Lea Fakatātā 17
1 ʻOku lelei hake ʻae kihiʻi meʻakai siʻi ʻoku mōmoa, mo e fakalongolongo, ʻi he fale ʻoku fonu ʻi he meʻakai lelei, ka ʻoku ʻi ai mo e feʻiteʻitani.
It is better [to eat] a dry piece [of bread] and not have strife/quarrels than to have a big feast in a house where [everyone] is quarreling.
2 ʻE pule ʻae tamaioʻeiki ʻoku poto ki he foha ʻoku fai fakamā; pea ʻe maʻu ʻe ia ha tofiʻa fakataha mo e fānau.
A slave who acts wisely will [some day] be the boss of his master’s disgraceful son and when his master dies, the slave will receive part of his master’s possessions.
3 Ko e kulo ʻahiʻahiʻi ko e meʻa ia ki he siliva, pea ko e meʻa ki he koula ʻae afi kakaha: ka ʻoku ʻahiʻahiʻi ʻae loto kotoa pē ʻe Sihova.
[Workers put] silver and gold in a very hot furnace [to burn out what is impure], and Yahweh [similarly] examines people’s inner beings [to see if they are pure].
4 ʻOku tokanga ʻae tangata fai kovi ki he loungutu ʻoku loi; pea ʻoku tokanga ʻe ia ʻoku loi ki he ʻelelo ʻoku kovi.
Those who do what is evil pay attention to people who say [MTY] what is evil, and liars pay attention to [other people’s] lies.
5 Ko ia ʻoku manuki ki he masiva ʻoku valoki ʻe ia ʻa hono Tupuʻanga: pea ʻe ʻikai fakatonuhiaʻi ʻae tangata ko ia ʻoku fiefia ʻi he hoko ʻae ngaahi kovi.
Those who make fun of poor [people] insult God, the one who made the poor [people], [and] those who are happy when [someone else has] troubles will certainly be punished [LIT] [by God].
6 Ko e fānau ʻae fānau ko e tatā ia ʻoe kau mātuʻa: pea ko e lelei ʻoe fānau ʻa ʻenau ngaahi tamai.
Old [people] are [usually] proud of [MET] their grandchildren, [just like] children are [usually] proud of their parents.
7 ʻOku ʻikai ngali mo e vale ʻae lea lelei: pea ʻoku taʻengali ʻaupito mo ha ʻeiki ʻae loungutu ʻoku loi.
Fine/Eloquent speech is not suitable for foolish people to say, just like lies are not suitable for rulers [to say].
8 ʻOku tatau ha meʻa foaki mo e maka mahuʻinga ki he mata ʻoʻona ʻoku ne maʻu ia: he ʻoku lelei pe ia ʻi he potu kotoa pē ʻoku tafoki ia ki ai.
People think that a bribe is like a magic stone [to persuade someone to do what they want him to do]; they think that because of the bribe, that person will do whatever they want him to do.
9 ʻOku ʻofeina ia ʻoku faʻa ʻufiʻufi ʻae fai hala: ka ko ia ʻoku toe lea ʻaki ha meʻa, ko e fakamāvae ia ʻoe kaumeʻa feʻofoʻofani.
If you want people to like/love you, forgive them for the wrong things that they do to you. If you continue to remind them about those wrong things, they will no longer be your friends.
10 ʻOku ongongofua ʻae valoki ki he loto ʻoe tangata poto ʻi he kauʻimaea ke liunga teau ki he vale.
Rebuking people who have good sense will accomplish more for them than hitting them 100 times [with a stick].
11 ʻOku fie talangataʻa pe ʻae tangata angakovi; pea ko ia ʻe fekau atu ai kiate ia ha taha ʻoku angamālohi.
[Because] wicked people are always trying to cause trouble, someone will be sent to severely punish them.
12 ʻOku lelei hake ke fakafetaulaki ha tangata mo ha pea kuo kaihaʻasi mei ai ʻa hono ʻuhiki, ʻi he fetaulaki mo ha vale ʻi heʻene vale.
A mother bear whose cubs have been taken away from her is dangerous, but it is more dangerous to confront a foolish person who is doing something foolish.
13 Ko ia ʻoku ne totongi ʻaki ʻae kovi ki he lelei, ʻe ʻikai mavahe ʻae kovi mei hono fale.
If someone does something evil in return for something good being done to him, evil/trouble will never leave that person’s family.
14 Ko e kamataʻanga ʻoe feʻiteʻitani ʻoku hangē ko e fakapā mai ʻo ha vai: ko ia ke tuku ʻā ʻae fekeʻikeʻi ʻi he teʻeki ai hoko ha meʻa.
