Lea Fakatātā 1
1 Ko e ngaahi lea fakatātā ʻa Solomone ko e foha ʻo Tevita, ko e tuʻi ʻo ʻIsileli;
These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel,
2 Ke ʻilo ai ʻae poto mo e akonaki; pea ongoʻi ʻae ngaahi lea ʻoe faʻa ʻilo;
for gaining wisdom and discipline, for comprehending words of insight,
3 Ke maʻu ʻae akonaki ʻoe poto, mo e angatonu, mo e fakamaau, pea mo e fai totonu;
and for receiving instruction in wise living and in righteousness, justice, and equity.
4 Ke foaki ʻae ʻiloʻilo ki he taʻepoto, pea ki he tangata talavou ʻae ʻilo mo e faʻa fakakaukau.
To impart prudence to the simple and knowledge and discretion to the young,
5 ʻE fie fanongo ʻe he tangata poto, pea ʻe tupulekina ai a ʻene poto; pea ʻe maʻu ai ʻe he tangata faʻa ʻilo ʻae ngaahi fakakaukau lelei:
let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel
6 Ke ʻiloʻi ʻae lea fakatātā, pea mo hono fakamatala; ʻae ngaahi lea ʻae poto, mo ʻenau ngaahi tala ʻilongataʻa.
by understanding the proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
7 Ko e manavahē kia Sihova ko e kamataʻanga ia ʻoe ʻilo: ka ʻoku fehiʻa ʻae vale ki he poto mo e akonaki.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
8 ʻE hoku foha, fanongo ki he akonaki ʻa hoʻo tamai, pea ʻoua naʻa ke liʻaki ʻae fekau ʻa hoʻo faʻē:
Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.
9 Koeʻuhi ʻe hoko ia ko e teunga lelei ki ho ʻulu, mo e kahoa ke tautau ki ho kia.
For they are a garland of grace on your head and a pendant around your neck.
10 ʻE hoku foha, kapau ʻe fakatauveleʻi koe ʻe he kau angahala, ʻoua naʻa ke loto ki ai.
My son, if sinners entice you, do not yield to them.
11 Kapau te nau pehē, “Haʻu ke tau ō, ke tau tatali ʻo toitoi ke lilingi ʻae toto, ke tau lama fakafufū taʻehanoʻuhinga ki he taʻehalaia:
If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause,
12 Ke tau folo moʻui hifo ʻakinautolu ʻo hangē ko e faʻitoka; pea kātoa pe, ʻo hangē ko kinautolu ʻoku ʻalu hifo ki he luo: (Sheol h7585)
let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole like those descending into the Pit. (Sheol h7585)
13 Te tau ʻilo ai ʻae koloa kehekehe kotoa pē, te tau fakafonu hotau ngaahi fale ʻaki ʻae koloa:
We will find all manner of precious goods; we will fill our houses with plunder.
14 Ke tau ʻinasi fakataha pe mo koe; pea te tau kau taha pe ʻi he kato paʻanga:”
Throw in your lot with us; let us all share one purse”—
15 ʻE hoku foha, ʻoua naʻa ke ʻalu ʻi he hala mo kinautolu; taʻofi ho vaʻe mei honau hala:
my son, do not walk the road with them or set foot upon their path.
16 He ʻoku lele honau vaʻe ki he kovi, ʻonau fakatoʻotoʻo ke lilingi ʻae toto.
For their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood.
17 Ko e moʻoni ʻoku tautau taʻeʻaonga ʻae kupenga ʻi he ʻao ʻo ha manupuna.
How futile it is to spread the net where any bird can see it!
18 Pea ʻoku nau toitoi ki honau toto ʻonautolu pe; mo nau lama fakafufū ki heʻenau moʻui ʻanautolu pe.
But they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives.
19 He ʻoku pehē pe ʻae hala ʻokinautolu ʻoku manumanu ki he koloa; ʻaia ʻoku ne fakaʻosi ʻae moʻui ʻanautolu ʻoku nau maʻu ia.
Such is the fate of all who are greedy, whose unjust gain takes the lives of its possessors.
20 ʻOku kalanga ʻituʻa ʻae poto; ʻoku ne hiki hake hono leʻo ʻi he ngaahi hala.
Wisdom calls out in the street, she lifts her voice in the square;
21 ʻOku kalanga ia ʻi he potu lahi ʻoe fakatahaʻanga, mo e ava ʻoe ngaahi matapā: pea ʻi he loto kolo ʻoku ne ʻai mai ʻene lea, ʻo pehē,
in the main concourse she cries aloud, at the city gates she makes her speech:
22 “ʻAkimoutolu ʻae kau vale, ʻe fēfē hono fuoloa ʻo hoʻomou manako ki he vale? Pea fiefia ʻae kau manuki ʻi heʻenau manuki, mo e fehiʻa ʻae kau vale ki he poto?
“How long, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and fools hate knowledge?
23 Mou tafoki ʻi heʻeku valoki: vakai, te u huaʻi hoku laumālie kiate kimoutolu, te u fakahā ʻeku ngaahi lea kiate kimoutolu.
If you had repented at my rebuke, then surely I would have poured out my spirit on you; I would have made my words known to you.
24 Koeʻuhi kuo u ui, pea naʻe ʻikai te mou tali; kuo u mafao atu hoku nima, kae ʻikai tokangaʻi ʻe ha taha;
Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand,
25 Pea kuo mou liʻaki ʻeku akonaki, pea naʻe ʻikai te mou loto ki heʻeku valoki:
because you neglected all my counsel, and wanted none of my correction,
26 Ko ia te u kata foki au ʻi hoʻomou malaʻia; te u manuki ʻi he tō mai ʻa hoʻomou manavahē;
in turn I will mock your calamity; I will sneer when terror strikes you,
27 ʻIo, ʻoka hoko mai hoʻomou manavahē ʻo hangē ko e fakaʻauha, mo hoʻomou malaʻia ʻo hangē ko e ʻahiohio; ʻoka hoko mai ʻae mamahi mo e feinga kiate kimoutolu.
when your dread comes like a storm, and your destruction like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish overwhelm you.
28 Pea te nau toki ui kiate au, ka ʻe ʻikai te u tali; te nau kumi toʻotoʻo kiate au, ka ʻe ʻikai te nau ʻilo au:
Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will earnestly seek me, but will not find me.
29 Koeʻuhi naʻa nau fehiʻa ki he ʻilo, pea naʻe ʻikai te nau loto ke manavahē kia Sihova:
For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD.
30 Naʻe ʻikai te nau maʻu ʻeku ngaahi akonaki, pea naʻa nau manukiʻi ʻa ʻeku valoki kotoa pē.
They accepted none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof.
31 Ko ia te nau kai ai ʻi he fua ʻo ʻenau faianga, pea fakamākona ʻaki ʻenau ngaahi filioʻi pe ʻanautolu.
So they will eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
32 He ko e tafoki atu ʻoe taʻepoto te ne tāmateʻi ʻakinautolu, pea ʻe ʻauha ʻae vale ʻi heʻenau fakafiemālie.
For the waywardness of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33 Ka ko ia kotoa pē ʻoku fanongo kiate au ʻe nofo fiemālie pe ia, pea ʻe ʻataʻatā ia mei he manavahē ki he kovi.”
But whoever listens to me will dwell in safety, secure from the fear of evil.”
