Proverbs 28

1 Wicked [people] run away [even] when no one is pursuing them, but righteous/good [people are not afraid]; they are as brave as lions.

‌ʻOku hola ʻae kakai fai kovi ʻi he ʻikai tuli ki ai ha taha: ka ʻoku toʻa ʻae māʻoniʻoni ʻo hangē ko e laione.

2 When [the people of] a nation sin, they will have one ruler after another; but when their leaders are wise and have good sense, their government will last for a long time.

Ko e meʻa ʻi he fai hala ʻae fonua ko ia, ʻoku tupu ʻo tokolahi ai hono houʻeiki: ka koeʻuhi ko e tangata poto mo ʻiloʻilo ʻe fakatolonga ai hono lelei.

3 A poor person who oppresses [other] poor [people] is [like] [MET] a very heavy/hard rain that [destroys the crops], with the result that there is no food [for people to eat].

Ko e tangata masiva ʻoku fakamālohi ki he masiva, ʻoku tatau pe ia mo e ʻuha lolo ʻoku ʻauha ai ʻae meʻakai.

4 Those who reject/disobey [God’s] laws always speak well of wicked [people]; but those who obey [God’s] laws [always] oppose what wicked people do.

‌ʻOku fakamālō ki he angahala ʻekinautolu ʻoku liʻaki ʻae fono: ka ʻoku fakakikihi mo kinautolu ʻakinautolu ʻoku tauhi ki he fono.

5 Evil people do not understand what it means to act justly, but those who try to obey/worship Yahweh understand that very well.

‌ʻOku ʻikai ʻiloʻi ʻae fakamaau ʻe he kakai angakovi: ka ʻoku ʻilo ʻae meʻa kotoa pē ʻekinautolu ʻoku kumi kia Sihova.

6 It is better to be honest [even] though you are poor than to be dishonest [even] though you are rich.

‌ʻOku lelei hake ʻaia ʻoku masiva ka ʻoku ʻeveʻeva ʻi heʻene angatonu, ʻiate ia ʻoku koloaʻia ka ʻoku pikopiko hono ngaahi hala.

7 Young people who obey the laws are wise [IDM]; parents whose children associate with those who (carouse/go to wild parties) are humiliated/disgraced because of what their children do.

Ko ia ʻoku fai ki he fono ko e foha poto ia: ka ko ia ʻoku kaumeʻa mo e kakai fakamaveuveu ʻoku fakamaaʻi ʻe ia ʻa ʻene tamai.

8 When people become very rich by charging very high interest [DOU], their money will [eventually] go to someone who does kind things for the poor.

Ko ia ʻoku fakalahi ʻene koloa ʻi he foaki paʻanga ke toe totongi mai, mo e fai taʻetotonu, ʻe tānaki ia ʻe ia ki ha taha ʻe manavaʻofa ki he masiva.

9 If people do not obey [MTY] [God’s] laws, [God] (detests their prayers/considers that their prayers stink).

Ko ia ʻoku fakatafoki hono telinga ke ʻoua naʻa ne fanongo ki he fono, ʻe hoko ʻene lotu ʻaʻana ko e meʻa fakalielia.

10 Those who cause honest/good [people] to do what is evil will fall into their own pits/traps, but good things will happen to those who (are innocent/have not done what is wrong).

Ko ia ʻe fakahēʻi ʻae māʻoniʻoni ke ne ʻalu ʻi ha hala kovi, ʻe tō pe foki ia ki heʻene luo ʻaʻana: ka ʻe maʻu ʻe he fai totonu ʻae ngaahi meʻa lelei.

11 [Many] rich people think that they are wise, but poor people who have good sense will find out whether rich people really are wise or not.

‌ʻOku poto ʻae tangata koloaʻia ʻi hono mata ʻoʻona; ka ʻoku ʻiloʻi ia ʻe he tangata masiva ʻoku faʻa fakakaukau.

12 When righteous/good [people] (succeed/win [elections]), everyone (celebrates/is happy); but when wicked [people win], everyone hides [because they are afraid of what the wicked people will do].

‌ʻOka fiefia ʻae kakai māʻoniʻoni, ʻoku ai ʻae ongoongolelei lahi: ka ʻoka pule ʻae angahala, kuo fakafufū ʻae tangata.

13 Those who refuse to confess/admit their sins will not prosper, but [God] acts mercifully/kindly toward those who confess their sins and turn away from their sinful behavior.

‌ʻE ʻikai monūʻia ia ʻaia ʻoku ʻufiʻufi ʻene ngaahi angahala: ka ko ia ʻoku vete ia mo liʻaki ʻe maʻu ʻe ia ʻae ʻaloʻofa.

14 [God] is pleased with those who always revere him, but those who are stubborn [IDM] will experience disasters.

‌ʻOku monūʻia ʻae tangata ʻoku manavahē maʻuaipē: ka ʻe tō ki he kovi ʻaia ʻoku fakafefeka hono loto.

