Hopa 28
1 He rua hoki to te hiriwa e puta mai ai, he wahi ano to te koura e whakarewaina ai.
“Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine.
2 He mea tango mai te rino no roto i te whenua; no te kamaka te parahi, he mea whakarewa.
Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted out of the ore.
3 E 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.
Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out, to the furthest bound, the stones of obscurity and of thick darkness.
4 E 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.
He breaks open a shaft away from where people live. They are forgotten by the foot. They hang far from men, they swing back and forth.
5 Ko te whenua, e puta mai ana he taro i roto i a ia: a e hurihia ake ana a raro iho ano he ahi.
As for the earth, out of it comes bread. Underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
6 Hei wahi mo nga hapira ona kohatu, he puehu koura ano tona.
Sapphires come from its rocks. It has dust of gold.
7 He ara tena kahore i mohiotia e te manu, kiano i kitea e te kanohi o te whatura.
That path no bird of prey knows, neither has the falcon’s eye seen it.
8 Kahore nga kirehe whakahi kia takahi i taua ara kahore hoki a reira kia haerea e te raiona tutu.
The proud animals have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed by there.
9 E pa atu ana tona ringa ki te kiripaka; hurihia ake e ia nga take o nga maunga.
He puts his hand on the flinty rock, and he overturns the mountains by the roots.
10 E tapahia ana e ia he awa i roto i nga kamaka, a e kite ana tona kanohi i nga mea utu nui katoa.
He cuts out channels amongst the rocks. His eye sees every precious thing.
11 E herea ana e ia nga awa kei maturuturu; e whakaputa mai ana hoki i nga mea ngaro ki te marama.
He binds the streams that they don’t trickle. The thing that is hidden he brings out to light.
12 E kitea ia ki hea te whakaaro nui? kei hea hoki te wahi o te mohio?
“But where will wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding?
13 E kore te tangata e mohio ki tona utu, e kore ano taua hanga e kitea ki te whenua o te ora.
Man doesn’t know its price, and it isn’t 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.
The deep says, ‘It isn’t in me.’ The sea says, ‘It isn’t with me.’
15 E kore e hokona ki te koura, e kore ano hoki e taea te pauna te hiriwa hei utu mona.
It can’t be gotten for gold, neither will silver be weighed for its price.
16 E kore e taea te whakarite ki te koura o Opira, ki te onika utu nui, ki te hapira.
It can’t be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
17 E kore e rite te koura, te kohatu piata ki a ia: e kore e hokona ki nga oko koura parakore.
Gold and glass can’t equal it, neither will it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
18 E kore e whakahuatia te kaoa, nga peara ranei; hira ake hoki te utu o te whakaaro nui i to te rupi.
No mention will be made of coral or of crystal. Yes, the price of wisdom is above rubies.
19 E kore te topaha o Etiopia e rite ki a ia, e kore e tau te koura parakore hei utu.
The topaz of Ethiopia will not equal it. It won’t be valued with pure gold.
20 Ka haere mai ra i hea te whakaaro nui? Kei hea te wahi o te matau?
Where then does wisdom come from? Where is the place of understanding?
21 He mea huna atu na hoki i nga kanohi o nga mea ora katoa, ngaro rawa i nga manu o te rangi.
Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the birds of the sky.
22 E ki ake ana te whakangaromanga raua ko te mate, i hakiri o maua taringa ki tona rongo.
Destruction and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumour of it with our ears.’
23 E mohio ana te Atua ki tona ara, kua kite ano ia i tona wahi.
“God understands its way, and he knows its place.
24 E 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;
For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole sky.
25 E mea ana i te whakataimaha mo te hau; ae, e mehua ana ia i nga wai ki te mehua.
He establishes the force of the wind. Yes, he measures out the waters by measure.
26 I a ia e whakatakoto ana i te tikanga mo te ua, i te huarahi mo te uira o te whatitiri,
When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder,
27 Ka kitea e ia i reira, a whakapuakina mai ana; i whakaukia e ia, a ata rapua ana e ia.
then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yes, and searched it out.
28 A 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.
To man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.’”
