Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
ʻAe fānau, mou fanongo ki he akonaki ʻae tamai, pea tokanga ke ʻilo ʻae poto.
2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.
He ʻoku ou foaki ʻae akonaki lelei kiate kimoutolu, pea ʻoua naʻa mou liʻaki ʻa ʻeku fono.
3 For I was my father's son, tender and only [beloved] 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 He taught me also, and said to me, Let thy heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
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 wisdom, get understanding: forget [it] not; neither decline from the words 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 she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
ʻOua naʻa liʻaki ia, pea te ne fakamoʻui koe: ke ke ʻofa kiate ia, pea te ne tauhi kiate koe.
7 Wisdom [is] the principal thing; [therefore] get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
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 promote thee: she shall bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her.
Fakahikihikiʻi ia, pea te ne hakeakiʻi koe: pea ʻi hoʻo fāʻufua kiate ia, te ne fakaongoongolelei koe.
9 She shall give to thy head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.
ʻE ai ʻe ʻia ʻae teunga matamatalelei ki ho ʻulu: ko e tatā ʻoe nāunau te ne foaki kiate koe.”
10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be 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 have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.
Kuo u akonakiʻi koe ʻi he hala ʻoe poto; pea kuo u tataki koe ʻi he ngaahi ʻaluʻanga totonu.
12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
ʻOka ke ka ʻeveʻeva ʻe ʻikai ʻefihia ho vaʻe; pea ʻoka ke ka lele ʻe ʻikai te ke hinga.
13 Take fast hold of instruction; let [her] not go: keep her; for she [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 path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil [men].
ʻOua naʻa ke ʻalu atu ki he hala ʻoe angahala, pea ʻoua naʻa ʻeveʻeva ʻi he ʻaluʻanga ʻoe kakai angakovi.
15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.
Fakaʻehiʻehi mei ai, ʻoua naʻa ke ofi ki ai, tafoki mei ai, pea ʻalu atu pe.
16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless 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 eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
He ʻoku nau kai ʻae mā ʻoe fai kovi, ʻonau inu ʻi he uaine ʻoe fakamālohi.
18 But the path of the just [is] as the shining light, that shineth more and more to the perfect 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 darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
ʻOku tatau mo e poʻuli ʻae hala ʻoe angahala: ʻoku ʻikai te nau ʻilo ʻaia ʻoku nau tūkia ai.
20 My son, attend to my words; incline thy ear to my sayings.
ʻE hoku foha, tokanga ki heʻeku ngaahi lea; fakatokangaʻi ho telinga ki heʻeku ngaahi tala.
21 Let them not depart from thy eyes; keep them in the midst of thy heart.
Ke ʻoua naʻa mole atu ia mei ho mata; ke maʻu ia ʻi he kakano ʻo ho loto.
22 For they [are] life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
He ko e moʻui ia kiate kinautolu ʻoku maʻu ia, pea ko e faitoʻo ki honau kakano.
23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it [are] the issues of 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 perverse lips put far from thee.
Ke liʻaki ke mamaʻo ʻiate koe ʻae ngutu ʻoku kovi, mo e loungutu paongataʻa.
25 Let thy eyes look right on, and let thy eyelids look straight before thee.
Ke sio totonu atu pe ho mata, pea ke hangatonu ki muʻa ho laumata ʻiate koe.
26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
Fakakaukau ki he ʻalunga ʻo ho vaʻe, pea ʻe fakatonutonu ai ho ngaahi hala kotoa pē.
27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
ʻOua naʻa afe ki he nima toʻomataʻu pe ki he toʻohema: ka ke fakatafoki ho vaʻe mei he kovi.
