Proverbs 2

1 My son, if you accept what I say and value my instructions,

E taku tama, ki te tango koe i aku kupu, ki te huna i aku whakahau ki roto ki a koe;

2 if you pay attention to wisdom and really try to understand;

A ka tahuri tou taringa ki te whakaaro nui, ka anga ano tou ngakau ki te matauranga;

3 if you cry out for insight and call loudly for help in understanding;

Ae ra, ki te mea ka karangarangatia e koe te matauranga, a ka puaki tou reo ki te ngakau mohio;

4 if you look for it as if it were silver and search for it as if it were hidden treasure;

Ki te rapua hoki ia e koe ano he hiriwa, ki te kimihia ano he taonga huna;

5 then you will understand how to relate to the Lord and discover the truth about God.

Ko reira koe matau ai ki te wehi o Ihowa, kite ai i te mohio ki te Atua.

6 The Lord is the source of wisdom; what he says provides knowledge that makes sense.

Ma Ihowa hoki e homai te whakaaro nui; no tona mangai te matauranga me te ngakau mohio.

7 He gives good judgment to those who live right; he defends those who have good sense.

E rongoatia ana e ia te whakaaro nui ma te hunga tika; he whakangungu rakau ia mo te hunga he tapatahi nei te haere;

8 He supports those who act fairly and protects those who trust in him.

Kia tiakina ai e ia nga ara o te whakawa, kia tohungia ai te ara o tana hunga tapu.

9 Then you will be able to recognize what is right and just and fair, in fact all that is good in the way you should live.

Ko reira koe mohio ai ki te tika, ki te whakawa, ki te mea ano e rite ana, ae ra, ki nga ara pai katoa.

10 For wisdom will fill your mind, and knowledge will make you happy.

Ka uru hoki te whakaaro nui ki roto ki tou ngakau, a ka reka te matauranga ki tou wairua;

11 Good decisions will keep you on track; thinking logically will keep you safe.

Ka ai te ngarahu pai hei tiaki i a koe, te ngakau mohio hei pupuri i a koe;

12 Doing this will save you from the ways of evil, from men who tell twisted lies,

Hei kukume mai i a koe i te ara o te kino, i te tangata e puta ke ana ana korero;

13 who turn away from following what is right to walk down paths of darkness.

I te hunga e whakarere nei i nga ara o te tika, e haere ana i nga ara o te pouri;

14 They happily do wrong; they love how twisted evil is.

E koa ana, i a ratou e mahi ana i te kino, e hari ana ki nga tikanga parori ke o te kino;

15 They live crooked lives doing deceitful things.

He ara kopikopiko o ratou, he whanoke ratou i o ratou huarahi:

16 Doing this will also save you from a woman who acts immorally, from a woman who like a prostitute tries to seduce you with flattering words.

Hei whakaora i a koe i te wahine tauhou, i te wahine tauhou e whakapati nei ki ana kupu;

17 Such a woman has left her husband she married when she was young, forgetting the promises she made before God.

Kua whakarerea nei e ia te hoa o tona tamahinetanga, kua wareware ki te kawenata o tona Atua.

18 What happens in her house leads to death; following her way leads to the grave.

E heke atu ana hoki tona whare ki te mate, ona ara ki nga tupapaku.

19 No one who goes to her comes back; they don't ever find the way back to life again.

Ko te hunga katoa e haere atu ana ki a ia e kore e hoki mai; e kore ano e mau i a ratou nga ara o te ora.

20 So you should follow the way of the good, and make sure you stay on the paths of those who do right.

A ka haere koe i nga ara o nga tangata pai, ka mau ano ki nga ara o te hunga tika.

21 For only people who live right will live in the land; only honest people will remain there.

Ka noho hoki te hunga tika ki te whenua; ka mau te hunga ngakau tapatahi ki reira.

22 But the wicked will be thrown out of the land; those who are untrustworthy will be pulled out by the roots.

Ka hatepea atu ia te hunga kino i runga i te whenua; ka hutia atu i reira te hunga he kopeka ta ratou mahi.