Proverbs 4
1 Listen, sons, to the discipline of a father, and pay attention, so that you may know prudence.
Whakarongo, e aku tamariki, ki te whakaako a te matua, tahuri mai hoki kia matauria ai nga whakaaro mohio.
2 I will bestow upon you a good gift. Do not relinquish my law.
He pai hoki te kupu mohio ka hoatu nei e ahau ki a koutou, kaua taku ture e whakarerea.
3 For I, too, was the son of my father, tender and an only son in the sight of my mother.
He tama ano hoki ahau ki toku papa, a he ngawari, he mea kotahi e matenuitia ana e toku whaea.
4 And he taught me, and he also said: “Let your heart accept my words. Keep my precepts, and you shall live.
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.
5 Obtain wisdom, obtain prudence. May you neither forget, nor turn away from, the words of my mouth.
Whaia mou te whakaaro nui, whaia mou te matauranga; kaua e wareware ki tera, kaua hoki e neke atu i nga kupu a toku mangai.
6 Do not send her away, and she will guard you. Love her, and she will preserve you.
Kaua ia e whakarerea, a mana koe e tiaki; arohaina ia, a mana koe e mau ai.
7 The beginning of wisdom is to obtain wisdom, and, with all that you possess, to acquire prudence.
Ko te whakaaro nui te tino mea; no reira whaia mau te whakaaro nui; a i ou whiwhinga katoa, kia whiwhi koe ki te matauranga.
8 Grasp her, and she will exalt you. You will be glorified by her, when you have embraced her.
Whakanuia ia, a mana koe ka kake ai; ka whakahonore ia i a koe ki te awhitia e koe.
9 She will bestow upon your head an increase in graces, and she will protect you with a noble crown.
Ka homai e ia he pare ataahua ki tou mahunga, ka potaea ano koe e ia ki te karauna whakapaipai.
10 Listen, my son, and accept my words, so that years of life may be multiplied for you.
Whakarongo, e taku tama, maharatia aku kupu, a he maha nga tau e ora ai koe.
11 I will demonstrate to you the way of wisdom. I will lead you along the paths of equity.
He mea whakaako koe naku ki te ara o te whakaaro nui; he mea arahi koe naku i nga ara o te tika.
12 When you have entered by these, your steps will not be constrained, and when running, you will have no obstacle.
Ka haere koe, e kore ou takahanga e whakakikitia mai; ki te rere koe, e kore koe e tutuki.
13 Take hold of discipline. Do not dismiss it. Guard it, for it is your life.
Kia mau ki te ako, kaua e tukua atu; matapoporetia iho, ko tou oranga hoki ia.
14 Do not delight in the paths of the impious, nor permit the way of evil-doers to please you.
Kaua e haere i te ara o te hunga kino, kaua hoki e takahia te huarahi o te hunga he.
15 Take flight from it. Do not pass close to it. Turn away and abandon it.
Anga ke ake, kaua e tika na reira; peka ake i taua ara, haere tonu atu.
16 For they do not sleep, unless they have done evil. And their sleep is quickly taken away from them, unless they have overthrown.
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.
17 They eat the bread of impiety, and they drink the wine of iniquity.
No te kino hoki te taro e kainga ana e ratou, no te nanakia te waina e inumia ana e ratou.
18 But the path of the just is like a shining light: it advances and increases, even to the day of completion.
Ko 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.
19 The way of the impious is darkened. They do not know where they may fall.
Ko te ara o te hunga kino, me he pouri; e kore ratou e mohio ki te mea i tutuki ai ratou.
20 My son, pay attention to my sermons, and incline your ear to my eloquent words.
E taku tama, tahuri ki aku kupu; anga mai tou taringa ki aku korero.
21 Let them not recede from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart.
Kei kotiti ke enei i ou kanohi; puritia i waenganui o tou ngakau.
22 For they are life to those who find them and health to all that is flesh.
He oranga enei mo te hunga e kitea ai, he rongoa mo o ratou kikokiko katoa.
23 Preserve your heart with all watchfulness, for life proceeds from this.
Kia pau ou mahara ki te tiaki i tou ngakau; no reira hoki nga putanga o te ora.
24 Remove from yourself a corrupt mouth, and let detracting lips be far from you.
Whakarerea te mangai whanoke, kia matara rawa i a koe nga ngutu tutu.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, and let your eyelids precede your steps.
Kia hangai tonu te titiro whakamua a ou kanohi; kia titiro ou kamo ki mua tonu i a koe.
26 Direct the path of your feet, and all your ways shall be secure.
Whakatikaia te huarahi o ou waewae, kia u ano hoki ou ara katoa.
27 Turn aside, neither to the right, nor to the left; yet turn your foot away from evil. For the Lord knows the ways that are on the right, and truly, those that are on the left are perverse. But he himself will make your courses straight. Then your journey will advance in peace.
Kaua e peka ki matau, ki maui; kia anga ke tou waewae i te kino.
