Hopa.
9.
Nā, ka whakahoki a Hopa, ka mea: 
“E mōhiotia ana anō tēnei e ahau; engari mā te aha ka tika ai te tangata ki te Atua? 
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. 
He ngākau mōhio ia, he pakari tōna kaha; ko wai e whakauaua ki a ia, ā, e whiwhi i te pai? 
E nekehia ana e ia ngā maunga, tē mōhio rātou; hurihia ake e ia i a ia e riri ana. 
E whakangāueuetia ana e ia te whenua, e nekehia atu ana i tōna wāhi, wiri ana ōna pou. 
E kōrero nei ki te rā, ā, kore ake e whiti; hīritia pūtia iho e ia ngā whetū, 
ko ia nei anake hei hora i ngā rangi, hei takahi i runga i ngā ngaru o te moana. 
Nāna nei i hanga a Aketura, a Tautoru, a Matariki, me ngā rūma i te tonga. 
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. 
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. 
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?’ 
“E kore te Atua e whakahoki iho i tōna riri; e piko ana ki raro i a ia ngā kaiāwhina o Rahapa. 
Ā, kia whakahoki kupu anō ahau ki a ia, kia whiriwhiri kupu anō māku ki a ia? 
Ahakoa he tika ahau, e kore ahau e whakahoki kupu atu; engari ka īnoi ahau ki tōku kaiwhakawā. 
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. 
E āki ana hoki ia i ahau ki te tūpuhi, e whakanui takekore ana hoki i ōku mate. 
Kāhore ahau e tukua e ia kia tā tōku manawa; otiia whakakīia ana e ia tōku wairua ki te kawa. 
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? 
“Ahakoa he tika ahau mā tōku māngai anō ahau e whakahē; ahakoa he tikanga tapatahi tāku, mā reira anō e whakaatu tōku ngaunga kētanga. 
He tapatahi ahau; kāhore ahau e whakaaro ki ahau anō; e whakahāwea ana ahau ki tōku ora. 
He kotahi tonu ēnā; koia ahau ka mea, e whakamōtītia ana e ia te tapatahi rāua ko te kino. 
Nā, ka whakamate tata nei te whiu, he kata tāna ki te whakamātautauranga o te hunga harakore. 
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? 
“Nā, ko te hohoro o ōku rā, nui atu i tō te kaikawe pukapuka; e rere ana, kāhore hoki e kite i te pai. 
Kua pahemo, kua pērā me ngā kaipuke tere, me te ēkara anō e topa iho ana ki tāna kai. 
Ki te mea ahau, ‘Ka wareware ahau ki tāku tangi, ka unuhia atu e ahau te pōuri o tōku mata, ā, ka mārama,’ 
e wehi ana ahau i ōku mamae katoa, e mōhio ana ahau e kore ahau e meinga e koe he harakore. 
Tērā hoki ahau e whakahēngia; he aha ahau i whakangenge kau ai i ahau? 
Ki te horoi ahau i ahau ki te hukarere, ā, ka meinga ōku ringa kia mā rawa; 
kātahi ahau ka rumakina e koe ki te poka, ā, whakarihariha mai ana ōku kākahu ki ahau. 
“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. 
Kāhore he kaiwhakatikatika mō tā māua, kāhore he tangata hei whakapā i tōna ringa ki a māua tahi. 
Me tango atu e ia tāna patu i ahau, ā, kaua hoki tana whakamataku e whakawehi i ahau. 
Hei reira ahau ka kōrero, ā, kāhore e wehi i a ia; kāhore hoki ahau e pērā roto i ahau.” 
