Waiata 121

1 He waiata; he pikitanga. Ka anga atu oku kanohi ki nga maunga; no reira nei te awhina moku.

[When we travel toward Jerusalem], I look up toward the hills [and I ask myself], “Who will help me?”

2 No Ihowa te awhina moku, no te kaihanga o te rangi, o te whenua.

[And my answer is] that Yahweh is the one who helps me; he is the one who made heaven and the earth.

3 E kore ia e tuku i tou waewae kia nekehia; e kore tou kaitiaki e moe.

He will not allow us to fall/stumble; God, who protects us, will not fall asleep.

4 Ina, e kore te kaitiaki o Iharaira e parangia, e moe.

The one who protects us Israeli people never gets sleepy, nor does he sleep [LIT].

5 Ko Ihowa tou kaitiaki, ko Ihowa tou whakamarumaru i tou matau.

Yahweh watches over us; he is like the shade [MET] [that protects us from the sun].

6 E kore koe e pakia e te ra i te awatea, e te marama ranei i te po.

[He will not allow] the sun to harm us during the day, and [he will not allow] the moon to harm us during the night.

7 Ma Ihowa koe e tiaki i roto i nga kino katoa; mana e tiaki tou wairua.

Yahweh will protect us from being harmed in any manner; he will keep us safe.

8 Ma Ihowa e tiaki tou haerenga atu, me tou haerenga mai aianei a ake tonu atu.

He will protect us from the time that we leave [our houses in the morning] until we return [in the evening]; he will protect us now, and he will protect us forever.