Lea Fakatātā 16
1 ʻOku meia Sihova ʻae teuteu ʻoe loto ʻi he tangata, pea mo e tali ʻoe ʻelelo.
It is for man to prepare the soul, and for the Lord to govern the tongue.
2 ʻOku maʻa ʻae hala kotoa pē ʻoe tangata ki hono mata ʻoʻona; ka ʻoku fakamaau ʻe Sihova ʻae ngaahi laumālie.
All the ways of a man are open to his eyes; the Lord is the one who weighs spirits.
3 Tuku kia Sihova hoʻo ngāue kotoa pē, pea ʻe fokotuʻumaʻu ai hoʻo ngaahi mahalo.
Open your works to the Lord, and your intentions will be set in order.
4 Kuo ngaohi ʻe Sihova ʻae meʻa kotoa pē maʻana: ʻio, naʻa mo e kau angahala ki he ʻaho ʻoe kovi.
The Lord has wrought all things because of himself. Likewise the impious is for the evil day.
5 ʻOku fakalielia kia Sihova ʻakinautolu kotoa pē ʻoku loto fielahi: pea kapau ʻe puke ʻae nima ki he nima, ʻe ʻikai taʻehoko hono tautea.
All the arrogant are an abomination to the Lord. Even if hand will be joined to hand, he is not innocent. The beginning of a good way is to do justice. And this is more acceptable with God than to immolate sacrifices.
6 ʻOku fakamaʻa mei he angahala ʻe he ʻaloʻofa mo e moʻoni: pea ko e meʻa ʻi he manavahē kia Sihova ʻoku tafoki ai ʻae tangata mei he kovi.
By mercy and truth, iniquity is redeemed. And by the fear of the Lord, one turns away from evil.
7 ʻOka lelei kia Sihova ʻae ngaahi hala ʻoe tangata, ʻoku ne pule ki hono ngaahi fili ke nau fakalelei mo ia.
When the ways of man will please the Lord, he will convert even his enemies to peace.
8 ʻOku lelei hake ʻae meʻa siʻi mo e māʻoniʻoni, ʻi he maʻu ʻae koloa lahi ʻi he taʻetotonu.
Better is a little with justice, than many fruits with iniquity.
9 ʻOku fili ʻe he loto ʻoe tangata ki hono hala: ka ʻoku fakahinohino ʻe Sihova ʻa ʻene ngaahi laka.
The heart of man disposes his way. But it is for Lord to direct his steps.
10 ʻOku haʻu mei he loungutu ʻoe tuʻi ʻae fakamaau ʻoku totonu: ʻoku ʻikai fai hala hono ngutu ʻi heʻene fai ʻae fakamaau.
Foreknowledge is in the lips of the king. His mouth shall not err in judgment.
11 Ko e meʻa fakamamafa mo e meʻa fakatatau totonu ʻoku meia Sihova ia: ko e maka fakamamafa kotoa pē ʻoku ʻi he kato ko ʻene ngāue ia.
Weights and scales are judgments of the Lord. And all the stones in the bag are his work.
12 Ko e meʻa fakalielia ʻae fai angahala ʻae ngaahi tuʻi: he ʻoku fokotuʻumaʻu ʻae nofoʻa ʻoe tuʻi ʻi he māʻoniʻoni.
Those who act impiously are abominable to the king. For the throne is made firm by justice.
13 Ko e fiefiaʻanga ʻoe ngaahi tuʻi ʻae loungutu ʻoku māʻoniʻoni; pea ʻoku nau ʻofa kiate ia ʻoku lea totonu.
Just lips are the will of kings. He who speaks honestly shall be loved.
14 Ko e tuputāmaki ʻoe tuʻi ʻoku tatau ia mo e ngaahi talafekau ʻae mate: ka ʻe lolomi ia ʻe he tangata ʻoku poto.
The indignation of a king is a herald of death. And the wise man will appease it.
15 ʻI he maama ʻoe fofonga ʻoe tuʻi ʻoku ai ʻae moʻui; pea ko ʻene ʻofa ʻoku hangē ia ko e ʻao ʻoe ʻuha mui.
In the cheerfulness of the king’s countenance, there is life. And his clemency is like belated rain.
16 He ʻikai ʻoku lelei hake ʻae maʻu ʻoe poto ʻi he maʻu ʻoe koula? Pea ʻikai ʻoku lelei hake ʻae maʻu ʻae faʻa ʻilo ʻi he fili ki he siliva?
