Whakatauki 23
1 Ki te noho tahi korua ko te rangatira ki te kai, ata whakaaroa marietia tera i tou aroaro:
When you sit down to eat a meal with a (government official/king), think carefully about what (OR, who) is in front of you.
2 Whakapakia he maripi ki tou korokoro, ki te mea he tangata kakai koe.
[Even] if you (have a big appetite/want to eat a lot of food), restrain yourself.
3 Kaua e hiahia ki ana mea reka: he kai tinihanga hoki era.
Do not want to eat [a lot of] his fine food, because he may be trying to trick you.
4 Kaua e taruke ki te mea taonga: kati tau mea ki tou matauranga.
Do not [cause yourself to become very tired by] working very hard to become rich; be wise and stop doing that,
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.
because as soon as you look [MTY] at [all the money that you have acquired], it will be gone; it will [disappear as if it] suddenly grew wings [SIM] and flew up into the sky like an eagle.
6 Kaua e kainga te kai a te tangata kanohi kino, kei minamina hoki koe ki ana mea reka.
[If] someone who is stingy [invites you to a meal], do not eat [a lot of] his fine food,
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.
because he will be thinking about how much [the food cost that you are eating]. He [will] say to you, “Eat and drink all that you want!”, but that is not what he [will] really be thinking.
8 Ko te kongakonga i kainga e koe, ka ruakina e koe, ka maumauria ano hoki au kupu reka.
[When you realize what he is really thinking, it will cause you to want to] vomit what you have eaten; and your kind words [telling him that you are enjoying the meal] will be wasted.
9 Kaua e korero ki nga taringa o te kuware; ka whakahawea hoki ia ki te whakaaro nui o au kupu.
(Do not [waste time by]/It is useless) talking to foolish people; they will [only] despise the wise things that you say.
10 Kei whakanekehia e koe te rohe tawhito; kei haere koe ki nga mara a te pani:
Do not [steal someone’s property by] removing a boundary marker that has been there for a long time, and do not take for yourself the land that belongs to orphans,
11 No te mea he kaha to ratou kaiwhakaora; ka tohea e ia ta ratou tohe ki a koe.
because Yahweh is strong, and he is [like] a relative that has the responsibility to defend them, he will [stand up in court and] argue for them and against you.
12 Anga atu tou ngakau ki te ako, me ou taringa ki nga kupu o te matauranga.
Pay attention to what [your teachers] teach you, and try to learn from the wise things that they say.
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 refuse to discipline your children; if you punish/spank them, it will not cause them to die,
and it may save them from [going to] the place where dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
15 E taku tama, ki te whakaaro nui tou ngakau, ka koa hoki toku ngakau, ae ra, toku nei ano:
My son/child, if you [SYN] become wise, I [SYN] will be very happy.
16 Ae ra, ka hari oku whatumanawa, ina korero ou ngutu i nga mea tika.
I [SYN] will rejoice when I hear you [SYN] say what is right/wise.
17 Kei hae tou ngakau ki te hunga hara; engari kia wehi koe ki a Ihowa, a pau noa te ra.
Do not envy sinful people; instead, revere Yahweh all of your life.
18 He pono hoki tera ano he whakautu; e kore ano hoki tau i tumanako ai e hatepea atu.
[If you do that], you will be happy in the future, and [God] will certainly [do for you what you are] confidently expecting him to do.
19 Whakarongo ra, e taku tama, kia whai whakaaro hoki koe, a whakatikaia tou ngakau i te ara.
My son/child, listen carefully to me and become wise, and think about (all that you do/your behavior).
20 Kei uru ki te hunga kakai waina; ki te hunga pukukai kikokiko:
Do not associate with those who drink a lot of (wine/strong drink) or with those who (are gluttons/eat more than they should),
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.
because drunkards and gluttons will become poor; and if all that you do is eat and sleep, you will [soon] (be wearing rags/not have any money to buy clothes).
22 Whakarongo ki tou papa nana koe; kaua hoki e whakahawea ki tou whaea ina ruruhi ia.
Pay attention to what your father tells you, and (do not neglect/take care of) [LIT] 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.
Try to know/learn what is wise, and get good instruction and understanding; and do not throw those things away.
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.
Righteous [children] will cause their parents to be very happy; those whose children are wise are proud of them.
25 Kia hari tou papa raua ko tou whaea, ina, kia koa te wahine i whanau ai koe.
[Do what will] cause your father to be glad and enable your mother [also] to be happy.
26 E taku tama, homai tou ngakau ki ahau, kia manako ano hoki ou kanohi ki aku ara.
My son, heed what I say to you, and allow what I do to be an example for you.
27 No te mea he rua hohonu te wahine kairau; he poka kuiti te wahine ke.
Prostitutes and immoral women [DOU] are [like] [MET] a deep pit or a well [that you may fall into].
28 Ae ra, ka whanga ia ano he kaipahua, a ka whakatokomahatia e ia nga tangata poka ke.
They wait [for you] like robbers [SIM], and they cause many men to (be unfaithful to/have sex with women who are not) their wives.
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?
I will tell you [RHQ] what kind of people are always miserable and sad. I will tell you [RHQ] which people are always causing arguments/quarrels and who are always complaining. I will tell you [RHQ] who are injured in fights and whose eyes are always red/bloodshot.
30 Ko te hunga e noho roa ana ki te waina; ko te hunga e haere ana ki te rapu i te waina whakaranu.
[It is] those who drink a lot of wine, who try drinking other kinds of strong drinks.
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.
Do not look with pleasure at red wine that looks nice, and which sparkles when it is [poured out] into cups, and which tastes good as you drink it,
32 Tona tukunga iho ano he nakahi e ngau ana, koia ano kei te wero a te neke.
because the next morning [you will feel like] you have been bitten by a poisonous snake [DOU].
33 E kite hoki ou kanohi i nga mea rereke, a ka puta he kupu rereke i tou ngakau.
You [SYN] will [think that you are] seeing strange/weird things, and you [SYN] will not be able to think clearly or speak clearly.
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.
You will think you are in a ship that is tossing on the sea; you be like [SIM] someone who is trying to sleep when the ship is rolling from one side to the other.
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.
You will say, “[I think that] someone struck me, but he did not hurt me; he hit me, but I did not feel it. When will I (wake up/feel normal again) in order that I can drink some more wine?”
