1 K o te maramara kai, ko te mea maroke me te ata noho hei kinaki, pai atu i te whare ki i nga hakari a te nganagare.

Better is a dry morsel with quietness than a house full of feasting with strife.

2 H ei rangatira te pononga mahara mo te tama i whakama ai; ka whai wahi ano ia i roto i to nga teina.

A wise servant shall have rule over a son who causes shame, and shall share in the inheritance among the brothers.

3 K o te oko tahu para mo te hiriwa, ko te oumu mo te koura; ko Ihowa ia hei whakamatau mo nga ngakau.

The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tries the hearts.

4 K o te kaimahi i te he ka tahuri ki ta te ngutu kino; a ka whai taringa te teka ki ta te arero whanoke.

An evildoer gives heed to wicked lips; and a liar listens to a mischievous tongue.

5 K o te taunu ki te rawakore he tawai ki tona Kaihanga: ko te tangata e koa ana ki nga aitua, e kore e kore te whiua.

Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker, and he who is glad at calamity shall not be held innocent or go unpunished.

6 H ei karauna mo nga koroheke nga tamariki a nga tamariki: na, ko te kororia o nga tamariki ko o ratou matua.

Children’s children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their fathers.

7 E kore te reo rangatira e tau ki te kuware: hore rawa ano hoki te ngutu teka ki te rangatira.

Fine or arrogant speech does not befit fool—much less do lying lips befit a prince.

8 K o te tangata i te mea homai noa, he kohatu whakapaipai tera ki tana titiro; tona tahuritanga ake ki hea, ki hea, ka whiwhi ki te pai.

A bribe is like a bright, precious stone that dazzles the eyes and affects the mind of him who gives it; he prospers, whichever way he turns.

9 K o te tangata e hipoki ana i te he, e whai ana i te aroha; tena ko te tangata korerorero, e wehewehe ana i nga hoa tupu.

He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love, but he who repeats or harps on a matter separates even close friends.

10 K o te ngotonga o te kupu riri ki roto ki te tangata matau, nui atu i to nga whiu kotahi rau ki roto ki te whakaarokore.

A reproof enters deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred lashes into a fool.

11 H e whakakeke kau ta te tangata kino e whai ai; no reira ka tukua atu he karere nanakia ki a ia.

An evil man seeks only rebellion; therefore a stern and pitiless messenger shall be sent against him.

12 K ia tutaki ki te tangata te pea kua tangohia ana kuao; pai atu i te whakaarokore i a ia e wairangi ana.

Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man rather than a fool in his folly.

13 K o te tangata e homai ana i te kino hei utu mo te pai, e kore te kino e neke atu i tona whare.

Whoever rewards evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.

14 K o te timatanga o te totohe i rite ki te tangata e tuku ana i te wai kia rere: na reira waiho atu te totohe i te mea kiano i oho te ngangare.

The beginning of strife is as when water first trickles; therefore stop contention before it becomes worse and quarreling breaks out.

15 K o te tangata e whakatika ana i ta te tangata kino, me ia e whakahe ana i ta te tangata tika, he rite tahi taua rua, he mea whakarihariha ki a Ihowa.

He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both an abomination to the Lord.

16 H ei aha te utu i te ringa o te kuware, hei hoko i te whakaaro nui, kahore nei hoki ona matauranga?

Of what use is money in the hand of a fool to buy skillful and godly Wisdom—when he has no understanding or heart for it?

17 E aroha ana te hoa i nga wa katoa; na, ko te teina, ko te tuakana, i whanau tera mo nga aitua.

A friend loves at all times, and is born, as is a brother, for adversity.

18 K o ta te tangata ngakaukore he papaki ringa; kua waiho hei whakakapi turanga i te aroaro o tona hoa.

A man void of good sense gives a pledge and becomes security for another in the presence of his neighbor.

19 K o te tangata e aroha ana ki te nganagare e aroha ana ki te kino; ko te tangata e whakarewa ana i tona kuwaha e rapu ana i te whakangaromanga.

He who loves strife and is quarrelsome loves transgression and involves himself in guilt; he who raises high his gateway and is boastful and arrogant invites destruction.

20 K o te ngakau parori ke e kore e kite i te pai; ko te tangata he whanoke tona arero ka taka ki te kino.

He who has a wayward and crooked mind finds no good, and he who has a willful and contrary tongue will fall into calamity.

21 K a whanau he whakaarokore ma tetahi tangata, hei whakapouri tera mona: e kore ano hoki e koa te papa o te poauau.

He who becomes the parent of a fool does it to his sorrow, and the father of fool has no joy.

22 H e rongoa pai te ngakau koa; ki te maru ia te wairua, ka maroke nga wheua.

A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

23 E tango ana te tangata kino i te mea whakapati i te uma, hei whakapeau ke i nga ara o te whakarite whakawa.

A wicked man receives a bribe out of the bosom (pocket) to pervert the ways of justice.

24 K ei te aroaro o te tangata matau nga whakaaro nui; kei nga pito ia o te whenua nga kanohi o te whakaarokore.

A man of understanding sets skillful and godly Wisdom before his face, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

25 K o te tamaiti whakaarokore he mea whakapouri i tona papa, he mea whakakawa i te ngakau o tona whaea.

A self-confident and foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.

26 E hara ano hoki i te mea pai kia whiua te tangata tika, kia patua ranei nga rangatira mo te tika.

Also, to punish or fine the righteous is not good, nor to smite the noble for their uprightness.

27 H e matauranga to te tangata e tohu ana i ana kupu: a he whakaaro to te tangata i te wairua manawanui.

He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding has a cool spirit.

28 K o te wairangi nei ano, ki te whakarongo puku, ka kiia he whakaaro nui: ki te kokopi ona ngutu, ka kiia ia he tupato.

Even a fool when he holds his peace is considered wise; when he closes his lips he is esteemed a man of understanding.