Proverbs 18
1 Selfish people only please themselves, they attack anything that makes good sense.
Ko e meʻa ʻi he holi ki ai ʻae tangata, ʻoku ne vaheʻi ia ke ne kumi mo kau ʻi he poto kotoa pē.
2 Stupid people have no interest in trying to understand, they only want to express their opinions.
ʻOku ʻikai fiefia ʻae vale ʻi he ʻilo, ka koeʻuhi ke fakahā ʻaki ia hono loto.
3 With wickedness comes contempt; with dishonor comes disgrace.
ʻOka hoko mai ʻae angahala ʻoku haʻu mo ia ʻae manukia, pea mo e ongoongo kovi mo e valokia.
4 People's words can be profound like deep waters, a gushing stream that is the source of wisdom.
ʻOku hangē ko e ngaahi vai loloto ʻae ngaahi lea mei he ngutu ʻoe tangata, pea ʻoku tatau ʻae matavai ʻoe poto mo e pā ʻae vaitafe.
5 It's not right to show favoritism to the guilty and rob the innocent of justice.
ʻOku ʻikai lelei ia ke fili ki he tangata ʻoku angahala, kae fakahinga ai ʻae māʻoniʻoni ʻi he fakamaau.
6 What stupid people say gets them into fights, as if they're asking for a beating.
ʻOku kau ʻae loungutu ʻoe vale ʻi he kē, pea ʻoku ui mai hono ngutu ke taaʻi ia.
7 Stupid people are caught out by what they say; their own words trap them.
Ko e ʻauhaʻanga ʻoe vale ʻa hono ngutu, pea ko e tauhele ki hono laumālie ʻa hono loungutu.
8 Listening to gossip is like gulping down bites of your favorite food—they go deep down inside you.
Ko e ngaahi lea ʻae tangata faʻa fafana ʻoku hangē ia ko e ngaahi makafokafo, pea ʻoku ʻasi mai ia ki he kakano ʻoe loto.
9 Laziness and destruction are brothers.
Ko ia ʻoku fakapikopiko ʻi heʻene ngāue, ko e tokoua ia ʻoʻona ʻoku faʻa maumau meʻa.
10 The Lord is a protective tower that good people can run to and be safe.
Ko e fale māʻolunga mo mālohi ʻae huafa ʻo Sihova: ʻoku hola ki ai ʻae māʻoniʻoni, ʻo ne moʻui ai.
11 Rich people see their wealth as a fortified town—it's like a high wall in their imagination.
Ko e kolo mālohi ʻae tangata koloaʻia ko ʻene koloa, pea ʻoku tatau ia ʻi heʻene mahalo ʻaʻana mo e fuʻu ʻā māʻolunga.
12 Pride leads to destruction; humility goes before honor.
ʻOku muʻomuʻa ʻi he fakaʻauha ʻae fielahi ʻi he loto ʻae tangata, pea ʻoku muʻomuʻa ʻae angavaivai ʻi he hakeakiʻi.
13 Replying before hearing is stupidity and shame.
Ko ia ʻoku kau ke lea ʻi ha meʻa ʻi he teʻeki te ne fanongo ki ai, ko e vale mo e fakamā ia kiate ia;
14 With a brave spirit you can put up with sickness, but if it's crushed, you can't bear it.
ʻE faʻa kātakiʻi ʻe he laumālie ʻoe tangata haʻane vaivai; ka ko hai ʻoku faʻa kātakiʻi ʻae laumālie kuo lavea?
15 An intelligent mind acquires knowledge; the wise are ready to hear knowledge.
ʻOku maʻu ʻe he loto ʻoe fakamākukanga ʻae poto: pea ʻoku kumi ki he ʻilo ʻe he telinga ʻoe poto.
16 A gift opens doors for you, and gets you into the presence of important people.
ʻOku fakaʻataʻatā ʻae hala ʻoe tangata ʻoku faʻa foaki, pea ʻoku ʻomi ai ia ki he ʻao ʻoe houʻeiki.
17 The first person to plead a case sounds right until someone comes to cross-examine them.
Ko ia ʻoku muʻomuʻa ʻi heʻene meʻa ʻaʻana ʻoku matamata totonu: ka ʻi he haʻu ʻa hono kaungāʻapi ʻoku ne ʻahiʻahiʻi ia.
18 Casting lots can end disputes and decide between powerful people.
ʻOku fakangatangata ʻi he fai ʻoe talotalo ʻae fakakikihi, ʻo ne vahevahe ki he kakai mālohi.
19 A brother you've offended is harder to win back than a fortified town. Arguments keep people apart like bars on the doors of a fortress.
ʻOka koviʻia ʻae loto ʻoe tokoua ʻo ha taha, ʻoku faingataʻa lahi hake ia ʻi ha kolo ʻoku mālohi: pea ko ʻena fekeʻikeʻi ʻoku hangē ia ko e ngaahi songo ʻoe kolo.
20 Make sure you're satisfied with what you say—you have to live with your words.
ʻE fakamākona ʻae kete ʻoe tangata ʻaki ʻae fua ʻo hono ngutu: pea ʻe fakafonu ia ʻaki ʻaia ʻoku tupu mei hono loungutu.
21 What you say has the power to bring life or to kill; those who love talking will have to deal with the consequences.
ʻOku ʻi he ʻelelo ʻae pule ki he mate mo e moʻui: pea ko kinautolu ʻoku ʻofa ki ai te nau kai ʻa hono fua.
22 If you find a wife, that's great, and you'll be blessed by the Lord.
Ko e tangata ʻoku ne maʻu hono uaifi ʻoku maʻu ʻe ia ʻae lelei, ʻoku ne maʻu ai ʻae lelei ʻi he ʻao ʻo Sihova.
23 The poor beg for mercy, but the rich reply harshly.
ʻOku fakakolekole ʻe he masiva; ka ʻoku tali fakamālohi ʻe he koloaʻia.
24 Some friends give up on you, but there's a friend who stays closer to you than a brother.
Ko e tangata ʻoku ai hono ngaahi kāinga ʻoku ngali ke ne fai fakakāinga ʻe ia; pea ʻoku ai ʻae tākanga ʻoku pikitai mālohi hake ʻi ha tokoua.
