Proverbs 26

1 Just [like] [SIM] [it is not appropriate for] snow [to fall] in summer time, or rain [to fall] at harvest time, it is not appropriate to praise/honor foolish people.

‌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 Like [SIM] birds that fly by [and do not alight/land on anything], if someone curses you, it cannot hurt you if you (do not deserve them/have not done to him what is wrong).

Hangē ko e manupuna ʻoku hēhē, pea mo e pekepeka ʻi heʻene puna, ʻoku pehē, ʻe ʻikai hoko mai ʻae fakamalaʻia taʻehanoʻuhinga.

3 It is necessary to whip a horse and to put a bridle on a donkey [to force them to go where we want them to go], and similarly [SIM] [it is often necessary to strike] foolish people with a stick [to cause them to do what is right].

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 If a foolish person asks a foolish question, [do not answer him], because [if you answer his question], you are just as foolish as he is.

‌ʻOua naʻa tali ʻaki ʻae vale ʻa ʻene vale, telia naʻa ke hoko ʻo tatau pe mo ia.

5 If you give a foolish answer to someone who asks a foolish question, he will realize that he is (not very wise/foolish).

Ke talia ʻae vale ʻo fakatatau mo ʻene vale, telia naʻa poto ia ʻi hono mata ʻoʻona.

6 Anyone who asks a foolish person to take a message to someone [is himself doing something as foolish as] cutting off his own 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 lame man cannot use his legs, and similarly [SIM] [it is useless for] a foolish person to speak [MTY] (proverbs/wise sayings).

‌ʻOku ʻikai tatau ʻae vaʻe ʻoe tangata ketu: ʻoku pehē foki ʻae lea fakatātā ʻi he ngutu ʻoe kakai vale.

8 Tying a stone in a sling [so that it cannot be thrown at a target] is [as foolish as] [SIM] honoring a foolish person.

‌ʻOku hangē ha taha ʻoku ne ai ʻae maka ʻi he makatā, ʻoku pehē pe ia ʻaia ʻoku fakaongoongoleleiʻi ʻae vale.

9 If a drunk person waves some thorns/brambles with his hand, [he is not able to accomplish anything useful by doing that] (OR, [he does not feel it when a thorn sticks in his hand]); similarly, if foolish people speak [MTY] proverbs, [they do not help anyone who hears them].

‌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 A man who shoots arrows [to try] to wound everybody who is near [is foolish]; similarly, anyone who hires a foolish person [who passes by is very foolish].

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 A foolish person will foolishly do something stupid a second time; it is [like] [SIM] a dog returning to [eat] what it has vomited.

Hangē ko e tafoki mai ʻae kulī ki heʻene lua, ʻoku pehē ʻae toe fai ʻe he vale ʻa ʻene vale.

12 [God] can help/bless foolish people more easily than he can help/bless people who are not wise [RHQ], but think that they are wise.

‌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 [just stay inside their houses and do nothing]; [they keep] saying “[I think] there is a lion in the street!”

‌ʻOku pehē ʻe he tangata fakapikopiko, “ʻOku ai ʻae laione ʻi he hala: ʻoku ʻi he hala ʻoe kolo ʻae laione.”

14 A door [continually] swings back and forth on its hinges [and does not go anywhere]; similarly [SIM], lazy people [just continually turn over] in their beds [and never do anything].

Hangē ko e feʻaluʻaki ʻae matapā ʻi hono meʻa tautau, ʻoku pehē ʻaia ʻoku fakapikopiko ʻi hono mohenga.

15 Some people are extremely lazy; they put their hand in a dish [to get some food] but do not [even] lift the food up 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 Lazy people think that they are wiser than seven/several people who can answer [others’ questions] with good sense.

‌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 Anyone who (meddles/involves himself) in a quarrel that does not concern him is [as foolish as] [SIM] someone who tries to grab a passing dog by its 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 Crazy people who shoot burning arrows to kill people

Hangē ha tangata faha ʻoku lī fano ʻe ia ʻae afi, mo e ngaahi ngahau, mo e mate,

19 are as foolish as those who deceive someone else 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 If there is no [more] firewood [to put on the fire], the fire will go out; similarly [SIM], if there are no people who (gossip/tell people things that are not true), quarreling will end.

‌ʻI he ʻikai ha fefie ʻoku mate ʻae afi: pea pehē, ʻi he ʻikai ha fakakovi kuo longo leva ʻae fakakikihi.

21 [Putting] charcoal on burning coals or [putting] wood on a fire [causes the fire to keep burning]; similarly, people who like to quarrel cause people to keep arguing.

Hangē ko e malamala ki he malala vela, mo e fefie ki he afi; ʻoku pehē ʻae tangata faʻa fakakikihi kē.

22 People [enjoy listening to what gossips say about others just like] [SIM] they enjoy tasty food; they [enjoy listening to what gossips tell them like] they enjoy swallowing tasty food.

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 People who say nice things when they are thinking about doing evil things are like a nice glaze/covering on a [cheap] clay pot.

Ko e loungutu lapu mo e loto kovi, ʻoku tatau mo ha konga ipu maumau kuo ʻufiʻufi ʻaki ʻae siliva.

24 Those who hate someone and are saying [MTY] something very different from what they are thinking are hypocrites; they are only planning [to harm that person].

Ko ia ʻoku taufehiʻa, ʻoku lapu ʻaki ʻe ia ʻa hono loungutu, ka ʻoku nofo ʻi hono loto ʻae kākā;

25 When they say nice things, do not believe them, because in their inner beings are many things that [Yahweh] hates.

‌ʻOka matamatalelei ʻene lea, ʻoua naʻa ke tui kiate ia: he ʻoku fitu ʻae meʻa fakalielia ʻi hono loto.

26 They try to deceive people to cause them to think that they do not hate [that person], but in a public meeting, the people will find out the evil things [that they have done].

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 a deep pit [for other people to fall into] will fall into it themselves; rocks will roll down on those who start to cause rocks to roll down [to crush someone].

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 Those [MTY] who tell lies to others [really] hate them, and those who deceive [others] ruin them.

‌ʻOku fehiʻa ʻae ʻelelo loi kiate kinautolu ʻoku mamahi ai; pea ʻoku tupu ʻae malaʻia mei he ngutu ʻoku lapu.