< Proverbs 16 >
1 It is for man to prepare the soul, and for the Lord to govern the tongue.
ʻOku meia Sihova ʻae teuteu ʻoe loto ʻi he tangata, pea mo e tali ʻoe ʻelelo.
2 All the ways of a man are open to his eyes; the Lord is the one who weighs spirits.
ʻOku maʻa ʻae hala kotoa pē ʻoe tangata ki hono mata ʻoʻona; ka ʻoku fakamaau ʻe Sihova ʻae ngaahi laumālie.
3 Open your works to the Lord, and your intentions will be set in order.
Tuku kia Sihova hoʻo ngāue kotoa pē, pea ʻe fokotuʻumaʻu ai hoʻo ngaahi mahalo.
4 The Lord has wrought all things because of himself. Likewise the impious is for the evil day.
Kuo ngaohi ʻe Sihova ʻae meʻa kotoa pē maʻana: ʻio, naʻa mo e kau angahala ki he ʻaho ʻoe kovi.
5 All the arrogant are an abomination to the Lord. Even if hand will be joined to hand, he is not innocent. The beginning of a good way is to do justice. And this is more acceptable with God than to immolate sacrifices.
ʻOku fakalielia kia Sihova ʻakinautolu kotoa pē ʻoku loto fielahi: pea kapau ʻe puke ʻae nima ki he nima, ʻe ʻikai taʻehoko hono tautea.
6 By mercy and truth, iniquity is redeemed. And by the fear of the Lord, one turns away from evil.
ʻOku fakamaʻa mei he angahala ʻe he ʻaloʻofa mo e moʻoni: pea ko e meʻa ʻi he manavahē kia Sihova ʻoku tafoki ai ʻae tangata mei he kovi.
7 When the ways of man will please the Lord, he will convert even his enemies to peace.
ʻOka lelei kia Sihova ʻae ngaahi hala ʻoe tangata, ʻoku ne pule ki hono ngaahi fili ke nau fakalelei mo ia.
8 Better is a little with justice, than many fruits with iniquity.
ʻOku lelei hake ʻae meʻa siʻi mo e māʻoniʻoni, ʻi he maʻu ʻae koloa lahi ʻi he taʻetotonu.
9 The heart of man disposes his way. But it is for Lord to direct his steps.
ʻOku fili ʻe he loto ʻoe tangata ki hono hala: ka ʻoku fakahinohino ʻe Sihova ʻa ʻene ngaahi laka.
10 Foreknowledge is in the lips of the king. His mouth shall not err in judgment.
ʻOku haʻu mei he loungutu ʻoe tuʻi ʻae fakamaau ʻoku totonu: ʻoku ʻikai fai hala hono ngutu ʻi heʻene fai ʻae fakamaau.
11 Weights and scales are judgments of the Lord. And all the stones in the bag are his work.
Ko e meʻa fakamamafa mo e meʻa fakatatau totonu ʻoku meia Sihova ia: ko e maka fakamamafa kotoa pē ʻoku ʻi he kato ko ʻene ngāue ia.
12 Those who act impiously are abominable to the king. For the throne is made firm by justice.
Ko e meʻa fakalielia ʻae fai angahala ʻae ngaahi tuʻi: he ʻoku fokotuʻumaʻu ʻae nofoʻa ʻoe tuʻi ʻi he māʻoniʻoni.
13 Just lips are the will of kings. He who speaks honestly shall be loved.
Ko e fiefiaʻanga ʻoe ngaahi tuʻi ʻae loungutu ʻoku māʻoniʻoni; pea ʻoku nau ʻofa kiate ia ʻoku lea totonu.
14 The indignation of a king is a herald of death. And the wise man will appease it.
Ko e tuputāmaki ʻoe tuʻi ʻoku tatau ia mo e ngaahi talafekau ʻae mate: ka ʻe lolomi ia ʻe he tangata ʻoku poto.
15 In the cheerfulness of the king’s countenance, there is life. And his clemency is like belated rain.
ʻI he maama ʻoe fofonga ʻoe tuʻi ʻoku ai ʻae moʻui; pea ko ʻene ʻofa ʻoku hangē ia ko e ʻao ʻoe ʻuha mui.
16 Possess wisdom, for it is better than gold. And acquire prudence, for it is more precious than silver.
He ʻikai ʻoku lelei hake ʻae maʻu ʻoe poto ʻi he maʻu ʻoe koula? Pea ʻikai ʻoku lelei hake ʻae maʻu ʻae faʻa ʻilo ʻi he fili ki he siliva?
