Proverbs 4
1 Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.
ʻAe fānau, mou fanongo ki he akonaki ʻae tamai, pea tokanga ke ʻilo ʻae poto.
2 For I give you sound teaching; do not abandon my directive.
He ʻoku ou foaki ʻae akonaki lelei kiate kimoutolu, pea ʻoua naʻa mou liʻaki ʻa ʻeku fono.
3 When I was a son to my father, tender and the only child of my mother,
He ko e foha au ʻo ʻeku tamai, ko e pele mo e ʻofeina taha pe au ʻi he ʻao ʻo ʻeku faʻē.
4 he taught me and said, “Let your heart lay hold of my words; keep my commands and you will live.
Naʻa ne akonakiʻi foki au, ʻo ne pehē mai, “Tuku ke maʻu ʻi ho loto ʻa ʻeku ngaahi lea: tauhi ʻa ʻeku ngaahi fekau, ka ke moʻui.”
5 Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn from them.
Ke ke maʻu ʻae poto, pea maʻu mo e ʻilo: ʻoua naʻa ngalo ia; pea ʻoua naʻa ke fakaholomui mei he ngaahi lea ʻa hoku ngutu.
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will guard you.
ʻOua naʻa liʻaki ia, pea te ne fakamoʻui koe: ke ke ʻofa kiate ia, pea te ne tauhi kiate koe.
7 Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.
Ko e poto ko e meʻa ʻoku fungani hake ia; ko ia ke ke maʻu ʻae poto: pea ʻi he meʻa kotoa pē ʻoku ke maʻu, ke ke maʻu mo e ʻilo.
8 Prize her, and she will exalt you; if you embrace her, she will honor you.
Fakahikihikiʻi ia, pea te ne hakeakiʻi koe: pea ʻi hoʻo fāʻufua kiate ia, te ne fakaongoongolelei koe.
9 She will set a garland of grace on your head; she will present you with a crown of beauty.”
ʻE ai ʻe ʻia ʻae teunga matamatalelei ki ho ʻulu: ko e tatā ʻoe nāunau te ne foaki kiate koe.”
10 Listen, my son, and receive my words, and the years of your life will be many.
ʻE hoku foha, fanongo, pea ke maʻu ʻa ʻeku ngaahi tala, pea ʻe hoko ai ʻo lahi ʻae ngaahi taʻu ʻo hoʻo moʻui.
11 I will guide you in the way of wisdom; I will lead you on straight paths.
Kuo u akonakiʻi koe ʻi he hala ʻoe poto; pea kuo u tataki koe ʻi he ngaahi ʻaluʻanga totonu.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; when you run, you will not stumble.
ʻOka ke ka ʻeveʻeva ʻe ʻikai ʻefihia ho vaʻe; pea ʻoka ke ka lele ʻe ʻikai te ke hinga.
13 Hold on to instruction; do not let go. Guard it, for it is your life.
Puke ke maʻu ʻae akonaki; ʻoua naʻa tukuange ia: kuku maʻu ia; he ko hoʻo moʻui ia.
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers.
ʻOua naʻa ke ʻalu atu ki he hala ʻoe angahala, pea ʻoua naʻa ʻeveʻeva ʻi he ʻaluʻanga ʻoe kakai angakovi.
15 Avoid it; do not travel on it. Turn from it and pass on by.
Fakaʻehiʻehi mei ai, ʻoua naʻa ke ofi ki ai, tafoki mei ai, pea ʻalu atu pe.
16 For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; they are deprived of slumber until they make someone fall.
He ʻoku ʻikai te nau mohe, ka ʻi heʻenau lavaʻi ʻae kovi; pea ʻi he ʻikai te nau fakahinga ha niʻihi ʻoku ʻikai ai te nau faʻa mohe.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
He ʻoku nau kai ʻae mā ʻoe fai kovi, ʻonau inu ʻi he uaine ʻoe fakamālohi.
18 The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.
Ka ko e hala ʻoe angatonu ʻoku tatau ia mo e ulo ʻoe maama, ʻaia ʻoku ʻāsili pe ʻene ulo ʻo aʻu ki he haohaoa ʻoe ʻaho.
19 But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble.
ʻOku tatau mo e poʻuli ʻae hala ʻoe angahala: ʻoku ʻikai te nau ʻilo ʻaia ʻoku nau tūkia ai.
20 My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
ʻE hoku foha, tokanga ki heʻeku ngaahi lea; fakatokangaʻi ho telinga ki heʻeku ngaahi tala.
21 Do not lose sight of them; keep them within your heart.
Ke ʻoua naʻa mole atu ia mei ho mata; ke maʻu ia ʻi he kakano ʻo ho loto.
22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body.
He ko e moʻui ia kiate kinautolu ʻoku maʻu ia, pea ko e faitoʻo ki honau kakano.
23 Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.
Ke ke tauhi fakamātoato ki ho loto; he ʻoku tupu mei ai ʻae ikuʻanga ʻoe moʻui.
24 Put away deception from your mouth; keep your lips from perverse speech.
Ke liʻaki ke mamaʻo ʻiate koe ʻae ngutu ʻoku kovi, mo e loungutu paongataʻa.
25 Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead.
Ke sio totonu atu pe ho mata, pea ke hangatonu ki muʻa ho laumata ʻiate koe.
26 Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure.
Fakakaukau ki he ʻalunga ʻo ho vaʻe, pea ʻe fakatonutonu ai ho ngaahi hala kotoa pē.
27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil.
ʻOua naʻa afe ki he nima toʻomataʻu pe ki he toʻohema: ka ke fakatafoki ho vaʻe mei he kovi.
