Proverbs 4
1 Heare, O ye children, the instruction of a father, and giue eare to learne vnderstanding.
ʻAe fānau, mou fanongo ki he akonaki ʻae tamai, pea tokanga ke ʻilo ʻae poto.
2 For I doe giue you a good doctrine: therefore forsake yee not my lawe.
He ʻoku ou foaki ʻae akonaki lelei kiate kimoutolu, pea ʻoua naʻa mou liʻaki ʻa ʻeku fono.
3 For I was my fathers sonne, tender and deare in the sight of my mother,
He ko e foha au ʻo ʻeku tamai, ko e pele mo e ʻofeina taha pe au ʻi he ʻao ʻo ʻeku faʻē.
4 When he taught me, and sayde vnto me, Let thine heart holde fast my woordes: keepe my commandements, and thou shalt liue.
Naʻa ne akonakiʻi foki au, ʻo ne pehē mai, “Tuku ke maʻu ʻi ho loto ʻa ʻeku ngaahi lea: tauhi ʻa ʻeku ngaahi fekau, ka ke moʻui.”
5 Get wisedom: get vnderstading: forget not, neither decline from the woordes of my mouth.
Ke ke maʻu ʻae poto, pea maʻu mo e ʻilo: ʻoua naʻa ngalo ia; pea ʻoua naʻa ke fakaholomui mei he ngaahi lea ʻa hoku ngutu.
6 Forsake her not, and shee shall keepe thee: loue her and shee shall preserue thee.
ʻOua naʻa liʻaki ia, pea te ne fakamoʻui koe: ke ke ʻofa kiate ia, pea te ne tauhi kiate koe.
7 Wisedome is the beginning: get wisedome therefore: and aboue all thy possession get vnderstanding.
Ko e poto ko e meʻa ʻoku fungani hake ia; ko ia ke ke maʻu ʻae poto: pea ʻi he meʻa kotoa pē ʻoku ke maʻu, ke ke maʻu mo e ʻilo.
8 Exalt her, and she shall exalt thee: she shall bring thee to honour, if thou embrace her.
Fakahikihikiʻi ia, pea te ne hakeakiʻi koe: pea ʻi hoʻo fāʻufua kiate ia, te ne fakaongoongolelei koe.
9 She shall giue a comely ornamet vnto thine head, yea, she shall giue thee a crowne of glorie.
ʻE ai ʻe ʻia ʻae teunga matamatalelei ki ho ʻulu: ko e tatā ʻoe nāunau te ne foaki kiate koe.”
10 Heare, my sonne, and receiue my wordes, and the yeeres of thy life shalbe many.
ʻE hoku foha, fanongo, pea ke maʻu ʻa ʻeku ngaahi tala, pea ʻe hoko ai ʻo lahi ʻae ngaahi taʻu ʻo hoʻo moʻui.
11 I haue taught thee in ye way of wisedom, and led thee in the pathes of righteousnesse.
Kuo u akonakiʻi koe ʻi he hala ʻoe poto; pea kuo u tataki koe ʻi he ngaahi ʻaluʻanga totonu.
12 Whe thou goest, thy gate shall not be strait, and when thou runnest, thou shalt not fall.
ʻOka ke ka ʻeveʻeva ʻe ʻikai ʻefihia ho vaʻe; pea ʻoka ke ka lele ʻe ʻikai te ke hinga.
13 Take holde of instruction, and leaue not: keepe her, for shee is thy life.
Puke ke maʻu ʻae akonaki; ʻoua naʻa tukuange ia: kuku maʻu ia; he ko hoʻo moʻui ia.
14 Enter not into the way of the wicked, and walke not in the way of euill men.
ʻOua naʻa ke ʻalu atu ki he hala ʻoe angahala, pea ʻoua naʻa ʻeveʻeva ʻi he ʻaluʻanga ʻoe kakai angakovi.
15 Auoide it, and goe not by it: turne from it, and passe by.
Fakaʻehiʻehi mei ai, ʻoua naʻa ke ofi ki ai, tafoki mei ai, pea ʻalu atu pe.
16 For they can not sleepe, except they haue done euill, and their sleepe departeth except they cause some to fall.
He ʻoku ʻikai te nau mohe, ka ʻi heʻenau lavaʻi ʻae kovi; pea ʻi he ʻikai te nau fakahinga ha niʻihi ʻoku ʻikai ai te nau faʻa mohe.
17 For they eate the breade of wickednesse, and drinke the wine of violence.
He ʻoku nau kai ʻae mā ʻoe fai kovi, ʻonau inu ʻi he uaine ʻoe fakamālohi.
18 But the way of the righteous shineth as the light, that shineth more and more vnto the perfite day.
Ka ko e hala ʻoe angatonu ʻoku tatau ia mo e ulo ʻoe maama, ʻaia ʻoku ʻāsili pe ʻene ulo ʻo aʻu ki he haohaoa ʻoe ʻaho.
19 The way of the wicked is as the darkenes: they knowe not wherein they shall fall.
ʻOku tatau mo e poʻuli ʻae hala ʻoe angahala: ʻoku ʻikai te nau ʻilo ʻaia ʻoku nau tūkia ai.
20 My sonne, hearken vnto my wordes, incline thine eare vnto my sayings.
ʻE hoku foha, tokanga ki heʻeku ngaahi lea; fakatokangaʻi ho telinga ki heʻeku ngaahi tala.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes, but keepe them in the middes of thine heart.
Ke ʻoua naʻa mole atu ia mei ho mata; ke maʻu ia ʻi he kakano ʻo ho loto.
22 For they are life vnto those that find them, and health vnto all their flesh.
He ko e moʻui ia kiate kinautolu ʻoku maʻu ia, pea ko e faitoʻo ki honau kakano.
23 Keepe thine heart with all diligence: for thereout commeth life.
Ke ke tauhi fakamātoato ki ho loto; he ʻoku tupu mei ai ʻae ikuʻanga ʻoe moʻui.
24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and put wicked lippes farre from thee.
Ke liʻaki ke mamaʻo ʻiate koe ʻae ngutu ʻoku kovi, mo e loungutu paongataʻa.
25 Let thine eyes beholde the right, and let thine eyelids direct thy way before thee.
Ke sio totonu atu pe ho mata, pea ke hangatonu ki muʻa ho laumata ʻiate koe.
26 Ponder the path of thy feete, and let all thy waies be ordred aright.
Fakakaukau ki he ʻalunga ʻo ho vaʻe, pea ʻe fakatonutonu ai ho ngaahi hala kotoa pē.
27 Turne not to the right hande, nor to the left, but remooue thy foote from euill.
ʻOua naʻa afe ki he nima toʻomataʻu pe ki he toʻohema: ka ke fakatafoki ho vaʻe mei he kovi.