17 The path of the just turns away from evils. He who guards his soul preserves his way.
Ko e hala motuʻa ʻoe angatonu ko ʻenau afe mei he kovi: ko ia ʻoku tauhi ki hono hala ʻoku fakamoʻui ʻe ia hono laumālie.
18 Arrogance precedes destruction. And the spirit is exalted before a fall.
ʻOku muʻomuʻa ʻae fielahi ʻi he fakaʻauha, pea mo e loto angahiki ʻi he hoko ʻae hinga.
19 It is better to be humbled with the meek, than to divide spoils with the arrogant.
ʻOku lelei lahi hake ia ke loto angavaivai mo e kakai angavaivai, ʻi he vahevahe ha koloa kuo maʻu mo e fielahi.
20 The learned in word shall find good things. And whoever hopes in the Lord is blessed.
ʻE maʻu ʻae lelei ʻe ia ʻoku tokanga fakapotopoto ki ha meʻa: pea ʻoku monūʻia ia ʻaia ʻoku falala kia Sihova.
21 Whoever is wise in heart shall be called prudent. And whoever is sweet in eloquence shall attain to what is greater.
ʻE ui ʻakinautolu ʻoku loto poto ko e fakamākukanga; pea ʻoku tupu ʻae poto mei he loungutu ʻoku melie.
22 Learning is a fountain of life to one who possesses it. The doctrine of the foolish is senseless.
Ko e faʻa ʻilo ko e matavai ia ʻoe moʻui kiate ia ʻoku maʻu ia: ka ko e akonaki mei he vale ko e vale pe ia.
23 The heart of the wise shall instruct his mouth and add grace to his lips.
ʻOku akoʻi ʻe he loto ʻoe poto ʻa hono ngutu, pea ʻoku ne fakalahi ʻae poto ki hono loungutu.
24 Careful words are a honeycomb: sweet to the soul and healthful to the bones.
ʻOku tatau mo e ngeʻesi ʻoe hone ʻae lea mālie, ʻi hono huʻa melie ki he laumālie, pea ko e moʻui ia ki he ngaahi hui.
25 There is a way which seems right to a man, and its end result leads to death.
ʻOku ai ʻae hala ʻoku matamata totonu ki he tangata, ka ko hono ngataʻanga ʻoʻona ko e ngaahi hala ki he mate.
26 The soul of the laborer labors for himself, because his mouth has driven him to it.
Ko ia ʻoku ngaue ʻoku ngāue maʻana: he ʻoku tangi ai kiate ia ʻa hono ngutu.
27 The impious man digs up evil, and in his lips is a burning fire.
ʻOku keli hake ʻae kovi ʻe he tangata angakovi: pea ʻoku ʻi hono loungutu ʻae afi kakaha.
28 A perverse man stirs up lawsuits. And one who is verbose divides leaders.
ʻOku tūtuuʻi ʻe he tangata angakovi ʻae feʻiteʻitani: pea ʻoku fakamāvae ʻe he tangata faʻa fafana ʻae kaumeʻa feʻofoʻofani.
29 A man of iniquity entices his friend, and he leads him along a way that is not good.
ʻOku fakahalaʻi ʻe he tangata ʻoku angamālohi ʻa hono kāinga, ʻo ne tataki ia ki he hala ʻoku ʻikai lelei.
30 Whoever, with astonished eyes, thinks up depravities, biting his lips, accomplishes evil.
ʻOku ne fakamohe hono mata koeʻuhi ke ne fakakaukau ki he ngaahi meʻa ʻoku kovi: ʻi he ngāue ʻa hono loungutu ʻoku hoko ai ʻae kovi.
31 Old age is a crown of dignity, when it is found in the ways of justice.
Ko e ʻuluhinā ko e tatā ia ʻoe ongoongolelei, ʻo ʻilo ia ʻi he hala ʻoe māʻoniʻoni.
32 A patient man is better than a strong one. And whoever rules his soul is better than one who assaults cities.
Ko ia ʻoku fakatotoka ki he ʻita ʻoku lelei hake ia ʻi ha taha ʻoku mālohi; pea pehē foki ia ʻoku faʻa pule ki hono loto ʻi ha taha ʻoku hamu ha kolo.
33 Lots are cast into the lap, but they are tempered by the Lord.
ʻOku lī ki he loto kofu ʻae talotalo; ka ʻoku ʻia Sihova, ʻa hono fakamaauʻi.