Whakatauki 8
1 He teka ianei kei te karanga te whakaaro nui, e puaki ana ano te reo o te matauranga?
It is as if wisdom, with great understanding [of many things], is calling [PRS] out [to people].
2 I runga i nga wahi tiketike tona turanga, i te ara i te tutakitanga o nga huarahi;
Wisdom stands on hilltops and at crossroads.
3 Hamama ana ia i te taha o nga kuwaha, i te ngutu o te pa, i te tomokanga atu i nga tatau:
[Wisdom also stands] at the city gates and shouts loudly,
4 Ki a koutou, e nga tangata, taku karanga; ki nga tama ano a te tangata toku reo.
“I am calling to everyone! I am shouting loudly to all people!
5 E nga kuware, kia matau koutou ki te ngarahu tupato; e nga wairangi, kia mohio te ngakau.
You people who do not know how to do things that are smart to do, get sound judgment; you foolish people, get good understanding!
6 Whakarongo mai, ka korerotia hoki e ahau nga mea pai rawa; ko ta oku ngutu e whakapuaki ai ko nga mea e rite ana.
Listen to me, because I have some excellent/important things to say. What I say is what is fair/right.
7 He pono hoki te korero a toku mangai; he mea whakarihariha ano te kino ki oku ngutu.
I speak what is true; I detest speaking [MTY] what is false/deceptive.
8 Kei runga i te tika nga kupu katoa a toku mangai; kahore he whakapeka, he whanoke ranei, i roto.
Everything that I say is honest; there is nothing that I say that deceives [people].
9 Ko enei katoa he marama ki te tangata e matau ana, he tika ki te hunga i kitea ai te mohio.
My words are clear to those who have good sense; those who are wise know that what I say is right.
10 Manakohia mai taku ako, kaua te hiriwa; ko te matauranga, nui atu i te koura pai rawa.
[If someone offers you the kind of teaching I give] or offers you silver, choose my teaching. [If he offers to show you how to be wise] or offers you gold, choose to know how to be wise,
11 Pai atu hoki te whakaaro nui i nga rupi; e kore hoki nga mea katoa e minaminatia nei e tau hei whakarite mona.
because wisdom is more valuable than jewels. Nothing that you desire [is as valuable] as being wise.
12 Kua meinga e ahau, e te whakaaro nui, ko te ngarahu pai hei nohoanga moku, e kitea ana e ahau te mohio me te ata whakaaro.
I, wisdom, and understanding of what is smart to do, cannot be separated. We are like two people who live in the same house. I know how to be wise and how to make smart decisions.
13 Ko te wehi ki a Ihowa koia tena ko te kino ki te he: e kino ana ahau ki te whakapehapeha, ki te whakakake, ki te ara he, ki te mangai whanoke.
[All the people] who revere Yahweh hate evil. I, wisdom, hate [people who are] proud and [people] who think they are more important [than others]. I hate [people who] behave in an evil way and those who say things to deceive [others].
14 Ko te whakaaro tika, ko te whakaaro nui, naku; ko ahau te matauranga, kei ahau te kaha.
I give [people] good advice and I enable them to do things that are wise. I understand how things really are, and I am strong.
15 Naku nga kingi i kingi ai, naku nga rangatira i whakatakoto ai i te tika.
When kings are wise, they rule [well]; and when rulers are wise, they make laws that are just/fair.
16 Naku i whai rangatiratanga ai nga rangatira, nga tangata nunui, ara nga kaiwhakawa katoa o te whenua.
Rulers govern their people with the help of me, wisdom, and those who have authority decide things fairly/just with my help.
17 E arohaina ana e ahau te hunga e aroha ana ki ahau; ko te hunga hoki e ata rapu ana i ahau, e kite ratou i ahau.
I, [wisdom], love [all] those who love me, and [all] those who truly seek me [will] find me.
18 He taonga, he kororia kei ahau; ae ra, he rawa mau tonu, he tika.
I enable [people] to become rich and to be honored; [I enable them to have] wealth that will last and to be successful.
