1 As for man, the son of woman, his days are short and full of trouble.
2 He comes out like a flower, and is cut down: he goes in flight like a shade, and is never seen again.
3 Is it on such a one as this that your eyes are fixed, with the purpose of judging him?
4 If only a clean thing might come out of an unclean! But it is not possible.
5 If his days are ordered, and you have knowledge of the number of his months, having given him a fixed limit past which he may not go;
6 Let your eyes be turned away from him, and take your hand from him, so that he may have pleasure at the end of his day, like a servant working for payment.
7 For there is hope of a tree; if it is cut down, it will come to life again, and its branches will not come to an end.
8 Though its root may be old in the earth, and its cut-off end may be dead in the dust;
9 Still, at the smell of water, it will make buds, and put out branches like a young plant.
10 But man comes to his death and is gone: he gives up his spirit, and where is he?
11 The waters go from a pool, and a river becomes waste and dry;
12 So man goes down to his last resting-place and comes not again: till the heavens come to an end, they will not be awake or come out of their sleep.
13 If only you would keep me safe in the underworld, putting me in a secret place till your wrath is past, giving me a fixed time when I might come to your memory again!
14 If death takes a man, will he come to life again? All the days of my trouble I would be waiting, till the time came for me to be free.
15 At the sound of your voice I would give an answer, and you would have a desire for the work of your hands.
16 For now my steps are numbered by you, and my sin is not overlooked.
17 My wrongdoing is corded up in a bag, and my sin is shut up safe.
18 But truly a mountain falling comes to dust, and a rock is moved from its place;
19 The stones are crushed small by the force of the waters; the dust of the earth is washed away by their overflowing: and so you put an end to the hope of man.
20 You overcome him for ever, and he is gone; his face is changed in death, and you send him away.
21 His sons come to honour, and he has no knowledge of it; they are made low, but he is not conscious of it.
22 Only his flesh still has pain, and his soul is sad.
1 Ko te tangata i whanau i te wahine, he torutoru ona ra; ki tonu ano i te raruraru.
2 Ano he puawai ia e puta mai ana, e kotia iho ana: rere ana ia, ano he atarangi, kahore hoki he tumautanga.
3 E titiro mai ano ranei ou kanohi ki te penei? E mea ranei koe i ahau kia whakawa taua ki a taua?
4 Ko wai hei homai i te mea ma i roto i te mea poke? Hore rawa.
5 Kua rite na hoki nga ra mona: kei a koe te maha o ona marama; takoto rawa i a koe te tikanga mona, a e kore ia e whiti ki tua.
6 Tahuri ke atu te titiro i a ia, kia ai ona pariratanga, kia ata tutuki ai tona ra, kia rite ai ki o te kaimahi.
7 Ka ai hoki he whakaaronga ki te rakau i tapahia, tera ano e pariri, e kore ano hoki e mutu te wana o tona pihi.
8 Ahakoa kua tawhitotia tona pakiaka a ki te whenua, a kua mate tona tinana i roto i te oneone;
9 Heoi ma te haunga o te wai ka pihi, ka kokiri ona peka ano ko ta te mea tupu.
10 Ko te tangata ia, mate iho, marere noa iho; ae, ka hamo te tangata, a kei hea ia?
11 Pera i nga wai e he mai nei i te moana, i te awa e mimiti ana, ka maroke;
12 E pera ana ano te tangata, e takoto ana a kahore he whakatikanga ake: kahore he marangatanga ake mo ratou, a kia kore ra ano nga rangi; e kore ano ratou e ara i to ratou moe.
13 Aue, kia huna noatia oti ahau e koe ki te po, kia waihotia noatia iho ahau e koe kia ngaro ana, kia hoki ra ano tou riri; kia rohea noatia mai e koe tetahi wa moku, a ka mahara mai ai ano ki ahau!
14 Ki te mate te tangata, e ora ano ranei ia? Ka tatari ahau i nga ra katoa o toku ngananga, kia tae mai ra ano he whakaputanga moku.
15 Mau e karanga, kia whakao atu ai ahau; kahore hoki e kore ka matenui koe ki te mahi a ou ringa.
16 Inaianei hoki e taua ana e koe oku hikoinga; he teka ianei e matatau tonu mai ana koe ki toku hara?
17 Hiri rawa toku he ki roto ki te putea, tuitui rawa e koe toku kino.
18 He pono ko te maunga e horo ana e memeha noa ake ana, e nekehia ana te toka i tona wahi;
19 E ngau ana te wai i nga kohatu; ma tona puhaketanga e horoi atu te puehu o te whenua; a whakangaromia iho e koe te tumanako a te tangata.
20 Taea ana ia e koe ake tonu atu, a pahure ana ia; puta ke ana i a koe tona mata, a tonoa atu ana ia kia haere.
21 Ko te whakahonoretanga o ana tama, kahore e mohiotia e ia; ka hoki iho ratou hei ware, heoi kahore tetahi aha o ratou e maharatia e ia.
22 E mamae ano ia te kikokiko o tona tinana, a ka tangi tona wairua i roto i a ia.