1 Nā, ka whakahoki a Hopa, ka mea:

2 "E mōhiotia ana anō tēnei e ahau;

engari mā te aha ka tika ai te tangata ki te Atua?

3 Ki te pai ia ki te totohe ki a ia,

kāhore he kupu kotahi o roto i te mano e taea e ia te whakahoki ki a ia.

4 He ngākau mōhio ia, he pakari tōna kaha;

ko wai e whakauaua ki a ia, ā, e whiwhi i te pai?

5 E nekehia ana e ia ngā maunga, tē mōhio rātou;

hurihia ake e ia i a ia e riri ana.

6 E whakangāueuetia ana e ia te whenua,

e nekehia atu ana i tōna wāhi, wiri ana ōna pou.

7 E kōrero nei ki te rā, ā, kore ake e whiti;

hīritia pūtia iho e ia ngā whetū,

8 ko ia nei anake hei hora i ngā rangi,

hei takahi i runga i ngā ngaru o te moana.

9 Nāna nei i hanga a Aketura, a Tautoru,

a Matariki, me ngā rūma i te tonga.

10 Nāna nei i mahi ngā mea nunui, e kore nei e taea te rapu atu,

āe rā ngā mea whakamīharo, e kore nei e taea te tatau.

11 Inā tonu ia e haere atu nei, ā, kāhore ahau i kite;

ka pahemo atu hoki ia, ā, kāhore ahau e mātau ki a ia.

12 Nanā, ka hopu ia i tāna i aru ai, mā wai ia e ārai?

Ko wai hei kī atu ki a ia, ‘E aha ana koe?’

13 "E kore te Atua e whakahoki iho i tōna riri;

e piko ana ki raro i a ia ngā kaiāwhina o Rahapa.

14 Ā, kia whakahoki kupu anō ahau ki a ia,

kia whiriwhiri kupu anō māku ki a ia?

15 Ahakoa he tika ahau, e kore ahau e whakahoki kupu atu;

engari ka īnoi ahau ki tōku kaiwhakawā.

16 Me i karanga atu ahau, ā, whakahokia mai ai e ia te kupu ki ahau,

kīhai ahau i whakaae tērā kua whakarongo mai ia ki tōku reo.

17 E āki ana hoki ia i ahau ki te tūpuhi,

e whakanui takekore ana hoki i ōku mate.

18 Kāhore ahau e tukua e ia kia tā tōku manawa;

otiia whakakīia ana e ia tōku wairua ki te kawa.

19 Ki te kōrero tātou mō te kaha o te hunga pakari, nanā, kei reira ia!

Ā, ki te mea he whakawā, ko wai rā hei whakatakoto i te tāima mōku?

20 "Ahakoa he tika ahau mā tōku māngai anō ahau e whakahē;

ahakoa he tikanga tapatahi tāku,

mā reira anō e whakaatu tōku ngaunga kētanga.

21 He tapatahi ahau; kāhore ahau e whakaaro ki ahau anō;

e whakahāwea ana ahau ki tōku ora.

22 He kotahi tonu ēnā; koia ahau ka mea,

e whakamōtītia ana e ia te tapatahi rāua ko te kino.

23 Nā, ka whakamate tata nei te whiu,

he kata tāna ki te whakamātautauranga o te hunga harakore.

24 Kua hoatu te whenua ki te ringa o te tangata kino;

e taupokina ana e ia ngā mata o ngā kaiwhakawā;

ki te mea ehara i a ia, tēnā ko wai?

25 "Nā, ko te hohoro o ōku rā, nui atu i tō te kaikawe pukapuka;

e rere ana, kāhore hoki e kite i te pai.

26 Kua pahemo, kua pērā me ngā kaipuke tere,

me te ēkara anō e topa iho ana ki tāna kai.

27 Ki te mea ahau, ‘Ka wareware ahau ki tāku tangi,

ka unuhia atu e ahau te pōuri o tōku mata, ā, ka mārama,’

28 e wehi ana ahau i ōku mamae katoa,

e mōhio ana ahau e kore ahau e meinga e koe he harakore.

29 Tērā hoki ahau e whakahēngia;

he aha ahau i whakangenge kau ai i ahau?

30 Ki te horoi ahau i ahau ki te hukarere,

ā, ka meinga ōku ringa kia mā rawa;

31 kātahi ahau ka rumakina e koe ki te poka,

ā, whakarihariha mai ana ōku kākahu ki ahau.

32 "Ehara hoki ia i te tangata, i te pēnei me ahau nei,

e whakahoki kupu ai ahau ki a ia,

e haere tahi ai māua ki te whakawā.

33 Kāhore he kaiwhakatikatika mō tā māua,

kāhore he tangata hei whakapā i tōna ringa ki a māua tahi.

34 Me tango atu e ia tāna patu i ahau,

ā, kaua hoki tana whakamataku e whakawehi i ahau.

35 Hei reira ahau ka kōrero, ā, kāhore e wehi i a ia;

kāhore hoki ahau e pērā roto i ahau."