< 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?
Of a truth I know that it is so; and how can man be just with 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 should desire to contend with Him, he could not answer Him one 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?
He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength; who hath hardened himself against Him, and prospered?
5 E nekehia ana e ia nga maunga, te mohio ratou; hurihia ake e ia i a ia e riri ana.
Who removeth the mountains, and they know it not, when He overturneth them in His anger.
6 E whakangaueuetia ana e ia te whenua, e nekehia atu ana i tona wahi, wiri ana ona pou.
Who shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.
7 E korero nei ki te ra, a kore ake e whiti; hiritia putia iho e ia nga whetu.
Who commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth 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 stretcheth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.
9 Nana nei i hanga a Aketura, a Tautoru, a Matariki, me nga ruma i te tonga.
Who maketh the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, 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 doeth great things past finding out; yea, marvellous things 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.
Lo, He goeth by me, and I see Him not. He passeth on also, but I perceive Him not.
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?
Behold, He snatcheth away, who can hinder Him? Who will say unto Him: 'What doest Thou?'
13 E kore te Atua e whakahoki iho i tona riri; e piko ana ki raro i a ia nga kaiawhina o Rahapa.
God will not withdraw His anger; the helpers of Rahab did stoop under Him.
14 A kia whakahoki kupu ano ahau ki a ia, kia whiriwhiri kupu ano maku ki a ia?
How much less shall I answer Him, and choose out my arguments with Him?
15 Ahakoa he tika ahau, e kore ahau e whakahoki kupu atu; engari ka inoi ahau ki toku kaiwhakawa.
Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer; I would make supplication to Him that contendeth with me.
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 had called, and He had answered me; yet would I not believe that He would hearken unto my voice —
17 E aki ana hoki ia ia ahau ki te tupuhi, e whakanui takekore ana hoki i oku mate.
He that would break 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.
That would not suffer me to take my breath, but fill 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 be a matter of strength, lo, He is mighty! and if of justice, who will appoint me a time?
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.
Though I be righteous, mine own mouth shall condemn me; though I be innocent, He shall prove me perverse.
21 He tapatahi ahau; kahore ahau e whakaaro ki ahau ano; e whakahawea ana ahau ki toku ora.
I am innocent — I regard not myself, I despise my life.
22 He kotahi tonu ena; koia ahau ka mea, e whakamotitia ana e ia te tapatahi raua ko te kino.
It is all one — therefore I say: He destroyeth the innocent and the wicked.
23 Na ka whakamate tata nei te whiu, he kata tana ki te whakamatautauranga o te hunga harakore.
If the scourge slay suddenly, He will mock at the calamity of the guiltless.
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 covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if it be not He, who then 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.
Now my days are swifter than a runner; they flee away, they see no good.
26 Kua pahemo, kua pera me nga kaipuke tere, me te ekara ano e topa iho ana ki tana kai.
They are passed away as the swift ships; as the vulture that swoopeth on the 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 say: 'I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad countenance, and be of good cheer',
28 E wehi ana ahau i oku mamae katoa, e mohio ana ahau e kore ahau e meinga e koe he harakore.
I am afraid of all my pains, I know that Thou wilt not hold me guiltless.
29 Tera hoki ahau e whakahengia; he aha ahau i whakangenge kau ai i ahau?
I shall be condemned; why then do I labour in vain?
30 Ki te horoi ahau i ahau ki te hukarere, a ka meinga oku ringa kia ma rawa;
If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;
31 Katahi ahau ka rumakina e koe ki te poka, a whakarihariha mai ana oku kakahu ki ahau.
Yet wilt Thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor 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, as I am, that I should answer Him, that we should come together in judgment.
33 Kahore he kaiwhakatikatika mo ta maua, kahore he tangata hei whakapa i tona ringa ki a maua tahi.
There is no arbiter betwixt us, that might 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 take His rod away from me, and let not His terror make me afraid;
35 Hei reira ahau ka korero, a kahore e wehi i a ia; kahore hoki ahau e pera i roto i ahau.
Then would I speak, and not fear Him; for I am not so with myself.