Lea Fakatātā 1
1 Ko e ngaahi lea fakatātā ʻa Solomone ko e foha ʻo Tevita, ko e tuʻi ʻo ʻIsileli;
The proverbs of Solomon son of David, the king of Israel.
2 Ke ʻilo ai ʻae poto mo e akonaki; pea ongoʻi ʻae ngaahi lea ʻoe faʻa ʻilo;
These proverbs are to teach wisdom and instruction, to teach words of insight,
3 Ke maʻu ʻae akonaki ʻoe poto, mo e angatonu, mo e fakamaau, pea mo e fai totonu;
that you may receive instruction in order to live by doing what is right, just, and fair.
4 Ke foaki ʻae ʻiloʻilo ki he taʻepoto, pea ki he tangata talavou ʻae ʻilo mo e faʻa fakakaukau.
These proverbs are also to give wisdom to the naive, and to give knowledge and discretion to young people.
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 wise people listen and increase their learning, and let discerning people get guidance,
6 Ke ʻiloʻi ʻae lea fakatātā, pea mo hono fakamatala; ʻae ngaahi lea ʻae poto, mo ʻenau ngaahi tala ʻilongataʻa.
to understand proverbs, sayings, and words of wise people and their riddles.
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 Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge— fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 ʻE hoku foha, fanongo ki he akonaki ʻa hoʻo tamai, pea ʻoua naʻa ke liʻaki ʻae fekau ʻa hoʻo faʻē:
My son, hear the instruction of your father and do not lay aside the rules of your mother;
9 Koeʻuhi ʻe hoko ia ko e teunga lelei ki ho ʻulu, mo e kahoa ke tautau ki ho kia.
they will be a graceful wreath for your head and pendants hanging from your neck.
10 ʻE hoku foha, kapau ʻe fakatauveleʻi koe ʻe he kau angahala, ʻoua naʻa ke loto ki ai.
My son, if sinners try to entice you into their sin, refuse to follow 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 with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us hide and attack innocent people for no reason.
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 up alive, like Sheol takes away those who are healthy, and make them like those who fall 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 shall find all kinds of valuable things; we will fill our houses with what we steal from others.
14 Ke tau ʻinasi fakataha pe mo koe; pea te tau kau taha pe ʻi he kato paʻanga:”
Throw in your lot with us; we will all have one purse together.”
15 ʻE hoku foha, ʻoua naʻa ke ʻalu ʻi he hala mo kinautolu; taʻofi ho vaʻe mei honau hala:
My son, do not walk down that road with them; do not let your foot touch where they walk;
16 He ʻoku lele honau vaʻe ki he kovi, ʻonau fakatoʻotoʻo ke lilingi ʻae toto.
their feet run to evil and they hurry to shed blood.
17 Ko e moʻoni ʻoku tautau taʻeʻaonga ʻae kupenga ʻi he ʻao ʻo ha manupuna.
For it is useless to spread the net in the sight of any bird.
18 Pea ʻoku nau toitoi ki honau toto ʻonautolu pe; mo nau lama fakafufū ki heʻenau moʻui ʻanautolu pe.
These men lie in wait for their own blood— they set an ambush for 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.
So are the ways of everyone who gains riches by injustice; unjust gain takes away the lives of those who hold on to it.
20 ʻOku kalanga ʻituʻa ʻae poto; ʻoku ne hiki hake hono leʻo ʻi he ngaahi hala.
Wisdom cries aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the open places;
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,
at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, at the entrance of the city gates she speaks,
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, you naive people, will you love being naive? How long, you mockers, will you delight in mockery, and how long, you fools, will you hate knowledge?
23 Mou tafoki ʻi heʻeku valoki: vakai, te u huaʻi hoku laumālie kiate kimoutolu, te u fakahā ʻeku ngaahi lea kiate kimoutolu.
Pay attention to my correction; I will pour out my thoughts to you; I will make 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;
I have called, and you have refused to listen; I reached out with my hand, but there was no one who paid attention.
25 Pea kuo mou liʻaki ʻeku akonaki, pea naʻe ʻikai te mou loto ki heʻeku valoki:
But you have ignored all my instruction and paid no attention to my correction.
26 Ko ia te u kata foki au ʻi hoʻomou malaʻia; te u manuki ʻi he tō mai ʻa hoʻomou manavahē;
I will laugh at your calamity, I will mock you when the terror comes—
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 fearful dread comes like a storm and disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon 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 upon me, and I will not answer; they will desperately call for me, but they will not find me.
29 Koeʻuhi naʻa nau fehiʻa ki he ʻilo, pea naʻe ʻikai te nau loto ke manavahē kia Sihova:
Because they hate knowledge and did not choose the fear of Yahweh,
30 Naʻe ʻikai te nau maʻu ʻeku ngaahi akonaki, pea naʻa nau manukiʻi ʻa ʻeku valoki kotoa pē.
they would not follow my instruction, and they despised all my correction.
31 Ko ia te nau kai ai ʻi he fua ʻo ʻenau faianga, pea fakamākona ʻaki ʻenau ngaahi filioʻi pe ʻanautolu.
They will eat the fruit of their ways, and with the fruit of their schemes they will be filled.
32 He ko e tafoki atu ʻoe taʻepoto te ne tāmateʻi ʻakinautolu, pea ʻe ʻauha ʻae vale ʻi heʻenau fakafiemālie.
For the naive are killed when they turn away, and the indifference 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 live in safety and will rest secure with no fear of disaster.”
