Hopa 9
1 Na ka whakahoki a Hopa, ka mea,
Then Job answered:
2 E mohiotia ana ano tenei e ahau; engari ma te aha ka tika ai te tangata ki te Atua?
“Yes, I know that it is so, but how can a mortal be righteous before God?
3 Ki te pai ia ki te totohe ki a ia, kahore he kupu kotahi o roto i te mano e taea e ia te whakahoki ki a ia.
If one wished to contend with God, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
4 He ngakau mohio ia, he pakari tona kaha: ko wai e whakauaua ki a ia, a e whiwhi i te pai?
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has resisted Him and prospered?
5 E nekehia ana e ia nga maunga, te mohio ratou; hurihia ake e ia i a ia e riri ana.
He moves mountains without their knowledge and overturns them in His anger.
6 E whakangaueuetia ana e ia te whenua, e nekehia atu ana i tona wahi, wiri ana ona pou.
He shakes the earth from its place, so that its foundations tremble.
7 E korero nei ki te ra, a kore ake e whiti; hiritia putia iho e ia nga whetu.
He commands the sun not to shine; He seals off the stars.
8 Ko ia nei anake hei hora i nga rangi, hei takahi i runga i nga ngaru o te moana.
He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.
9 Nana nei i hanga a Aketura, a Tautoru, a Matariki, me nga ruma i te tonga.
He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, of the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
10 Nana nei i mahi nga mea nunui, e kore nei e taea te rapu atu, ae ra nga mea whakamiharo, e kore nei e taea te tatau.
He does great things beyond searching out, and wonders without number.
11 Ina tonu ia e haere atu nei, a kahore ahau i kite; ka pahemo atu hoki ia, a kahore ahau e matau ki a ia.
Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; were He to move, I would not recognize Him.
12 Nana, ka hopu ia i tana i aru ai, ma wai ia e arai? Ko wai hei ki atu ki a ia, E aha ana koe?
If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’
13 E kore te Atua e whakahoki iho i tona riri; e piko ana ki raro i a ia nga kaiawhina o Rahapa.
God does not restrain His anger; the helpers of Rahab cower beneath Him.
14 A kia whakahoki kupu ano ahau ki a ia, kia whiriwhiri kupu ano maku ki a ia?
How then can I answer Him or choose my arguments against Him?
15 Ahakoa he tika ahau, e kore ahau e whakahoki kupu atu; engari ka inoi ahau ki toku kaiwhakawa.
For even if I were right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy.
16 Me i karanga atu ahau, a whakahokia mai ai e ia te kupu ki ahau, kihai ahau i whakaae tera kua whakarongo mai ia ki toku reo.
If I summoned Him and He answered me, I do not believe He would listen to my voice.
17 E aki ana hoki ia ia ahau ki te tupuhi, e whakanui takekore ana hoki i oku mate.
For He would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause.
18 Kahore ahau e tukua e ia kia ta toku manawa; otiia whakakiia ana e ia toku wairua ki te kawa.
He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness.
19 Ki te korero tatou mo te kaha o te hunga pakari, nana, kei reira ia! A ki te mea he whakawa, ko wai ra hei whakatakoto i te taima moku?
If it is a matter of strength, He is indeed mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?
20 Ahakoa he tika ahau, ma toku mangai ano ahau e whakahe; ahakoa he tikanga tapatahi taku, ma reira ano e whakaatu toku ngaunga ketanga.
Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty.
21 He tapatahi ahau; kahore ahau e whakaaro ki ahau ano; e whakahawea ana ahau ki toku ora.
Though I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life.
22 He kotahi tonu ena; koia ahau ka mea, e whakamotitia ana e ia te tapatahi raua ko te kino.
It is all the same, and so I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
23 Na ka whakamate tata nei te whiu, he kata tana ki te whakamatautauranga o te hunga harakore.
When the scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent.
24 Kua hoatu te whenua ki te ringa o te tangata kino; e taupokina ana e ia nga mata o nga kaiwhakawa; ki te mea ehara i a ia, tena ko wai?
The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He blindfolds its judges. If it is not He, then who is it?
25 Na, ko te hohoro o oku ra, nui atu i to te kaikawe pukapuka; e rere ana, kahore hoki e kite i te pai.
My days are swifter than a runner; they flee without seeing good.
26 Kua pahemo, kua pera me nga kaipuke tere, me te ekara ano e topa iho ana ki tana kai.
They sweep by like boats of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
27 Ki te mea ahau, ka wareware ahau ki taku tangi, ka unuhia atu e ahau te pouri o toku mata, a ka marama:
If I were to say, ‘I will forget my complaint and change my expression and smile,’
28 E wehi ana ahau i oku mamae katoa, e mohio ana ahau e kore ahau e meinga e koe he harakore.
I would still dread all my sufferings; I know that You will not acquit me.
29 Tera hoki ahau e whakahengia; he aha ahau i whakangenge kau ai i ahau?
Since I am already found guilty, why should I labor in vain?
30 Ki te horoi ahau i ahau ki te hukarere, a ka meinga oku ringa kia ma rawa;
If I should wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye,
31 Katahi ahau ka rumakina e koe ki te poka, a whakarihariha mai ana oku kakahu ki ahau.
then You would plunge me into the pit, and even my own clothes would despise me.
32 Ehara hoki ia i te tangata, i te penei me ahau nei, e whakahoki kupu ai ahau ki a ia, e haere tahi ai maua ki te whakawa.
For He is not a man like me, that I can answer Him, that we can take each other to court.
33 Kahore he kaiwhakatikatika mo ta maua, kahore he tangata hei whakapa i tona ringa ki a maua tahi.
Nor is there a mediator between us, to lay his hand upon us both.
34 Me tango atu e ia tana patu i ahau, a kaua hoki tana whakamataku e whakawehi i ahau:
Let Him remove His rod from me, so that His terror will no longer frighten me.
35 Hei reira ahau ka korero, a kahore e wehi i a ia; kahore hoki ahau e pera i roto i ahau.
Then I would speak without fear of Him. But as it is, I am on my own.
