitiaki o nga tangata? he aha ahau i waiho ai e koe hei patunga mau i taimaha iho ai ahau ki ahau ano.

²¹Why do you not pardon my disobedience, and take away my iniquity? For now shall I lie down in the dust. You will seek me diligently, but I shall not be.”

²¹He aha koe te whakarere noa ai i toku he, te whakapahemo ai i toku kino? Akuanei hoki ahau moe ai ki te puehu, a ka ata rapu koe i ahau, otiia kahore noa iho ahau.