1 M y son, keep my words, and hold together my teachings within you.

E taku tama, puritia aku kupu, huna aku whakahau ki roto ki a koe.

2 K eep my words and live. Keep my teachings as you would your own eye.

Puritia aku whakahau, a ka ora; taku ture, ano ko te whatupango o tou kanohi.

3 T ie them upon your fingers. Write them upon your heart.

Herea ki ou maihao; tuhituhia, ko tou ngakau ano hei papa.

4 S ay to wisdom, “You are my sister.” Call understanding your special friend.

Ki atu ki te whakaaro nui, He tuahine koe noku; kiia hoki te matauranga ko tou whanaunga wahine:

5 T hey will keep you from the strange woman, from the stranger with her smooth words.

Kia ai enei hei tiaki i a koe kei he i te wahine ke, i te wahine ke, he korero whakapati nei ana.

6 F or I looked out through the wood-work at the window of my house.

I titiro atu hoki ahau i te matapihi o toku whare i roto i toku whakakahokaho;

7 A nd I saw among the child-like and among the young people a young man without wisdom and understanding.

A i matakitaki ahau i roto i nga kuware, i kite i roto i nga taitama, i tetahi tamaiti kahore rawa he whakaaro,

8 H e passed through the street near her corner and took the path to her house,

E haere ana i te ara i te wahi tata e piko atu ai ki a ia, a haere ana ia i te ara ki tona whare.

9 i n the light of the evening, after it was dark.

I te kakarauritanga, i te ahiahi o te ra, i te titiwhatanga o te po, i te pouri kerekere.

10 S ee, a woman comes to meet him. She is dressed like a woman who sells the use of her body, and with a heart that wants to fool and trap someone.

Na, kua tutaki tetahi wahine ki a ia, he kakahu puremu tona, he ngakau hianga.

11 S he is loud and has a strong self-will. Her feet do not stay at home.

He mangai koroki tona, he tohetohe; ko ona waewae, kahore e tau ki tona whare:

12 S he is now in the street, now in the center of town where people gather. She lies in wait at every corner.

Inaianei kei nga ara ia, inamata kei nga waharoa, e tauwhanga ana i nga kokinga katoa.

13 S o she catches him and kisses him. With a hard face she says to him,

Koia i hopukia ai ia e ia, kei te kihi i a ia, a ka mea atu ki a ia, me te whakatoi ano i tona mata,

14 “ It was time for me to give gifts on the altar in worship, and today I have paid what I promised.

He patunga mo te pai kei ahau; no tenei ra nei ahau i whakamana ai i aku kupu taurangi;

15 S o I have come out to meet you, to look for you, and I have found you.

Koia ahau i haere mai ai ki te whakatau i a koe, ki te ata rapu i tou mata, a ka kitea nei koe e ahau.

16 I have spread my bed with coverings of linen cloth from Egypt.

Ko toku moenga kua horahia e ahau, whakapaipai rawa ki te kaitaka, ki nga kakahu purepure no te rinena o Ihipa.

17 I have perfumed my bed with fine perfumes and spices.

Kua ruia e ahau toku moenga ki nga mea whakakakara, ki te maira, ki te aroe, ki te hinamona.

18 C ome, let us take our fill of love until morning. Let us make ourselves happy with love.

Haere mai, kia whaowhina taua ki te aroha, a ao noa; kia ora o taua ngakau i te aroha.

19 F or my husband is not at home. He has gone on a long trip.

Kahore hoki taku tane i te whare: kua riro ia, he haere tawhiti:

20 H e has taken a bag of money with him, and he will come home at full moon.”

I maua atu e ia he putea moni i tona ringa; ka hoki mai ano ia i te kowhititanga o te marama.

21 S he leads him away with her tempting talk. She tempts him with the smooth words of her lips.

He maha no ana korero whakawai, riro ana ia i a ia ki tana; na te whakapati a ona ngutu ka kumea atu ia e ia.

22 A ll at once he follows her, like a bull going to be killed, like a wild animal goes into a trap,

Haere tonu ia i muri i a ia, ano he kau e haere ana kia patua, he kuware ranei e haere ana ki nga rakau here waewae e whiua ai te he;

23 u ntil an arrow cuts through him. Like a bird that hurries into the net, he does not know that he will lose his life.

A tu noa te tao ki tona ate puta rawa; rite tonu ia ki te manu e hohoro ana ki te mahanga, te mohio he matenga tera mona.

24 S o, my sons, listen to me. Listen to the words of my mouth.

No reira, e aku tamariki, whakarongo ki ahau, maharatia nga kupu a toku mangai.

25 D o not let your heart turn aside to her ways. Do not turn aside into her paths.

Kei peau ke tou ngakau ki ona ara, kei kotiti ke ki ona huarahi.

26 F or she has hurt many and destroyed many others. She has killed a great number.

He tokomaha hoki nga tangata i tu, i hinga i a ia, ae ra, he ope nui rawa tana i patu ai.

27 H er house is the way to hell, going down to the rooms of death.

He huarahi tona whare ki te reinga, e anga ana ki raro ki nga ruma o te mate.