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 truly know that this is so. But how can a person be in the right 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 he wants to argue with God, he cannot answer him once in a thousand times.
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 ever hardened himself against him and succeeded?—
5 E nekehia ana e ia nga maunga, te mohio ratou; hurihia ake e ia i a ia e riri ana.
he who removes the mountains without warning anyone when he 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 who shakes the earth out of its place and sets its supports trembling.
7 E korero nei ki te ra, a kore ake e whiti; hiritia putia iho e ia nga whetu.
It is the same God who tells the sun not to rise, and it does not, and who covers up the stars,
8 Ko ia nei anake hei hora i nga rangi, hei takahi i runga i nga ngaru o te moana.
who by himself stretches out the heavens and tramples down the waves of the sea,
9 Nana nei i hanga a Aketura, a Tautoru, a Matariki, me nga ruma i te tonga.
who makes the Bear, Orion, 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 and unsearchable things, and wonderful things that cannot be counted.
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.
See, he goes by me, and I do not see him; he passes on also, but I do not perceive 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 something away, who can stop him? Who can say to 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 will not withdraw his anger; the helpers of Rahab bow beneath him.
14 A kia whakahoki kupu ano ahau ki a ia, kia whiriwhiri kupu ano maku ki a ia?
How much less could I answer him, could I choose words to reason with him?
15 Ahakoa he tika ahau, e kore ahau e whakahoki kupu atu; engari ka inoi ahau ki toku kaiwhakawa.
Even if I were righteous, I could not answer him; I could only plead for mercy with my judge.
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.
Even if I called and he answered me, I would not believe that he was listening to my voice.
17 E aki ana hoki ia ia ahau ki te tupuhi, e whakanui takekore ana hoki i oku mate.
For he breaks me with a tempest and multiplies 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 allow me to regain my breath; but he fills 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, behold, he is 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.
Though I am in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; and though I am blameless, my words would prove me to be guilty.
21 He tapatahi ahau; kahore ahau e whakaaro ki ahau ano; e whakahawea ana ahau ki toku ora.
I am blameless, but I do not care any more about 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 makes no difference, which is why I say that he destroys blameless people and wicked people together.
23 Na ka whakamate tata nei te whiu, he kata tana ki te whakamatautauranga o te hunga harakore.
When a whip suddenly kills, 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 wicked people; God covers the faces of its judges. If it is not he who does it, 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 running messenger; my days flee away; they see no good anywhere.
26 Kua pahemo, kua pera me nga kaipuke tere, me te ekara ano e topa iho ana ki tana kai.
They are as fast as papyrus reed boats, and as fast as the eagle that swoops down on its victim.
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 said that I would forget about my complaints, that I would take off my sad face and be happy,
28 E wehi ana ahau i oku mamae katoa, e mohio ana ahau e kore ahau e meinga e koe he harakore.
I would be afraid of all my sorrows because I know that you will not consider me innocent.
29 Tera hoki ahau e whakahengia; he aha ahau i whakangenge kau ai i ahau?
I will be condemned; why, then, should I try in vain?
30 Ki te horoi ahau i ahau ki te hukarere, a ka meinga oku ringa kia ma rawa;
If I washed myself with snow water and made my hands ever so clean,
31 Katahi ahau ka rumakina e koe ki te poka, a whakarihariha mai ana oku kakahu ki ahau.
God would plunge me in a ditch, and my own clothes would be disgusted with 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 God is not a man, as I am, that I could answer him, that we could come together in court.
33 Kahore he kaiwhakatikatika mo ta maua, kahore he tangata hei whakapa i tona ringa ki a maua tahi.
There is no judge between us who 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:
There is no other judge who could take God's rod off me, who could keep his terror from frightening me.
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 up and not fear him. But as things are now, I cannot do that.