15 Wicked people who [mistreat] poor people whom they rule are [as dangerous to them as] [SIM] a lion roaring [at them] or a bear springing up [to attack them].

‌ʻO hangē ko e laione ngungulu, mo e pea ʻoku ʻoho fano; ʻoku pehē ʻae pule ʻoku angakovi ki heʻene kakai masiva.

16 Rulers who do not have good sense cruelly oppress [the people they rule], but rulers who do not want to become rich by cheating/deceiving [people] will live (OR, rule) for a long time.

Ko e tuʻi foki ʻoku masiva ʻi he fakakaukau, ʻoku lahi ʻene fakamālohi: ka ko ia ʻoku fehiʻa ki he manumanu, ʻoku fakatolonga ʻe ia hono ngaahi ʻaho.

17 Those who are guilty of murdering [MTY] another person will (be fugitives/keep running away) until they die; do not help them to escape.

Ko e tangata ko ia ʻoku fai fakamālohi ki he toto ʻo ha tokotaha ʻe mole ia ki he luo; ʻoua naʻa taʻofi ia ʻe ha tokotaha.

18 Those who [continually] do what is right will be safe/protected, but those who are dishonest will [suddenly] be ruined.

Ko ia ʻoku ʻeveʻeva ʻi he angatonu ʻe fakamoʻui ia: ka ʻe hinga leva ia ʻaia ʻoku pikopiko hono ngaahi hala.

19 Farmers who work [hard] in their fields will [produce good crops and always] have plenty of food [to eat], but those who spend all their time (on useless projects/doing things that do not benefit anyone) will become very poor.

Ko ia ʻoku faʻa ngāue ki heʻene ngoue ʻe maʻu ʻe ia ʻae meʻakai lahi: ka ʻe lahi moʻoni ʻae masiva kiate ia ʻoku muimui ki he kakai taʻepoto.

20 [God] will greatly bless those who (are trustworthy/always do what they say that they will do), but he will certainly punish [LIT] those who try to become rich quickly.

‌ʻE lahi ʻaupito ʻae tāpuaki ki he tangata ʻoku angatonu: ka ko ia ʻoku fai fakatoʻotoʻo ke ne koloaʻia ʻe ʻikai tonuhia ia.

21 It is not good [for judges] to decide matters unfairly/unjustly, but [some] people will do what is wrong [even] if they receive [only] a very small bribe [HYP] [for doing it].

‌ʻOku ʻikai lelei ke filifilimānako: he ko e tangata ʻoku pehē, ʻe fai hala ia ke ne maʻu ai ha konga mā.

22 Selfish people [IDM] are very eager to become rich quickly; they do not realize that they will [soon] become poor.

‌ʻOku ʻiate ia ʻoku fai fakatoʻotoʻo ke ne koloaʻia ʻae mata ʻoku kovi, pea ʻoku ʻikai te ne tokangaʻi ʻe hoko mai ʻae masiva kiate ia.

23 Those who rebuke someone will be appreciated/thanked more than those who [say nice things to others merely] to (flatter them/cause them to feel good).

Ko ia ʻoku lea valoki ki ha tangata ʻe maʻu ʻe ia ʻae ʻofa lahi hake, ʻamui ʻiate ia ʻoku lea lapu ʻaki ʻae ʻelelo.

24 Anyone who steals things from his father or his mother and says “That is not sinful” is as bad as a bandit.

Ko ia ʻoku kaihaʻa mei heʻene tamai pe ko ʻene faʻē, ʻo ne pehē, “ʻOku ʻikai ko e fai hala ia;” ʻoku kaumeʻa ia mo e tangata fakaʻauha.

25 Greedy people cause trouble/strife; those who trust in Yahweh will prosper [IDM].

Ko ia ʻoku loto fielahi ʻoku fakatupu ʻe ia ʻae fekeʻikeʻi: ka ʻe fakamonūʻia ia ʻaia ʻoku falala kia Sihova.

26 Those who believe that what they think [is always right] are foolish; those who act wisely will (escape danger/be safe).

Ko ia ʻoku falala ki hono loto ʻoʻona ko e vale ia: ka ko ia ʻoku ʻalu fakapotopoto, ʻe fakahaofi ia.

27 Those who give things to poor [people] will not become poor, but many [people] will curse those who refuse to help [IDM] poor people.

Ko ia ʻoku faʻa foaki ki he masiva ʻe ʻikai masiva ia: ka ko ia ʻoku fufū hono mata ʻe lahi ʻae fakamalaʻia ʻe hoko ki ai.

28 When wicked [people] become rulers, people hide [because they are afraid of what those wicked people will do]; but when wicked people are no longer rulers, good/righteous [people will] become the rulers.

‌ʻOka hakeakiʻi ʻae angahala, ʻoku toitoi ʻae kakai: ka ʻoka ʻauha ʻakinautolu, ʻoku tupu ʻo tokolahi ʻae māʻoniʻoni.