Whakatauki 23
1 Ki te noho tahi korua ko te rangatira ki te kai, ata whakaaroa marietia tera i tou aroaro:
When you sit to eat with a ruler, observe carefully 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 are a person who likes to eat a lot of food.
3 Kaua e hiahia ki ana mea reka: he kai tinihanga hoki era.
Do not crave his delicacies, for it is the food of lies.
4 Kaua e taruke ki te mea taonga: kati tau mea ki tou matauranga.
Do not work too hard to gain wealth; be wise enough to know when to stop.
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.
Will you let your eyes light upon it? It will be gone, for it will surely take up wings like an eagle and fly off to the sky.
6 Kaua e kainga te kai a te tangata kanohi kino, kei minamina hoki koe ki ana mea reka.
Do not eat the food of one with an evil eye— and do not crave his delicacies,
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 he is the kind of man who counts the price of the food. “Eat 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.
You will vomit up the little you have eaten and you will have wasted your compliments.
9 Kaua e korero ki nga taringa o te kuware; ka whakahawea hoki ia ki te whakaaro nui o au kupu.
Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
10 Kei whakanekehia e koe te rohe tawhito; kei haere koe ki nga mara a te pani:
Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of orphans,
11 No te mea he kaha to ratou kaiwhakaora; ka tohea e ia ta ratou tohe ki a koe.
for their Redeemer is strong and he will plead their case against you.
12 Anga atu tou ngakau ki te ako, me ou taringa ki nga kupu o te matauranga.
Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to 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 withhold instruction from a child, for if you discipline him, he will not die.
It is you who must beat him with the rod and save his soul from Sheol. (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 is wise, then my heart also will be glad;
16 Ae ra, ka hari oku whatumanawa, ina korero ou ngutu i nga mea tika.
my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.
17 Kei hae tou ngakau ki te hunga hara; engari kia wehi koe ki a Ihowa, a pau noa te ra.
Do not let your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of Yahweh all the day.
18 He pono hoki tera ano he whakautu; e kore ano hoki tau i tumanako ai e hatepea atu.
Surely 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.
Hear—you!—my son, and be wise and direct your heart in the way.
20 Kei uru ki te hunga kakai waina; ki te hunga pukukai kikokiko:
Do not associate with drunkards, or with gluttonous eaters of 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 the drunkard and the glutton become poor and slumber will clothe them with rags.
22 Whakarongo ki tou papa nana koe; kaua hoki e whakahawea ki tou whaea ina ruruhi ia.
Listen to your father who begot you and do not despise 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.
Buy the truth, but do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
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 righteous person will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise child will be glad in 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 and let her who bore you rejoice.
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 observe my ways.
27 No te mea he rua hohonu te wahine kairau; he poka kuiti te wahine ke.
For a prostitute is a deep pit, and an immoral woman is a narrow well.
28 Ae ra, ka whanga ia ano he kaipahua, a ka whakatokomahatia e ia nga tangata poka ke.
She lies in wait like a robber and she increases the number of the treacherous among humanity.
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 has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has fights? Who has complaining? Who has wounds for no reason? Who has bloodshot eyes?
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 linger over wine, those who try the 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.
Do not look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.
32 Tona tukunga iho ano he nakahi e ngau ana, koia ano kei te wero a te neke.
In the last it bites like a serpent and it stings like an adder.
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 your heart will utter perverse 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.
You will be as one who sleeps on the high seas or lies on the top of a mast.
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 hit me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt. They beat me, but I did not feel it. When will I wake up? I will seek another drink.”
