Proverbs 26
1 Honoring someone stupid is as inappropriate as snow in the summer or rain during harvest.
ʻOku hangē ko e ʻuha hinehina ʻi he faʻahitaʻu mafana, mo e ʻuha ʻi he lolotonga ʻoe ututaʻu, ʻoku pehē hono taʻetaau ʻae ongoongolelei mo ha vale.
2 A curse that isn't deserved won't land on the person, like a fluttering sparrow or a flitting swallow.
Hangē ko e manupuna ʻoku hēhē, pea mo e pekepeka ʻi heʻene puna, ʻoku pehē, ʻe ʻikai hoko mai ʻae fakamalaʻia taʻehanoʻuhinga.
3 Horses need a whip, donkeys need a bridle, and stupid people need a rod on their backs!
Ko e meʻa kinisi ki he hoosi, mo e meʻa taʻofi ki he ʻasi, pea mo e meʻa tā ki he tuʻa ʻoe vale.
4 Don't answer stupid people following their stupidity, or you'll become as bad as them.
ʻOua naʻa tali ʻaki ʻae vale ʻa ʻene vale, telia naʻa ke hoko ʻo tatau pe mo ia.
5 Answer stupid people following their stupidity, otherwise they'll think they're wise.
Ke talia ʻae vale ʻo fakatatau mo ʻene vale, telia naʻa poto ia ʻi hono mata ʻoʻona.
6 Trusting someone stupid to deliver a message is like cutting of your feet or drinking poison.
Ko ia ʻoku ne ʻave ha fekau ʻi he nima ʻo ha taha ʻoku vale ʻoku ne tuʻusi ʻae vaʻe, mo inu ʻi he fakamamahi.
7 A proverb spoken by someone stupid is as useless as a lame person's legs.
ʻOku ʻikai tatau ʻae vaʻe ʻoe tangata ketu: ʻoku pehē foki ʻae lea fakatātā ʻi he ngutu ʻoe kakai vale.
8 Honoring someone stupid is as pointless as tying a stone into a sling.
ʻOku hangē ha taha ʻoku ne ai ʻae maka ʻi he makatā, ʻoku pehē pe ia ʻaia ʻoku fakaongoongoleleiʻi ʻae vale.
9 A proverb spoken by someone stupid is as ridiculous as a thorn bush waved around by a drunk.
ʻOku hangē ko e tau ʻae talaʻi ʻakau ʻi he nima ʻoe tangata konā, ʻoku pehē pe ʻae lea fakatātā ʻi he ngutu ʻoe kakai vale.
10 Anyone who hires someone stupid or just a passer-by is like an archer wounding people by shooting arrows at random.
Ko e ʻOtua ʻaia naʻe ngaohi ʻae meʻa kotoa pē, ʻoku ne fakatou ʻatu ʻae totongi ki he vale, pea mo e kau fai kovi.
11 Stupid people repeat their stupidity like a dog returning to its vomit.
Hangē ko e tafoki mai ʻae kulī ki heʻene lua, ʻoku pehē ʻae toe fai ʻe he vale ʻa ʻene vale.
12 Have you seen a man who is wise in his own eyes? There's more hope for stupid people than for him!
ʻOku ke mamata ki ha tangata ʻoku ne mahalo kiate ia ko e poto ia? ʻOku tau ʻamanaki lelei hake ki he vale ʻiate ia.
13 Lazy people are the ones who say, “There's a lion on the road—a lion running around the streets!”
ʻOku pehē ʻe he tangata fakapikopiko, “ʻOku ai ʻae laione ʻi he hala: ʻoku ʻi he hala ʻoe kolo ʻae laione.”
14 A lazy person turns in bed like a door turns on its hinge.
Hangē ko e feʻaluʻaki ʻae matapā ʻi hono meʻa tautau, ʻoku pehē ʻaia ʻoku fakapikopiko ʻi hono mohenga.
15 Lazy people put their hands in a dish, but are too tired to lift the food to their mouths.
ʻOku fakafufū ʻe he fakapikopiko ʻa hono nima ʻi hono fatafata; pea ʻoku mamahi ia ʻi heʻene toe ʻomi ia ki hono ngutu.
16 In their own eyes lazy people are wiser than many sensible advisors.
ʻOku poto hake ʻae fakapikopiko ʻi heʻene mahalo ʻaʻana, ʻi he kau tangata ʻe toko fitu ʻoku faʻa tali ʻaki ʻae lea ʻoku totonu.
17 Interfering in someone else's quarrel is like grabbing a stray dog by the ears.
Ko ia ʻoku ʻalu ange, pea ne kaunoa ʻi ha fakakikihi naʻe ʻikai kau ai ia, ʻoku tatau ia mo ha taha ʻoku puke ha kulī ʻi hono telinga.
18 You're like a crazy person firing off blazing arrows and killing people
Hangē ha tangata faha ʻoku lī fano ʻe ia ʻae afi, mo e ngaahi ngahau, mo e mate,
19 if you lie to your friend and then say, “I was only joking!”
ʻOku pehē pe ʻae tangata ʻoku ne kākaaʻi hono kaungāʻapi, ʻo ne pehē, “ʻIkai ko ʻeku fakavā pe?”
20 Without wood, the fire goes out; and without gossips, arguments stop.
ʻI he ʻikai ha fefie ʻoku mate ʻae afi: pea pehē, ʻi he ʻikai ha fakakovi kuo longo leva ʻae fakakikihi.
21 An argumentative person fires up quarrels like putting charcoal on hot embers or wood on a fire.
Hangē ko e malamala ki he malala vela, mo e fefie ki he afi; ʻoku pehē ʻae tangata faʻa fakakikihi kē.
22 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.
23 Smooth talking with evil intent is like a shiny lead glaze on an earthenware pot.
Ko e loungutu lapu mo e loto kovi, ʻoku tatau mo ha konga ipu maumau kuo ʻufiʻufi ʻaki ʻae siliva.
24 People say nice things to you even though they hate you; deep down they're just lying to you.
Ko ia ʻoku taufehiʻa, ʻoku lapu ʻaki ʻe ia ʻa hono loungutu, ka ʻoku nofo ʻi hono loto ʻae kākā;
25 When people talk nicely to you, don't believe them—their minds are full of hate for you.
ʻOka matamatalelei ʻene lea, ʻoua naʻa ke tui kiate ia: he ʻoku fitu ʻae meʻa fakalielia ʻi hono loto.
26 Even though their hatred may be hidden by cunning tricks, their evil will be revealed to everyone.
Ko ia ʻoku ne fakafufū ʻene fehiʻa ʻaki ʻa ʻene fai kākā, ʻe fakahā ʻa ʻene fai kovi ʻi he ʻao ʻoe fakataha kotoa pē.
27 Those who dig pits to trap others will fall in themselves, and those who start boulders rolling will be crushed themselves.
Ko ia ʻoku keli ʻae luo ʻe tō ia ki ai: pea ko ia ʻoku tekaʻi ʻae maka ʻe toe ʻoho mai ia kiate ia.
28 If you tell lies, you show you hate your victims; if you flatter people, you cause disaster.
ʻOku fehiʻa ʻae ʻelelo loi kiate kinautolu ʻoku mamahi ai; pea ʻoku tupu ʻae malaʻia mei he ngutu ʻoku lapu.
