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

Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know intelligence;

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

for I give you good doctrine: forsake ye not my law.

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

For I was a son unto my father, tender and an only one in the sight of my mother.

4 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.

And he taught me, and said unto me, Let thy heart retain my words; keep my commandments and live.

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

Get wisdom, get intelligence: forget not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

6 K aua ia e whakarerea, a mana koe e tiaki; arohaina ia, a mana koe e mau ai.

Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee; love her, and she shall preserve thee.

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

The beginning of wisdom, Get wisdom; and with all thy getting get intelligence.

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

Exalt her, and she shall promote thee; she shall bring thee to honour when thou dost embrace her.

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

She shall give to thy head a garland of grace; a crown of glory will she bestow upon thee.

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

Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be multiplied.

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

I will teach thee in the way of wisdom, I will lead thee in paths of uprightness.

12 K a haere koe, e kore ou takahanga e whakakikitia mai; ki te rere koe, e kore koe e tutuki.

When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

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

Take fast hold of instruction, let not go: keep her, for she is thy life.

14 K aua e haere i te ara o te hunga kino, kaua hoki e takahia te huarahi o te hunga he.

Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil:

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

avoid it, pass not by it; turn from it, and pass away.

16 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.

For they sleep not except they have done mischief, and their sleep is taken away unless they have caused to fall.

17 N o te kino hoki te taro e kainga ana e ratou, no te nanakia te waina e inumia ana e ratou.

For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

18 K o 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.

But the path of the righteous is as the shining light, going on and brightening until the day be fully come.

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

The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

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

My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

21 K ei kotiti ke enei i ou kanohi; puritia i waenganui o tou ngakau.

Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thy heart.

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

For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

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

Keep thy heart more than anything that is guarded; for out of it are the issues of life.

24 W hakarerea te mangai whanoke, kia matara rawa i a koe nga ngutu tutu.

Put away from thee perverseness of mouth, and corrupt lips put far from thee.

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

Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

26 W hakatikaia te huarahi o ou waewae, kia u ano hoki ou ara katoa.

Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be well-ordered.

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

Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.