Hopa 8
1 Na ka whakautu a Pirirara Huhi, ka mea,
Then answered Bildad the Shuchite, and said,
2 Kia pehea ake te roa o tau korero i enei mea? Kia pehea ake te roa o nga kupu a tou mangai e rite ai ki te hau kaha?
How long wilt thou speak these things? and [let] like a mighty wind be the words of thy mouth?
3 E whakaparori ke ranei te Atua i te whakawa? E whakaparori ke ranei te Kaha Rawa i te tika?
Should God pervert justice? or should the Almighty pervert righteousness?
4 Ki te mea i hara au tamariki ki a ia, a kua maka atu ratou e ia hei utu mo to ratou he;
If thy children have sinned against him, then did he send them off through the means of their transgression.
5 Ki te rapu wawe koe i to Atua, a ka inoi ki te Kaha Rawa;
If thou wilt earnestly seek for God, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;
6 Ki te mea he ma koe, he tika, ina, ka ara ake ia ki a koe aianei, ka manaakitia ano e ia te nohoanga o tou tika.
If thou become pure and upright: surely then will he watch over thee, and restore thy righteous habitation.
7 Ahakoa i iti tou timatanga, e nui noa atu tou whakamutunga.
And thy beginning will have been small; because thy latter end will grow up greatly.
8 Tena ra, ui atu ki to mua whakatupuranga; anga atu hoki ki te mea kua rapua e o ratou matua.
For ask, I pray thee, of an earlier generation, and prepare thyself to [stand by] the research of their fathers; —
9 Nonanahi nei hoki tatou, kahore hoki e mohio; he atarangi nei hoki o tatou ra i runga i te whenua;
For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because a [mere] shadow are our days upon earth; —
10 E kore ranei ratou e whakaako i a koe, e korero ki a koe, e puaki mai ranei he kupu i o ratou ngakau?
Behold, these will truly teach thee, they will speak unto thee, and out of their very heart will they bring forth words:
11 E tupu ranei te wiwi i te mea kahore he repo? E nui ranei te raupo ki te kahore he wai?
Can the bulrush shoot upward without mire? can the meadow-grass grow up without water?
12 I te mea he kaiota tonu, a kihai i tapahia, kua maroke i mua ake i nga otaota katoa.
It is yet in its greenness, not yet cut down, when it withereth before any other grass.
13 Ka pera ano nga ara o te hunga katoa e wareware ana ki te Atua, a ka riro ki te kore ta te tangata whakaponokore i tumanako ai.
So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hope of the hypocrite will perish:
14 Ka motuhia atu tana i whakamanawa atu ai, ko te whare hoki o te pungawerewere hei tumanakohanga mona.
[It is he] whose trust will be cut off, and but a spider's web is that in which he confideth.
15 Ka okioki atu ia ki tona whare; heoi e kore e tu: u tonu tana pupuri atu, otiia e kore e mau.
He leaneth against his house, but it shall not stand: he layeth fast hold on it, but it shall not remain erect.
16 E matomato ana i te mea kahore nei te ra, a e wana ana ona peka i tana kari.
He is in full vigor before the sun, and over his garden his shoots go forth.
17 Kapi tonu te puranga i ona pakiaka, e kitea ana e ia te wahi kamaka.
His roots are twisted about a stoneheap, he selecteth [for himself] a place of stones.
18 Ki te whakamotitia iho ia i tona wahi, ka whakakahore taua wahi ki a ia, ka mea, Kahore ahau i kite i a koe.
But when men destroy him from his place, then will it deny him, saying, I have never seen thee.
19 Nana, ko te hari tenei o tona ara, a ka tupu ake etahi atu i roto i te puehu.
Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the [same] dust others will grow up.
20 Nana, e kore te Atua e whakakahore ki te tangata tika, e kore ano e puritia e ia te ringa o nga tangata kino.
Behold, God will not reject a perfect man, and will not hold fast by their hand the evil-doers:
21 Tera ano tou mangaika whakakiia e ia ki te kata, ou ngutu ki te hamama.
Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with joyful shouting.
22 He whakama te kakahu mo te hunga e kino ana ki a koe, a ka kahore noa iho te tapenakara o te hunga kino.
They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the tent of the wicked shall be no more.
