Hopa 9

1 Na ka whakahoki a Hopa, ka mea,

Then Job answered and said,

2 E mohiotia ana ano tenei e ahau; engari ma te aha ka tika ai te tangata ki te Atua?

I know of a truth that it is so: for how shall a mortal man be just before the Lord?

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.

For if he would enter into judgement with him, [God] would not listen to him, so that he should answer to one of his charges 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?

For he is wise in mind, and mighty, and great: who has hardened himself against him and endured?

5 E nekehia ana e ia nga maunga, te mohio ratou; hurihia ake e ia i a ia e riri ana.

Who wears out the mountains, and [men] know it not: who overturns them in anger.

6 E whakangaueuetia ana e ia te whenua, e nekehia atu ana i tona wahi, wiri ana ona pou.

Who shakes the [earth] under heaven from its foundations, and its pillars totter.

7 E korero nei ki te ra, a kore ake e whiti; hiritia putia iho e ia nga whetu.

Who commands the sun, and it rises not; and he seals up the stars.

8 Ko ia nei anake hei hora i nga rangi, hei takahi i runga i nga ngaru o te moana.

Who alone has stretched out the heavens, and walks on the sea as on firm ground.

9 Nana nei i hanga a Aketura, a Tautoru, a Matariki, me nga ruma i te tonga.

Who makes Pleias, and Hesperus, and Arcturus, and the chambers 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.

Who does great and unsearchable things; glorious also and excellent things, innumerable.

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.

If ever he should go beyond me, I shall not see him: if he should pass by me, neither thus have I known [it].

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 would take away, who shall turn him back? or who shall say to him, What have you done?

13 E kore te Atua e whakahoki iho i tona riri; e piko ana ki raro i a ia nga kaiawhina o Rahapa.

For [if] he has turned away [his] anger, the whales under heaven have stooped under him.

14 A kia whakahoki kupu ano ahau ki a ia, kia whiriwhiri kupu ano maku ki a ia?

Oh then that he would listen to me, or judge my cause.

15 Ahakoa he tika ahau, e kore ahau e whakahoki kupu atu; engari ka inoi ahau ki toku kaiwhakawa.

For though I be righteous, he will not listen to me: I will entreat his judgement.

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.

And if I should call and he should not listen, I can’t believe that he has listened to my voice.

17 E aki ana hoki ia ia ahau ki te tupuhi, e whakanui takekore ana hoki i oku mate.

Let him not crush me with a dark storm: but he has made by bruises many without cause.

18 Kahore ahau e tukua e ia kia ta toku manawa; otiia whakakiia ana e ia toku wairua ki te kawa.

For he suffers me not to take breath, but he has filled 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?

For indeed he is strong in power: who then shall resist his judgement?

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.

For though I should seem righteous, my mouth will be profane: and though I should seem blameless, I shall be proved perverse.

21 He tapatahi ahau; kahore ahau e whakaaro ki ahau ano; e whakahawea ana ahau ki toku ora.

For even if I have sinned, I know it not [in] my soul: but my life is taken away.

22 He kotahi tonu ena; koia ahau ka mea, e whakamotitia ana e ia te tapatahi raua ko te kino.

Therefore I said, Wrath slays the great and mighty man.

23 Na ka whakamate tata nei te whiu, he kata tana ki te whakamatautauranga o te hunga harakore.

For the worthless die, but the righteous are laughed to scorn.

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?

For they are delivered into the hands of the unrighteous [man]: he covers the faces of the judges [of the earth]: but if it be not he, 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.

But my life is swifter than a post: [my days] have fled away, and they knew it not.

26 Kua pahemo, kua pera me nga kaipuke tere, me te ekara ano e topa iho ana ki tana kai.

Or again, is there a trace of [their] path [left] by ships? or is there one of the flying eagle as it seeks [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:

And if I should say, I will forget to speak, I will bow down my face and groan;

28 E wehi ana ahau i oku mamae katoa, e mohio ana ahau e kore ahau e meinga e koe he harakore.

I quake in all my limbs, for I know that you will not leave me alone [as] innocent.

29 Tera hoki ahau e whakahengia; he aha ahau i whakangenge kau ai i ahau?

But since I am ungodly, why have I not died?

30 Ki te horoi ahau i ahau ki te hukarere, a ka meinga oku ringa kia ma rawa;

For if I should wash myself with snow, and purge myself with pure hands,

31 Katahi ahau ka rumakina e koe ki te poka, a whakarihariha mai ana oku kakahu ki ahau.

you had thoroughly plunged me in filth, and my garment had abhorred 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 you are not man like me, with whom I could contend, that we might come together to judgement.

33 Kahore he kaiwhakatikatika mo ta maua, kahore he tangata hei whakapa i tona ringa ki a maua tahi.

Would that [he] our mediator were [present], and a reprover, and one who should hear [the cause] between 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, and let not his fear terrify me:

35 Hei reira ahau ka korero, a kahore e wehi i a ia; kahore hoki ahau e pera i roto i ahau.

so shall I not be afraid, but I will speak: for I am not thus conscious [of guilt].