1 K o nga whakatauki a Horomona tama a Rawiri, kingi o Iharaira;

The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:

2 E mohiotia ai te whakaaro nui, te ako; e kitea ai nga kupu o te matauranga;

To know wisdom and instruction, To discern the sayings of understanding,

3 E riro mai ai te ako a te ngakau mahara, te tika, te whakawa, te mea ano e rite ana;

To receive instruction in wise behavior, Righteousness, justice and equity;

4 H ei hoatu i te ngakau tupato ki nga kuware, i te matauranga, i te ngarahu pai ki te taitamariki;

To give prudence to the naive, To the youth knowledge and discretion,

5 K ia whakarongo ai te tangata whakaaro nui, kia nui ake ai tona mohio; kia whiwhi ai te tangata tupato ki nga whakaaro mohio:

A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,

6 E mohio ai ia ki te whakatauki, ki te kupu whakarite, ki nga kupu a nga whakaaro nui, ki a ratou korero whakapeka.

To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles.

7 K o te wehi ki a Ihowa te timatanga o te matauranga; e whakahawea ana te whakaarokore ki te whakaaro nui, ki te ako.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction. The Enticement of Sinners

8 W hakarongo, e taku tama, ki te ako a tou papa, kaua hoki e whakarerea te ture a tou whaea;

Hear, my son, your father’s instruction And do not forsake your mother’s teaching;

9 K a waiho hoki ena hei pare ataahua mo tou matenga, hei mekameka whakapaipai mo tou kaki.

Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head And ornaments about your neck.

10 E taku tama, ki te whakawaia koe e te hunga hara, kaua e whakaae.

My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent.

11 K i te mea ratou, Tatou ka haere, ka whakapapa atu, ka whakaheke toto; kia whanga puku tatou, he mea takekore, mo te tangata harakore:

If they say, “Come with us, Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us ambush the innocent without cause;

12 H oromia oratia ratou e tatou, peratia me ta te rua tupapaku; ka riro tinana ratou, ka pera me te hunga e heke atu ana ki te poka:

Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, Even whole, as those who go down to the pit;

13 K a kitea e tatou nga taonga utu nui katoa, ka whakakiia o tatou whare ki ta tatou e pahua ai:

We will find all kinds of precious wealth, We will fill our houses with spoil;

14 M aka mai tou wahi ki roto ki to matou; kia kotahi te putea ma tatou katoa.

Throw in your lot with us, We shall all have one purse,”

15 E taku tama, kaua e haere tahi i te ara me ratou; kaiponuhia tou waewae i to ratou huarahi;

My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path,

16 E rere ana hoki o ratou waewae ki te kino, e hohoro ana ratou ki te whakaheke toto.

For their feet run to evil And they hasten to shed blood.

17 H e maumau hoki te hora o te kupenga ki te tirohanga a tetahi manu.

Indeed, it is useless to spread the baited net In the sight of any bird;

18 K o ratou, he whakaheke i o ratou toto ano i whakapapa ai ratou; he whakamate i a ratou ano i piri ai ratou.

But they lie in wait for their own blood; They ambush their own lives.

19 K a pena nga huarahi o te hunga apo taonga; ko te ora ano o ona rangatira e tangohia.

So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence; It takes away the life of its possessors. Wisdom Warns

20 E hamama ana te whakaaro nui i te huarahi; e puaki ana tona reo i nga waharoa;

Wisdom shouts in the street, She lifts her voice in the square;

21 E karanga ana ia i te tino wahi whakaminenga; i te wahi tuwhera o nga kuwaha, i roto i te pa, e puaki ana ana kupu;

At the head of the noisy streets she cries out; At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings:

22 E te hunga kuware, kia pehea ake te roa o to koutou aroha ki te kuwaretanga? O te hiahia ranei o te hunga whakahi ki to ratou whakahi? O te whakakino ranei a te hunga wairangi ki te matauranga?

“How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing And fools hate knowledge?

23 T ahuri mai ki taku ako: na ka ringihia e ahau toku wairua ki a koutou, ka whakaaturia aku kupu ki a koutou.

“Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.

24 I karanga atu hoki ahau, heoi kihai koutou i pai mai; i totoro atu toku ringa, a kihai tetahi i whai whakaaro mai;

“Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention;

25 H eoi whakakahoretia iho e koutou toku whakaaro katoa, kihai hoki i aro ki taku ako:

And you neglected all my counsel And did not want my reproof;

26 M o reira ka kata ahau i te ra o to koutou aitua; ka tawai ina pa te pawera ki a koutou.

I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes,

27 I na tae mai to koutou pawera ano he tupuhi, a ka pa mai to koutou aitua ano he paroro; ina tae mai te pouri me te ngakau mamae ki a koutou.

When your dread comes like a storm And your calamity comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you.

28 K o reira ratou karanga ai ki ahau, a e kore ahau e whakahoki kupu atu; ka rapu nui ratou i ahau, otiia e kore ahau e kitea e ratou:

“Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently but they will not find me,

29 M o ratou i kino ki te matauranga; kihai hoki i whiriwhiria e ratou te wehi ki a Ihowa;

Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the Lord.

30 K ihai i aro mai ki oku whakaaro; whakahawea ana ratou ki taku kupu riri katoa.

“They would not accept my counsel, They spurned all my reproof.

31 N a reira ka kai ratou i nga hua o to ratou nei ara, ka whakakiia ano hoki ki nga mea i titoa e ratou.

“So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way And be satiated with their own devices.

32 K o te tahuritanga atu hoki o nga kuware hei patu i a ratou; ko te ngakau warea ano hoki o nga wairangi hei huna i a ratou.

“For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them.

33 K o te tangata ia e rongo ana ki ahau, ka au tona noho, ka tea hoki i te wehi ki te kino.

“But he who listens to me shall live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil.”