Possess wisdom, for it is better than gold. And acquire prudence, for it is more precious than silver.
17 Ko e hala motuʻa ʻoe angatonu ko ʻenau afe mei he kovi: ko ia ʻoku tauhi ki hono hala ʻoku fakamoʻui ʻe ia hono laumālie.
The path of the just turns away from evils. He who guards his soul preserves his way.
18 ʻOku muʻomuʻa ʻae fielahi ʻi he fakaʻauha, pea mo e loto angahiki ʻi he hoko ʻae hinga.
Arrogance precedes destruction. And the spirit is exalted before a fall.
19 ʻOku lelei lahi hake ia ke loto angavaivai mo e kakai angavaivai, ʻi he vahevahe ha koloa kuo maʻu mo e fielahi.
It is better to be humbled with the meek, than to divide spoils with the arrogant.
20 ʻE maʻu ʻae lelei ʻe ia ʻoku tokanga fakapotopoto ki ha meʻa: pea ʻoku monūʻia ia ʻaia ʻoku falala kia Sihova.
The learned in word shall find good things. And whoever hopes in the Lord is blessed.
21 ʻE ui ʻakinautolu ʻoku loto poto ko e fakamākukanga; pea ʻoku tupu ʻae poto mei he loungutu ʻoku melie.
Whoever is wise in heart shall be called prudent. And whoever is sweet in eloquence shall attain to what is greater.
22 Ko e faʻa ʻilo ko e matavai ia ʻoe moʻui kiate ia ʻoku maʻu ia: ka ko e akonaki mei he vale ko e vale pe ia.
Learning is a fountain of life to one who possesses it. The doctrine of the foolish is senseless.
23 ʻOku akoʻi ʻe he loto ʻoe poto ʻa hono ngutu, pea ʻoku ne fakalahi ʻae poto ki hono loungutu.
The heart of the wise shall instruct his mouth and add grace to his lips.
24 ʻOku tatau mo e ngeʻesi ʻoe hone ʻae lea mālie, ʻi hono huʻa melie ki he laumālie, pea ko e moʻui ia ki he ngaahi hui.
Careful words are a honeycomb: sweet to the soul and healthful to the bones.
25 ʻOku ai ʻae hala ʻoku matamata totonu ki he tangata, ka ko hono ngataʻanga ʻoʻona ko e ngaahi hala ki he mate.
There is a way which seems right to a man, and its end result leads to death.
26 Ko ia ʻoku ngaue ʻoku ngāue maʻana: he ʻoku tangi ai kiate ia ʻa hono ngutu.
The soul of the laborer labors for himself, because his mouth has driven him to it.
27 ʻOku keli hake ʻae kovi ʻe he tangata angakovi: pea ʻoku ʻi hono loungutu ʻae afi kakaha.
The impious man digs up evil, and in his lips is a burning fire.
28 ʻOku tūtuuʻi ʻe he tangata angakovi ʻae feʻiteʻitani: pea ʻoku fakamāvae ʻe he tangata faʻa fafana ʻae kaumeʻa feʻofoʻofani.
A perverse man stirs up lawsuits. And one who is verbose divides leaders.
29 ʻOku fakahalaʻi ʻe he tangata ʻoku angamālohi ʻa hono kāinga, ʻo ne tataki ia ki he hala ʻoku ʻikai lelei.
A man of iniquity entices his friend, and he leads him along a way that is not good.
30 ʻOku ne fakamohe hono mata koeʻuhi ke ne fakakaukau ki he ngaahi meʻa ʻoku kovi: ʻi he ngāue ʻa hono loungutu ʻoku hoko ai ʻae kovi.
Whoever, with astonished eyes, thinks up depravities, biting his lips, accomplishes evil.
31 Ko e ʻuluhinā ko e tatā ia ʻoe ongoongolelei, ʻo ʻilo ia ʻi he hala ʻoe māʻoniʻoni.
Old age is a crown of dignity, when it is found in the ways of justice.
32 Ko ia ʻoku fakatotoka ki he ʻita ʻoku lelei hake ia ʻi ha taha ʻoku mālohi; pea pehē foki ia ʻoku faʻa pule ki hono loto ʻi ha taha ʻoku hamu ha kolo.
A patient man is better than a strong one. And whoever rules his soul is better than one who assaults cities.
33 ʻOku lī ki he loto kofu ʻae talotalo; ka ʻoku ʻia Sihova, ʻa hono fakamaauʻi.
Lots are cast into the lap, but they are tempered by the Lord.
