Hopa 9
1 Na ka whakahoki a Hopa, ka mea,
Then answered Job, and said,
2 E mohiotia ana ano tenei e ahau; engari ma te aha ka tika ai te tangata ki te Atua?
Truly I know that it is so: and how could a mortal be righteous before 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 were desirous to enter into a contest with him, he could not give him one answer out 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 of heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and escaped unscathed?
5 E nekehia ana e ia nga maunga, te mohio ratou; hurihia ake e ia i a ia e riri ana.
[He it is] who removeth mountains, and they know it not, yea, 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 loose out of her place, that her pillars tremble;
7 E korero nei ki te ra, a kore ake e whiti; hiritia putia iho e ia nga whetu.
Who speaketh to the sun, and he shineth not, and around the stars he placeth a seal;
8 Ko ia nei anake hei hora i nga rangi, hei takahi i runga i nga ngaru o te moana.
Who spread out the heavens by himself alone, and treadeth upon the hillocks of the sea;
9 Nana nei i hanga a Aketura, a Tautoru, a Matariki, me nga ruma i te tonga.
Who made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers 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 doth great things which are quite unsearchable, and wonders which are quite 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, were he to go past by me, I should not see him; and were he to pass along, I should 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?
Behold, were he to snatch aught away, who could hold him back? who would say unto him, What dost 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: beneath him sink down the helpers of the proud.
14 A kia whakahoki kupu ano ahau ki a ia, kia whiriwhiri kupu ano maku ki a ia?
How much less then could I answer him, and select my words [to contend] with him?
15 Ahakoa he tika ahau, e kore ahau e whakahoki kupu atu; engari ka inoi ahau ki toku kaiwhakawa.
Whom, were I even righteous, I could not answer? to him that condemneth me I could [only] make supplication.
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.
Or were I to call, and he would answer me, I could yet not believe that he would give ear unto my voice—
17 E aki ana hoki ia ia ahau ki te tupuhi, e whakanui takekore ana hoki i oku mate.
He that bruiseth me with [his] tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without a cause.
18 Kahore ahau e tukua e ia kia ta toku manawa; otiia whakakiia ana e ia toku wairua ki te kawa.
He suffereth me not to recover my breath; but feedeth me overmuch with bitter things.
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 regard strength, lo, he is the powerful; and if justice, who will cite him for me to appear?
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.
If I were righteous even, my own mouth would condemn me: were I innocent, it would still 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 will not have regard for myself: I will despise my life.
22 He kotahi tonu ena; koia ahau ka mea, e whakamotitia ana e ia te tapatahi raua ko te kino.
One thing is [certain], therefore have I said it, The innocent and the wicked he bringeth to their end.
23 Na ka whakamate tata nei te whiu, he kata tana ki te whakamatautauranga o te hunga harakore.
If a scourge should slay suddenly, he will mock at the trial 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?
Is a land given up into the hand of the wicked? he covereth the faces of its judges: if this be not the truth, who is it then?
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.
And my days pass swifter than a runner: they flee away, they see no happiness,
26 Kua pahemo, kua pera me nga kaipuke tere, me te ekara ano e topa iho ana ki tana kai.
They hasten along like pirate ships: like the eagle that stoopeth down upon his food.
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 leave off my sorrowful countenance, and recover my cheerfulness:
28 E wehi ana ahau i oku mamae katoa, e mohio ana ahau e kore ahau e meinga e koe he harakore.
O then would I be in dread of all my pains; I know that thou wilt not declare me innocent.
29 Tera hoki ahau e whakahengia; he aha ahau i whakangenge kau ai i ahau?
I must ever be guilty: why then should I fatigue myself for nought?
30 Ki te horoi ahau i ahau ki te hukarere, a ka meinga oku ringa kia ma rawa;
If I were to wash myself in snow-water, to cleanse myself in the purity of my hands:
31 Katahi ahau ka rumakina e koe ki te poka, a whakarihariha mai ana oku kakahu ki ahau.
Even then wouldst thou plunge me in the ditch, that my own clothes would render me abhorred.
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, like me, that I could answer him, that we should enter together into a contest.
33 Kahore he kaiwhakatikatika mo ta maua, kahore he tangata hei whakapa i tona ringa ki a maua tahi.
There is no one who can decide between us, who could 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 but remove from me his rod, and let not his dread terrify 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, and not fear him; for the like I feel not within me.
