1 H e mea whakarihariha ki a Ihowa te pauna he; engari te taimaha tika tana i pai ai.

A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, But a just weight is His delight.

2 K a tae te whakapehapeha, ka tae ano te whakama; kei te hunga whakaiti ia te whakaaro nui.

When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom.

3 K o to ratou ngakau tapatahi hei arahi i te hunga tika; ka ai ano ko te whanoke ia o te hunga poka ke hei whakangaro mo ratou.

The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them.

4 E kore te taonga e whai mana i te ra o te riri: kei te tika ia he oranga ake i te mate.

Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death.

5 M a te tika o te ngakau tapatahi ka tika ai tona ara; ka hinga ia te tangata kino i runga i tona kino.

The righteousness of the blameless will smooth his way, But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.

6 M a te tika o te hunga tika ka mawhiti ai ratou; ka mau ia nga poka ke i runga i to ratou kino.

The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, But the treacherous will be caught by their own greed.

7 I te matenga o te tangata kino, kore iho ana mea i tumanako atu ai: kahore noa iho he tumanakohanga ma te hunga he.

When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish, And the hope of strong men perishes.

8 K a mawhiti te tangata tika i roto i te raru, a ka riro te tangata kino hei whakakapi mo tona turanga.

The righteous is delivered from trouble, But the wicked takes his place.

9 H ei huna mo tona hoa te mangai o te tangata whakaponokore; na ma te mohio te hunga tika ka mawhiti ai.

With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.

10 K a pai te hunga tika, ka hari te pa: ka whakangaromia te hunga kino, ka tangi te umere.

When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, And when the wicked perish, there is joyful shouting.

11 M a te manaaki o te hunga tika ka kake ai te pa; ka pakaru ia i te mangai o te hunga kino.

By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, But by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down.

12 K o te tangata e whakahawea ana ki tona hoa he maharakore: tena ko te tangata matau, whakarongo puku ana.

He who despises his neighbor lacks sense, But a man of understanding keeps silent.

13 K o te tangata haere, ka kawekawe korero e whaki ana i nga mea ngaro: ko te tangata i te wairua pono, e hipoki ana i te korero.

He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, But he who is trustworthy conceals a matter.

14 K i te kahore he mohio hei arahi, ka hinga te iwi: he ora ia kei nga kaiwhakatakoto whakaaro tokomaha.

Where there is no guidance the people fall, But in abundance of counselors there is victory.

15 K o te tangata ko tana nei hei whakakapi mo ta te tangata ke, ka mamae; kei te ora ia te tangata e kino ana ki te tikanga whakakapi turanga.

He who is guarantor for a stranger will surely suffer for it, But he who hates being a guarantor is secure.

16 K a mau te kororia i te wahine tikanga pai; ka mau hoki te taonga i nga tangata taikaha.

A gracious woman attains honor, And ruthless men attain riches.

17 H e atawhai i tona wairua ta te tangata atawhai; a he whakararu i ona kikokiko ta te tangata nanakia.

The merciful man does himself good, But the cruel man does himself harm.

18 K o te mahi a te tangata kino e utua ana ki te teka: ko te utu ia mo te kaiwhakatakoto i te tika, u rawa.

The wicked earns deceptive wages, But he who sows righteousness gets a true reward.

19 K o te tangata u ki te tika, ka whiwhi ki te ora: a, ko te tangata e whai ana i te kino e mea ana i te mate mona.

He who is steadfast in righteousness will attain to life, And he who pursues evil will bring about his own death.

20 K o ta Ihowa e whakarihariha ai he ngakau whanoke; ko tana e ahuareka ai ko te hunga e tika ana to ratou ara.

The perverse in heart are an abomination to the Lord, But the blameless in their walk are His delight.

21 A hakoa awhi nga ringa ki a raua, e kore te tangata kino e waiho kia kore e whiua; ka mawhiti ia te uri o te hunga tika.

Assuredly, the evil man will not go unpunished, But the descendants of the righteous will be delivered.

22 R ite tonu ki te whakakai koura i te ihu o te poaka te wahine ataahua kahore nei ona ngarahu pai.

As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout So is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.

23 K o ta te hunga tika e minamina ai, ko te pai anake; ko te tumanako ia a te hunga kino, ko te riri.

The desire of the righteous is only good, But the expectation of the wicked is wrath.

24 T era tetahi kei te rui, a tapiritia mai ana ano; tera tetahi kei te kaiponu i te mea e tika ana, heoi rawakore noa iho.

There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want.

25 K o te wairua ohaoha ka momona: ko te tangata e whakamakuku ana, ka whakamakukuria ano ia.

The generous man will be prosperous, And he who waters will himself be watered.

26 K o te tangata e kaiponu ana i te witi, ka kanga tera e te nuinga; ka tau ia te manaaki ki runga ki te mahunga o te tangata e hoko atu ana.

He who withholds grain, the people will curse him, But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.

27 K o te tangata e ata rapu ana i te pai, e rapu ana i te whakapai: ko te tangata ia e rapu ana i te he, ka tae tera ki a ia.

He who diligently seeks good seeks favor, But he who seeks evil, evil will come to him.

28 K o te tangata e whakawhirinaki ana ki ona taonga, ka taka: na, ko te hunga tika ka rite to ratou tupu ki to te rau matomato.

He who trusts in his riches will fall, But the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.

29 K o te tangata e whakararu ana i tona whare, he hau te taonga e whakarerea iho mona: hei pononga ano te kuware ma te ngakau whakaaro nui.

He who troubles his own house will inherit wind, And the foolish will be servant to the wisehearted.

30 K o nga hua o te tangata tika he rakau no te ora; ka hopu wairua ano te tangata whakaaro tika.

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who is wise wins souls.

31 N ana, he utu ano to te tangata tika i runga i te whenua: nui atu ia to te tangata kino raua ko te tangata hara.

If the righteous will be rewarded in the earth, How much more the wicked and the sinner!