Whakatauki 4
1 Whakarongo, e aku tamariki, ki te whakaako a te matua, tahuri mai hoki kia matauria ai nga whakaaro mohio.
My children, listen to what I am teaching you. If you pay attention, you will understand what is wise.
2 He pai hoki te kupu mohio ka hoatu nei e ahau ki a koutou, kaua taku ture e whakarerea.
What I am teaching you is good, so do not turn away from it.
3 He tama ano hoki ahau ki toku papa, a he ngawari, he mea kotahi e matenuitia ana e toku whaea.
When I was a young boy, loved by my mother,
4 I whakaako ano ia i ahau, i mea ki ahau, Puritia aku kupu e tou ngakau; kia mau ki aku whakahau, a e ora koe.
my father told me, “Remember my words; if you obey my commandments, you will live [a long time].
5 Whaia mou te whakaaro nui, whaia mou te matauranga; kaua e wareware ki tera, kaua hoki e neke atu i nga kupu a toku mangai.
Obtain wisdom and understanding, and (do not abandon/hold fast to) [LIT] what I have taught you.
6 Kaua ia e whakarerea, a mana koe e tiaki; arohaina ia, a mana koe e mau ai.
Do not turn away from wisdom, because if you are wise, you will be protected [from all evil/danger]. If you love wisdom, wisdom [PRS] will guard you.
7 Ko te whakaaro nui te tino mea; no reira whaia mau te whakaaro nui; a i ou whiwhinga katoa, kia whiwhi koe ki te matauranga.
The most important thing that you can do is to get wisdom. Even if you obtain many other things, the best thing is to know what things are wise.
8 Whakanuia ia, a mana koe ka kake ai; ka whakahonore ia i a koe ki te awhitia e koe.
If you consider being wise to be very valuable, [people] will think very highly of you. If you cling to wisdom [like you would cling to a woman you love], [many people] will honor you.
9 Ka homai e ia he pare ataahua ki tou mahunga, ka potaea ano koe e ia ki te karauna whakapaipai.
If you become wise, that will for you be [like] a beautiful wreath that is put {someone puts} on your head; it will be [like] a king’s glorious crown.” [That is what my father told me].
10 Whakarongo, e taku tama, maharatia aku kupu, a he maha nga tau e ora ai koe.
[So now I say], “My son, heed what I say. If you do that, you will live a [good] long life.
11 He mea whakaako koe naku ki te ara o te whakaaro nui; he mea arahi koe naku i nga ara o te tika.
I am teaching you the way to live wisely; I am showing you how to act justly [toward others].
12 Ka haere koe, e kore ou takahanga e whakakikitia mai; ki te rere koe, e kore koe e tutuki.
If you live wisely, when you decide to do something, you will succeed [LIT].
13 Kia mau ki te ako, kaua e tukua atu; matapoporetia iho, ko tou oranga hoki ia.
Hold fast to the things I have taught you to do, and do not let them go. Guard them, because they [will be the source of a good] life.
14 Kaua e haere i te ara o te hunga kino, kaua hoki e takahia te huarahi o te hunga he.
Do not do the things that wicked people do; [do not behave like they do]; do not even walk on the roads that evil [people] walk on [MET].
15 Anga ke ake, kaua e tika na reira; peka ake i taua ara, haere tonu atu.
Stay away from those roads; turn aside and walk on other roads;
16 E kore hoki ratou e moe ki te kore e oti tetahi mahi he ma ratou; riro rawa to ratou moe, ki te kahore tetahi tangata e hinga i a ratou.
because evil people cannot sleep if they have not done some evil deed [on that day]. They cannot rest if they have not harmed someone.
17 No te kino hoki te taro e kainga ana e ratou, no te nanakia te waina e inumia ana e ratou.
What they eat and what they drink are things that they have obtained by acting wickedly and violently.”
18 Ko te huarahi ia o te hunga tika, koia ano kei te marama e whiti ana, a ka neke haere tonu ake tona marama, a taea noatia te tino ra.
The behavior of good/righteous [people] is like the light [that begins to shine] at dawn and then [continues to] shine brighter until the brightest time of day.
19 Ko te ara o te hunga kino, me he pouri; e kore ratou e mohio ki te mea i tutuki ai ratou.
[But] the behavior of wicked [people] is like deep/thick darkness. [Because it is very dark], they cannot see the things that cause them to stumble.
20 E taku tama, tahuri ki aku kupu; anga mai tou taringa ki aku korero.
My son, pay attention to what I am saying. Listen to my words carefully.
21 Kei kotiti ke enei i ou kanohi; puritia i waenganui o tou ngakau.
Keep them close to you; let them penetrate your inner being,
22 He oranga enei mo te hunga e kitea ai, he rongoa mo o ratou kikokiko katoa.
because you will have [PRS] [a good] life and [good] health if you [search for them and] find them.
23 Kia pau ou mahara ki te tiaki i tou ngakau; no reira hoki nga putanga o te ora.
It is very important that you be careful about what you think, because what you think controls [MET] the things that you do.
24 Whakarerea te mangai whanoke, kia matara rawa i a koe nga ngutu tutu.
Do not say anything that deceives [others] and never say what is not true.
25 Kia hangai tonu te titiro whakamua a ou kanohi; kia titiro ou kamo ki mua tonu i a koe.
Keep looking straight ahead toward the events that are before you, and do not turn aside.
26 Whakatikaia te huarahi o ou waewae, kia u ano hoki ou ara katoa.
Plan carefully where you will go and what you will do, and then stay on that road. Then what you do will be right.
27 Kaua e peka ki matau, ki maui; kia anga ke tou waewae i te kino.
Do not leave the straight road by turning to the left or to the right. [Do only what is right] and keep yourself from [doing what is] evil.
