Whakatauki 23
1 Ki te noho tahi korua ko te rangatira ki te kai, ata whakaaroa marietia tera i tou aroaro:
When you take your seat at the feast with a ruler, give thought with care to what is before you;
2 Whakapakia he maripi ki tou korokoro, ki te mea he tangata kakai koe.
And put a knife to your throat, if you have a strong desire for food.
3 Kaua e hiahia ki ana mea reka: he kai tinihanga hoki era.
Have no desire for his delicate food, for it is the bread of deceit.
4 Kaua e taruke ki te mea taonga: kati tau mea ki tou matauranga.
Take no care to get wealth; let there be an end to your desire for money.
5 E anga mai ranei ou kanohi ki taua mea korekore nei? He pono hoki ka whai parirau te taonga, koia ano kei te ekara, rere ana whaka te rangi.
Are your eyes lifted up to it? it is gone: for wealth takes to itself wings, like an eagle in flight up to heaven.
6 Kaua e kainga te kai a te tangata kanohi kino, kei minamina hoki koe ki ana mea reka.
Do not take the food of him who has an evil eye, or have any desire for his delicate meat:
7 Ko tana hoki e mea ai i roto i a ia, pera tonu ia: E kai, e inu; koia tana kupu ki a koe; kahore ia ona ngakau ki a koe.
For as the thoughts of his heart are, so is he: Take food and drink, he says to you; but his heart is not with you.
8 Ko te kongakonga i kainga e koe, ka ruakina e koe, ka maumauria ano hoki au kupu reka.
The food which you have taken will come up again, and your pleasing words will be wasted.
9 Kaua e korero ki nga taringa o te kuware; ka whakahawea hoki ia ki te whakaaro nui o au kupu.
Say nothing in the hearing of a foolish man, for he will put no value on the wisdom of your words.
10 Kei whakanekehia e koe te rohe tawhito; kei haere koe ki nga mara a te pani:
Do not let the landmark of the widow be moved, and do not go into the fields of those who have no father;
11 No te mea he kaha to ratou kaiwhakaora; ka tohea e ia ta ratou tohe ki a koe.
For their saviour is strong, and he will take up their cause against you.
12 Anga atu tou ngakau ki te ako, me ou taringa ki nga kupu o te matauranga.
Give your heart to teaching, and your ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Kaua e tohungia te whiu ki te tamaiti: ki te patua hoki ia e koe ki te rakau, e kore ia e mate.
Do not keep back training from the child: for even if you give him blows with the rod, it will not be death to him.
Give him blows with the rod, and keep his soul safe from the underworld. (Sheol h7585)
15 E taku tama, ki te whakaaro nui tou ngakau, ka koa hoki toku ngakau, ae ra, toku nei ano:
My son, if your heart becomes wise, I, even I, will be glad in heart;
16 Ae ra, ka hari oku whatumanawa, ina korero ou ngutu i nga mea tika.
And my thoughts in me will be full of joy when your lips say right things.
17 Kei hae tou ngakau ki te hunga hara; engari kia wehi koe ki a Ihowa, a pau noa te ra.
Have no envy of sinners in your heart, but keep in the fear of the Lord all through the day;
18 He pono hoki tera ano he whakautu; e kore ano hoki tau i tumanako ai e hatepea atu.
For without doubt there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
19 Whakarongo ra, e taku tama, kia whai whakaaro hoki koe, a whakatikaia tou ngakau i te ara.
Give ear, my son, and be wise, guiding your heart in the right way.
20 Kei uru ki te hunga kakai waina; ki te hunga pukukai kikokiko:
Do not be among those who give themselves to wine-drinking, or among those who make themselves full with meat:
21 No te mea ka tutuki tahi te tangata inu raua ko te tangata kakai ki te rawakore; he tawhetawhe hoki te kakahu a te momoe mo te tangata.
For those who take delight in drink and feasting will come to be in need; and through love of sleep a man will be poorly clothed.
22 Whakarongo ki tou papa nana koe; kaua hoki e whakahawea ki tou whaea ina ruruhi ia.
Give ear to your father whose child you are, and do not keep honour from your mother when she is old.
23 Hokona te pono, kaua hoki e whakawhitiwhitia; ae ra, te whakaaro nui, te ako hoki, me te matauranga.
Get for yourself that which is true, and do not let it go for money; get wisdom and teaching and good sense.
24 Nui atu hoki te koa o te papa o te tangata tika; a, ko te tangata e whanau he tama whakaaro nui mana, ka hari ia ki a ia.
The father of the upright man will be glad, and he who has a wise child will have joy because of him.
25 Kia hari tou papa raua ko tou whaea, ina, kia koa te wahine i whanau ai koe.
Let your father and your mother be glad, let her who gave you birth have joy.
26 E taku tama, homai tou ngakau ki ahau, kia manako ano hoki ou kanohi ki aku ara.
My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes take delight in my ways.
27 No te mea he rua hohonu te wahine kairau; he poka kuiti te wahine ke.
For a loose woman is a deep hollow, and a strange woman is a narrow water-hole.
28 Ae ra, ka whanga ia ano he kaipahua, a ka whakatokomahatia e ia nga tangata poka ke.
Yes, she is waiting secretly like a beast for its food, and deceit by her is increased among men.
29 Ko wai e aue? Ko wai e tangi? Ko wai e totohe? Ko wai e ngangautia? Ko wai e maru, he mea takekore? Ko wai e whero tonu ona kanohi?
Who says, Oh! who says, Ah! who has violent arguments, who has grief, who has wounds without cause, whose eyes are dark?
30 Ko te hunga e noho roa ana ki te waina; ko te hunga e haere ana ki te rapu i te waina whakaranu.
Those who are seated late over the wine: those who go looking for mixed wine.
31 Kaua e titiro ki te waina i te mea e whero ana, ina puta tona kara i roto i te kapu, ina mania tona heke.
Keep your eyes from looking on the wine when it is red, when its colour is bright in the cup, when it goes smoothly down:
32 Tona tukunga iho ano he nakahi e ngau ana, koia ano kei te wero a te neke.
In the end, its bite is like that of a snake, its wound like the wound of a poison-snake.
33 E kite hoki ou kanohi i nga mea rereke, a ka puta he kupu rereke i tou ngakau.
Your eyes will see strange things, and you will say twisted things.
34 Ae ra, ka rite koe ki te tangata e takoto ana i waenga moana, ki te tangata ranei e takoto ana i te tihi o te rewa.
Yes, you will be like him who takes his rest on the sea, or on the top of a sail-support.
35 A ka mea koe, Patua ana ahau e ratou, a kihai ahau i mamae; tatatia ana ahau e ratou, a kihai ahau i mohio: a hea ahau ara ake ai? Ka rapua ano e ahau.
They have overcome me, you will say, and I have no pain; they gave me blows without my feeling them: when will I be awake from my wine? I will go after it again.
