Whakatauki 2

1 E taku tama, ki te tango koe i aku kupu, ki te huna i aku whakahau ki roto ki a koe;

My son, if you accept what I say and value my instructions,

2 A ka tahuri tou taringa ki te whakaaro nui, ka anga ano tou ngakau ki te matauranga;

if you pay attention to wisdom and really try to understand;

3 Ae ra, ki te mea ka karangarangatia e koe te matauranga, a ka puaki tou reo ki te ngakau mohio;

if you cry out for insight and call loudly for help in understanding;

4 Ki te rapua hoki ia e koe ano he hiriwa, ki te kimihia ano he taonga huna;

if you look for it as if it were silver and search for it as if it were hidden treasure;

5 Ko reira koe matau ai ki te wehi o Ihowa, kite ai i te mohio ki te Atua.

then you will understand how to relate to the Lord and discover the truth about God.

6 Ma Ihowa hoki e homai te whakaaro nui; no tona mangai te matauranga me te ngakau mohio.

The Lord is the source of wisdom; what he says provides knowledge that makes sense.

7 E rongoatia ana e ia te whakaaro nui ma te hunga tika; he whakangungu rakau ia mo te hunga he tapatahi nei te haere;

He gives good judgment to those who live right; he defends those who have good sense.

8 Kia tiakina ai e ia nga ara o te whakawa, kia tohungia ai te ara o tana hunga tapu.

He supports those who act fairly and protects those who trust in him.

9 Ko reira koe mohio ai ki te tika, ki te whakawa, ki te mea ano e rite ana, ae ra, ki nga ara pai katoa.

Then you will be able to recognize what is right and just and fair, in fact all that is good in the way you should live.

10 Ka uru hoki te whakaaro nui ki roto ki tou ngakau, a ka reka te matauranga ki tou wairua;

For wisdom will fill your mind, and knowledge will make you happy.

11 Ka ai te ngarahu pai hei tiaki i a koe, te ngakau mohio hei pupuri i a koe;

Good decisions will keep you on track; thinking logically will keep you safe.

12 Hei kukume mai i a koe i te ara o te kino, i te tangata e puta ke ana ana korero;

Doing this will save you from the ways of evil, from men who tell twisted lies,

13 I te hunga e whakarere nei i nga ara o te tika, e haere ana i nga ara o te pouri;

who turn away from following what is right to walk down paths of darkness.

14 E koa ana, i a ratou e mahi ana i te kino, e hari ana ki nga tikanga parori ke o te kino;

They happily do wrong; they love how twisted evil is.

15 He ara kopikopiko o ratou, he whanoke ratou i o ratou huarahi:

They live crooked lives doing deceitful things.

16 Hei whakaora i a koe i te wahine tauhou, i te wahine tauhou e whakapati nei ki ana kupu;

Doing this will also save you from a woman who acts immorally, from a woman who like a prostitute tries to seduce you with flattering words.

17 Kua whakarerea nei e ia te hoa o tona tamahinetanga, kua wareware ki te kawenata o tona Atua.

Such a woman has left her husband she married when she was young, forgetting the promises she made before God.

18 E heke atu ana hoki tona whare ki te mate, ona ara ki nga tupapaku.

What happens in her house leads to death; following her way leads to the grave.

19 Ko te hunga katoa e haere atu ana ki a ia e kore e hoki mai; e kore ano e mau i a ratou nga ara o te ora.

No one who goes to her comes back; they don't ever find the way back to life again.

20 A ka haere koe i nga ara o nga tangata pai, ka mau ano ki nga ara o te hunga tika.

So you should follow the way of the good, and make sure you stay on the paths of those who do right.

21 Ka noho hoki te hunga tika ki te whenua; ka mau te hunga ngakau tapatahi ki reira.

For only people who live right will live in the land; only honest people will remain there.

22 Ka hatepea atu ia te hunga kino i runga i te whenua; ka hutia atu i reira te hunga he kopeka ta ratou mahi.

But the wicked will be thrown out of the land; those who are untrustworthy will be pulled out by the roots.