Proverbs 4
1 Listen, sons, to a father's instruction, and pay attention so you will know what understanding is.
Whakarongo, e aku tamariki, ki te whakaako a te matua, tahuri mai hoki kia matauria ai nga whakaaro mohio.
2 I am giving you good instructions; do not forsake my teaching.
He pai hoki te kupu mohio ka hoatu nei e ahau ki a koutou, kaua taku ture e whakarerea.
3 When I was a son of my father, the tender and only child of my mother,
He tama ano hoki ahau ki toku papa, a he ngawari, he mea kotahi e matenuitia ana e toku whaea.
4 he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast to my words; keep my commands and live.
I whakaako ano ia i ahau, i mea ki ahau, Puritia aku kupu e tou ngakau; kia mau ki aku whakahau, a e ora koe.
5 Acquire wisdom and understanding; do not forget and do not reject the words of my mouth;
Whaia mou te whakaaro nui, whaia mou te matauranga; kaua e wareware ki tera, kaua hoki e neke atu i nga kupu a toku mangai.
6 do not abandon wisdom and she will watch over you; love her and she will keep you safe.
Kaua ia e whakarerea, a mana koe e tiaki; arohaina ia, a mana koe e mau ai.
7 Wisdom is the most important thing, so acquire wisdom and spend all you own so you can get understanding.
Ko te whakaaro nui te tino mea; no reira whaia mau te whakaaro nui; a i ou whiwhinga katoa, kia whiwhi koe ki te matauranga.
8 Cherish wisdom and she will exalt you; she will honor you when you embrace her.
Whakanuia ia, a mana koe ka kake ai; ka whakahonore ia i a koe ki te awhitia e koe.
9 She will put a wreath of honor on your head; she will give you a beautiful crown.”
Ka homai e ia he pare ataahua ki tou mahunga, ka potaea ano koe e ia ki te karauna whakapaipai.
10 Listen, my son, and pay attention to my words, and you will have many years in your life.
Whakarongo, e taku tama, maharatia aku kupu, a he maha nga tau e ora ai koe.
11 I direct you in the way of wisdom; I lead you down straight paths.
He mea whakaako koe naku ki te ara o te whakaaro nui; he mea arahi koe naku i nga ara o te tika.
12 When you walk, no one will stand in your way and if you run, you will not stumble.
Ka haere koe, e kore ou takahanga e whakakikitia mai; ki te rere koe, e kore koe e tutuki.
13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it, for it is your life.
Kia mau ki te ako, kaua e tukua atu; matapoporetia iho, ko tou oranga hoki ia.
14 Do not follow the path of the wicked and do not go along the way of those who do evil.
Kaua e haere i te ara o te hunga kino, kaua hoki e takahia te huarahi o te hunga he.
15 Avoid it, do not go on it; turn away from it and go another way.
Anga ke ake, kaua e tika na reira; peka ake i taua ara, haere tonu atu.
16 For they cannot sleep until they do evil and they are robbed of sleep until they cause someone to stumble.
E kore hoki ratou e moe ki te kore e oti tetahi mahi he ma ratou; riro rawa to ratou moe, ki te kahore tetahi tangata e hinga i a ratou.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
No te kino hoki te taro e kainga ana e ratou, no te nanakia te waina e inumia ana e ratou.
18 But the path of righteous people is like the first light that grows brighter; it shines more and more until the fullness of the day comes.
Ko te huarahi ia o te hunga tika, koia ano kei te marama e whiti ana, a ka neke haere tonu ake tona marama, a taea noatia te tino ra.
19 The way of the wicked is like darkness— they do not know what it is they stumble over.
Ko te ara o te hunga kino, me he pouri; e kore ratou e mohio ki te mea i tutuki ai ratou.
20 My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
E taku tama, tahuri ki aku kupu; anga mai tou taringa ki aku korero.
21 Do not let them turn away from your eyes; keep them in your heart.
Kei kotiti ke enei i ou kanohi; puritia i waenganui o tou ngakau.
22 For my words are life to those who find them and health to their whole body.
He oranga enei mo te hunga e kitea ai, he rongoa mo o ratou kikokiko katoa.
23 Keep your heart safe and guard it with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.
Kia pau ou mahara ki te tiaki i tou ngakau; no reira hoki nga putanga o te ora.
24 Put crooked speech away from you and put corrupt talk far from you.
Whakarerea te mangai whanoke, kia matara rawa i a koe nga ngutu tutu.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead and fix your gaze straight before you.
Kia hangai tonu te titiro whakamua a ou kanohi; kia titiro ou kamo ki mua tonu i a koe.
26 Make a level path for your foot; then all your ways will be secure.
Whakatikaia te huarahi o ou waewae, kia u ano hoki ou ara katoa.
27 Do not turn aside to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.
Kaua e peka ki matau, ki maui; kia anga ke tou waewae i te kino.
