¹The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the oracle: the man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:

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,

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

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

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

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

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?

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?

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

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

⁶Don’t you add to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar.

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

⁷“Two things I have asked of you; don’t deny me before I die:

⁷¶ E rua nga mea kua inoia e ahau i a koe; kaua ena e kaiponuhia i ahau i mua i toku matenga;

⁸Remove far from me falsehood and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me;

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:

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.

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.

¹⁰“Don’t slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.

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

¹¹There is a generation that curses their father, and doesn’t bless their mother.

¹¹Tera te whakatupuranga, he kanga ta ratou i to ratou papa, kahore hoki e manaaki i to ratou whaea.

¹²There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes, yet are not washed from their filthiness.

¹²Tera te whakatupuranga, he ma ki ta ratou na titiro, otira kahore ano kia horoia atu to ratou paru.

¹³There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes! Their eyelids are lifted up.

¹³Tera te whakatupuranga, Na, te whakakake o o ratou kanohi! Kua whakarewaina ake hoki o ratou kamo.

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.

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.

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

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:

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.’

¹⁶Ko te rua tupapaku; ko te kopu pakoko; ko te whenua kihai i pukuwaitia; a ko te ahi e kore nei e ki, Kati.

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.

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.

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

¹⁸¶ E toru nga mea he whakamiharo rawa, e kore e taea e ahau, ae ra, e wha kahore e mohiotia e ahau:

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

²³for an unloved woman when she is married; and a handmaid who is heir to her mistress.

²³Ko te wahine whakarihariha ina whiwhi i te tane; a ko te pononga wahine ina tuku iho mana nga mea a tona rangatira.

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

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

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

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

²⁶The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks.

²⁶Ko nga koni, he iwi ngoikore, heoi e hanga ana i o ratou whare ki te kamaka;

²⁷The locusts have no king, yet they advance in ranks.

²⁷Ko nga mawhitiwhiti, kahore o ratou kingi, heoi haere ropu ana ratou katoa;

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

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

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

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

³⁰The lion, which is mightiest among animals, and doesn’t turn away for any;

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

³¹the greyhound, the male goat also; and the king against whom there is no rising up.

³¹Ko te kuri horo; ko te koati toa ano hoki; a ko te kingi, kahore nei tetahi e maranga ake ki a ia.

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

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.

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.”

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.