Starting a quarrel is like allowing water to start to leak out of a dam; they both need to be stopped before they get worse.
15 ʻOku fakatou fakalielia kia Sihova ʻaia ʻoku ne fakatonuhiaʻi ʻae halaia, mo ia ʻoku ne talatalaakiʻi ʻae māʻoniʻoni.
There are two things that Yahweh hates: (Condemning innocent [people]/Saying that people who have done nothing wrong must be punished), and declaring that people who have done wicked things should not be punished.
16 Ko e hā eni kuo ʻai ʻae totongi ki he nima ʻoe vale ke ne maʻu ai ʻae poto, ka ʻoku ʻikai te ne maʻu ha loto ki ai?
It is useless to allow foolish people [RHQ] to try to become wise by paying for it, because they do not have enough good sense to become wise.
17 ʻOku ʻofa maʻuaipē ʻae kāinga moʻoni, pea kuo fanauʻi ho tokoua ke talifaki ʻae ʻaho ʻoe kovi.
Friends love [others] all the time, and relatives are able to help us when we have troubles.
18 Ko e tangata ʻoku masiva poto, ʻoku puke ʻe ia ʻae nima, ʻo ne fai ʻae fakamoʻoni totongi ʻi he ʻao ʻo hono kāinga.
[If someone borrows money from another person], it is foolish for you to promise [IDM] that you will pay the money back if that other person is unable to pay back the money that he borrowed.
19 Ko ia ʻoku manako ki he feʻiteʻitani ʻoku ʻofa ia ki he kovi: pea ko ia ʻoku hiki hake hono matapā ʻoku kumi ʻe ia ki he fakaʻauha.
Those who like to sin [also] like to cause strife/trouble; [and] those who build fancy doors in their houses [to show that they are very wealthy] (OR, speak proudly) are inviting disaster.
20 ʻOku ʻikai ʻilo ha lelei siʻi ʻe ia ʻoku loto talangataʻa: pea ʻoku tō hifo ki he kovi ʻaia ʻoku maʻu ʻae ʻelelo kovi.
Those who (have perverse minds/are always thinking about doing evil things) will not prosper, and disasters will happen to those who always tell lies.
21 Ko ia ʻoku ne fakatupu ha vale ʻoku ne fai ke ne mamahi ai ia: pea ʻoku ʻikai maʻu ha fiefia ʻe he tamai ʻae tangata vale.
Children who are foolish [soon] cause their parents to be very sad; their parents will not be joyful at all.
22 ʻOku tupu ʻae lelei ʻo hangē ha faitoʻo mei he loto ʻoku fiefia: ka ʻoku fakamōmoa ʻae hui ʻe he laumālie kuo mafesi.
Being cheerful is [like swallowing] good medicine; being discouraged/gloomy [all the time will] (drain away your energy/cause you to become weak) [MTY].
23 ʻOku toʻo mai ʻe he angakovi ha meʻa foaki mei he fatafata, ke ne taki kehe ʻae hala ʻoe fakamaau.
Wicked people/judges accept bribes that are given to them secretly, and as a result they do not decide matters justly/fairly.
24 ʻOku ʻi he ʻao ʻoe tangata ʻoku faʻa fakakaukau ʻae poto: ka ʻoku ʻi he ngaahi ngataʻanga ʻo māmani ʻae mata ʻoe vale.
Those who have good sense determine to do what is wise, but foolish people are always thinking about many different things [and never decide what they should do].
25 Ko e foha ʻoku vale ko e fakamamahi ia ki heʻene tamai, mo e ongosia kiate ia naʻe fāʻeleʻi ia.
Children who are foolish cause their father to be sad and [also] cause their mother to be very sorrowful.
26 ʻOku ʻikai lelei ke tautea ʻae angatonu: pe ko e taaʻi ʻoe houʻeiki ʻi heʻenau fai totonu.
It is not right to force someone who has done nothing wrong to pay a fine; it is wrong to punish good/respected people.
27 Ko ia ʻoku ne maʻu ʻae poto ʻoku ne taʻofi ki heʻene lea: pea ʻoku loto lelei ʻae tangata ko ia ʻoku faʻa fakakaukau.
Those who have good sense do not talk a lot, and those who (control their tempers/keep themselves from becoming very angry) are [truly] wise.
28 Naʻa mo e vale ʻoku lau ia ko e poto, ʻoka fakalongo pē ia: pea ʻoku lau ko e tangata faʻa ʻilo ʻaia ʻoku mapuni hono loungutu.
People [may] think that foolish people who do not say anything are wise; if foolish people (do not say anything/keep their mouths shut), others will think that they are [very] intelligent.
