1 H ear, my sons, the instruction of a father, And attend to know understanding:

Whakarongo, e aku tamariki, ki te whakaako a te matua, tahuri mai hoki kia matauria ai nga whakaaro mohio.

2 F or I give you good doctrine; Forsake ye not my law.

He pai hoki te kupu mohio ka hoatu nei e ahau ki a koutou, kaua taku ture e whakarerea.

3 F or I was a son unto my father, Tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

He tama ano hoki ahau ki toku papa, a he ngawari, he mea kotahi e matenuitia ana e toku whaea.

4 A nd he taught me, and said unto me: Let thy heart retain my words; Keep my commandments, and live;

I whakaako ano ia i ahau, i mea ki ahau, Puritia aku kupu e tou ngakau; kia mau ki aku whakahau, a e ora koe.

5 G et wisdom, get understanding; Forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth;

Whaia mou te whakaaro nui, whaia mou te matauranga; kaua e wareware ki tera, kaua hoki e neke atu i nga kupu a toku mangai.

6 F orsake her not, and she will preserve thee; Love her, and she will keep thee.

Kaua ia e whakarerea, a mana koe e tiaki; arohaina ia, a mana koe e mau ai.

7 W isdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; Yea, with all thy getting get understanding.

Ko te whakaaro nui te tino mea; no reira whaia mau te whakaaro nui; a i ou whiwhinga katoa, kia whiwhi koe ki te matauranga.

8 E xalt her, and she will promote thee; She will bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her.

Whakanuia ia, a mana koe ka kake ai; ka whakahonore ia i a koe ki te awhitia e koe.

9 S he will give to thy head a chaplet of grace; A crown of beauty will she deliver to thee.

Ka homai e ia he pare ataahua ki tou mahunga, ka potaea ano koe e ia ki te karauna whakapaipai.

10 H ear, O my son, and receive my sayings; And the years of thy life shall be many.

Whakarongo, e taku tama, maharatia aku kupu, a he maha nga tau e ora ai koe.

11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in paths of uprightness.

He mea whakaako koe naku ki te ara o te whakaaro nui; he mea arahi koe naku i nga ara o te tika.

12 W hen thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; And if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

Ka haere koe, e kore ou takahanga e whakakikitia mai; ki te rere koe, e kore koe e tutuki.

13 T ake fast hold of instruction; let her not go: Keep her; for she is thy life.

Kia mau ki te ako, kaua e tukua atu; matapoporetia iho, ko tou oranga hoki ia.

14 E nter not into the path of the wicked, And walk not in the way of evil men.

Kaua e haere i te ara o te hunga kino, kaua hoki e takahia te huarahi o te hunga he.

15 A void it, pass not by it; Turn from it, and pass on.

Anga ke ake, kaua e tika na reira; peka ake i taua ara, haere tonu atu.

16 F or they sleep not, except they do evil; And their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

E kore hoki ratou e moe ki te kore e oti tetahi mahi he ma ratou; riro rawa to ratou moe, ki te kahore tetahi tangata e hinga i a ratou.

17 F or they eat the bread of wickedness, And drink the wine of violence.

No te kino hoki te taro e kainga ana e ratou, no te nanakia te waina e inumia ana e ratou.

18 B ut the path of the righteous is as the dawning light, That shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

Ko te huarahi ia o te hunga tika, koia ano kei te marama e whiti ana, a ka neke haere tonu ake tona marama, a taea noatia te tino ra.

19 T he way of the wicked is as darkness: They know not at what they stumble.

Ko te ara o te hunga kino, me he pouri; e kore ratou e mohio ki te mea i tutuki ai ratou.

20 M y son, attend to my words; Incline thine ear unto my sayings.

E taku tama, tahuri ki aku kupu; anga mai tou taringa ki aku korero.

21 L et them not depart from thine eyes; Keep them in the midst of thy heart.

Kei kotiti ke enei i ou kanohi; puritia i waenganui o tou ngakau.

22 F or they are life unto those that find them, And health to all their flesh.

He oranga enei mo te hunga e kitea ai, he rongoa mo o ratou kikokiko katoa.

23 K eep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life.

Kia pau ou mahara ki te tiaki i tou ngakau; no reira hoki nga putanga o te ora.

24 P ut away from thee a wayward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee.

Whakarerea te mangai whanoke, kia matara rawa i a koe nga ngutu tutu.

25 L et thine eyes look right on, And let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

Kia hangai tonu te titiro whakamua a ou kanohi; kia titiro ou kamo ki mua tonu i a koe.

26 M ake level the path of thy feet, And let all thy ways be established.

Whakatikaia te huarahi o ou waewae, kia u ano hoki ou ara katoa.

27 T urn not to the right hand nor to the left: Remove thy foot from evil.

Kaua e peka ki matau, ki maui; kia anga ke tou waewae i te kino.