1 But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to set with the dogs of my flock.2 Yea, whereto {should} the strength of their hands {profit} me, {men} in whom vigour hath perished?3 Withered up through want and hunger, they flee into waste places long since desolate and desert:4 They gather the salt-wort among the bushes, and the roots of the broom for their food.5 They are driven forth from among {men} -they cry after them as after a thief-6 To dwell in gloomy gorges, in caves of the earth and the rocks:7 They bray among the bushes; under the brambles they are gathered together:8 Sons of fools, and sons of nameless sires, they are driven out of the land.9 And now I am their song, yea, I am their byword.10 They abhor me, they stand aloof from me, yea, they spare not to spit in my face.11 For he hath loosed my cord and afflicted me; so they cast off the bridle before me.12 At {my} right hand rise the young brood; they push away my feet, and raise up against me their pernicious ways;13 They mar my path, they set forward my calamity, without any to help them;14 They come in as through a wide breach: amid the confusion they roll themselves onward.15 Terrors are turned against me; they pursue mine honour as the wind; and my welfare is passed away like a cloud.16 And now my soul is poured out in me; days of affliction have taken hold upon me.17 The night pierceth through my bones {and detacheth them} from me, and my gnawing pains take no rest:18 By their great force they have become my raiment; they bind me about as the collar of my coat.19 He hath cast me into the mire, and I have become like dust and ashes.20 I cry unto thee, and thou answerest me not; I stand up, and thou lookest at me.21 Thou art changed to a cruel one to me; with the strength of thy hand thou pursuest me.22 Thou liftest me up to the wind; thou causest me to be borne away, and dissolvest my substance.23 For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and into the house of assemblage for all living.24 Indeed, no prayer {availeth} when he stretcheth out {his} hand: though they cry when he destroyeth.25 Did not I weep for him whose days were hard? was not my soul grieved for the needy?26 For I expected good, and there came evil; and I waited for light, but there came darkness.27 My bowels well up, and rest not; days of affliction have confronted me.28 I go about blackened, but not by the sun; I stand up, I cry in the congregation.29 I am become a brother to jackals, and a companion of ostriches.30 My skin is become black {and falleth} off me, and my bones are parched with heat.31 My harp also is {turned} to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of weepers.

1 Inaianei ia e kataina mai ana ahau e te hunga tamariki rawa i ahau, e te hunga kihai nei ahau i whakaae kia uru o ratou matua ki roto ki nga kuri o taku kahui.2 Ae ra, hei aha maku te kaha o o ratou ringa? He hanga pirau nei hoki to ratou koroheketanga.3 Tupuhi ana ratou i te rawakore, i te hemokai; e ngau ana ratou i te oneone pakapaka, i roto i te pouritanga o te tuhea, o te ururua.4 E whawhaki ana ratou i nga marou i roto o nga rakau ririki; a ko nga pakiaka hunipa hei kai ma ratou.5 He mea pei atu ratou i roto i nga tangata; e karangarangatia ana ratou ano he tahae.6 Me noho rawa atu ratou i nga kapiti o nga awaawa, i nga waro o te whenua, i nga kamaka.7 Tangi a kaihe ana ratou i roto i nga rakau ririki; huihuia ana ratou ki raro i nga ongaonga.8 He tamariki ratou na nga kuware, ae ra, he tamariki na te hunga ingoakore; he hunga i patua atu i runga i te whenua.9 Inaianei ia kua waiho ahau hei waiata ma ratou, ae, hei whakatauki ma ratou.10 E whakarihariha mai ana ratou ki ahau, e neke rawa atu ana i ahau, a kahore e kaiponuhia e ratou te huware ki toku mata.11 Kua oti hoki tana aho te wewete e ia, a e whakatupuria kinotia ana ahau e ia, a kua tukua e ratou te paraire i toku aroaro.12 I te taha ki matau ka ara te marea; taia ana e ratou oku waewae, a akina ana nga ara o a ratou whakangaromanga ki ahau.13 E taka kino ana ratou i toku ara, e whakatupu ana i te he moku, a kahore he hoa mahi mo ratou.14 Rite tonu ki te wai nui e pakaru mai ana to ratou haerenga mai: i taua whakangaromanga nei, huri mai ana ratou ki runga ki ahau:15 Kua tahuri mai nga whakawehi ki ahau, e aru ana ratou i toku whakaaro rangatira ano he hau; ko te whakahauora moku, pahemo ke ana ano he kapua.16 Na inaianei kua maringi toku wairua i roto i ahau: mau pu ahau i nga ra o te tangi.17 I te po e werohia ana oku wheua i roto i ahau; kahore hoki he okiokinga o nga mamae e ngau nei i ahau.18 He kaha nui no toku mate i ahua ke ai toku kakahu; e awhi nei i ahau, e penei ana me te whiri o toku koti.19 Kua maka ahau e ia ki te paru, kua rite ahau ki te puehu, ki te pungarehu.20 E tangi ana ahau ki a koe, heoi kahore koe e whakao mai ki ahau; e tu ana, heoi ka titiro kau mai koe ki ahau.21 Kua huri ke, kua kino tau mahi ki ahau: ko te kaha o tou ringa kei te tukino i ahau.22 Kua hapainga ake ahau e koe ki te hau, a meinga ana tera e koe hei hoiho moku; a whakamotitia iho ahau e koe i roto i te tupuhi.23 E mohio ana hoki ahau tera ahau e kawea e koe ki te mate, ki te whare hoki i whakaritea mo te hunga ora katoa.24 E kore ano ia tona ringa e totoro iho ki te urupa; ahakoa hei mate mona ka mea ia ki te karanga, he whakaaro ki enei mea.25 Kihai ianei ahau i tangi ki te tangata he mate nei tona? kihai ranei toku wairua i pouri ki te rawakore?26 I ahau i tatari ai ki te pai, heoi kua tae mai te kino; tumanako atu ana ahau ki te marama, heoi kua tae mai te pouri.27 Ko oku whekau, me te mea e koropupu ana, te ata takoto; haukotia mai ana ahau e nga ra o te tangi.28 E haereere pouri ana ahau, kahore he ra; ko taku whakatikanga ake i roto i te whakaminenga, ka karanga awhina.29 Hei teina ahau ki nga tarakona, hei hoa mo nga ruru.30 Ko toku kiri mangu tonu, e ngahoro ana i ahau, kaia ana oku wheua i te wera.31 No reira i tahuri ke ai taku hapa ki te tangi, me taku okana ki te reo o te hunga e uhunga ana.