19 Pai atu oku hua i te koura, ae ra, i te koura parakore; ko nga mea e puta ana i ahau, pai atu i te hiriwa kowhiri.
What I can give people is more valuable than fine/pure gold and the best silver.
20 Kei nga ara o te tika ahau e haere ana, kei waenganui i nga huarahi o te whakawa:
I always do what is righteous and just/fair.
21 Kia meinga ai e ahau te hunga e aroha ana ki ahau kia whiwhi ki te rawa, kia whakakiia ai e ahau a ratou takotoranga taonga.
I give wealth to those who love me; I fill their houses with valuable things.
22 I a Ihowa ahau, no te timatanga ra ano o ona ara, no mua atu i ana mahi o nehera.
Yahweh created me, [wisdom], when he began [to create the world]; he created me [to do my work] before he created anything else.
23 Nonamata riro ahau i whakaritea ai, no te timatanga, no mua atu i te whenua.
He appointed me long ago, before he created the earth.
24 I te mea kahore ano nga rire, kua whanau ahau; i te mea kiano he puna whai wai.
I was born before the oceans were [created], when there were no springs from which water flowed.
25 No mua atu i te whakaunga o nga maunga, no mua i nga pukepuke toku whanautanga:
I was born before the hills and mountains were formed;
26 I te mea kahore ano i hanga noatia e ia te whenua, me nga parae, me te timatanga o te puehu o te ao.
[I, wisdom], was born before Yahweh made the earth, before he made the fields and the soil on the earth.
27 I tana whakaturanga i nga rangi, i reira ano ahau: i tana whakaritenga i te awhi mo te mata o te rire;
I was there when Yahweh put the sky in place, when he marked the place [in the distance] where the sky and the oceans [seem to] come together.
28 I tana whakapumautanga i nga rangi i runga; i te tototanga o nga puna o te rire;
I was there when Yahweh put the clouds above [the earth] and when he caused the water that is inside the earth to be secure.
29 I tana rohenga mai i te moana, kei takahia tana kupu e nga wai; i tana waitohutanga i nga turanga o te whenua;
I was there when he fixed a boundary for the seas, so that the water in the seas would not go past those boundaries, and when he put down the foundations which support the earth.
30 I reira ahau i tona taha, he tohunga ki nga mahi: he ahuarekatanga ahau nona i ia ra, i ia ra, e koa ana i nga wa katoa i tona aroaro;
I was at the side of Yahweh, the master worker (OR, as though I was his child). I caused him to be happy every day, and I was always rejoicing when I was with him.
31 E koa ana ki tana ao; a ko taku i ahuareka ai ko nga tama a te tangata.
I was delighted with the world that he created; I was happy with the people whom he created, too.
32 No reira, e aku tamariki, whakarongo mai ki ahau: ka hari hoki te hunga e pupuri ana i oku ara.
So, [you people who are like] my sons, listen to me. [I am] pleased with [all] those who obey my teachings.
33 Whakarongo mai ki te ako, kia whai whakaaro ai koutou; kaua hoki e paopaongia.
Listen [carefully] to what I teach you and become wise. Do not reject my teaching!
34 Ka hari te tangata e whakarongo ana ki ahau, e tatari ana i oku tatau i tenei ra, i tenei ra, e whanga ana i nga pou o oku kuwaha.
[I am] pleased with those who listen to me, those who are outside my house every day, waiting [for me to come out].
35 Ko te tangata hoki e kite ana i ahau, e kite ana i te ora, ka whiwhi ano ia ki ta Ihowa manako mai.
Those who find me will have [a long] life, and Yahweh [will] be pleased with them.
36 Ko te tangata ia e hara ana ki ahau, he mahi nanakia tana ki tona wairua ake; ko te hunga katoa e kino ana ki ahau, e aroha ana ki te mate.
But those who stray away from me [just] harm themselves. All those who hate me, [it is as though] [IRO] they are loving death.”
