Lea Fakatātā 23
1 ʻOka ke ka nofo ke keinanga mo ha taha ʻoku pule, tokanga lahi ki he meʻa ʻoku ʻi ho ʻao:
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
2 Pea kapau ko e tangata faʻa kai koe, ai ha hele ki ho kia.
For thou puttest a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man of a craving desire.
3 ʻOua naʻa ke holi ki heʻene ngaahi meʻa lelei: he ko e meʻakai kākā ia.
Do not long for his savory meats; they are deceitful food.
4 ʻOua naʻa fai feinga ke ke koloaʻia: pea ʻoua naʻa falala ki ho poto ʻoʻou.
Fatigue thyself not to become rich; because thou hast understanding, forbear.
5 He te ke sio fakamamaʻu ki he meʻa ʻoku ʻikai? He ko e moʻoni ʻoku ngaohi ʻe he koloa hono kapakau; ʻoku puna atu ia ʻo hangē ko e ʻikale ki he langi.
When thou lettest merely thy eyes fly over it, it is no more: for it will ever make itself wings: like an eagle will it fly toward heaven.
6 ʻOua naʻa ke kai ʻi he mā ʻaʻana ʻoku manumanu hono mata, pea ʻoua naʻa ke holi ki heʻene ngaahi meʻakai lelei:
Eat not the bread of a man with an evil eye, and do not long for his savory meats;
7 He ko e ngaahi mahalo ʻo hono loto, ko ia ai pe ia: ʻoku ne pehē kiate koe, “Ke ke kai mo inu;” ka ʻoku ʻikai ʻiate koe hono loto.
For as though there were a division in his soul, so doth he act: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
8 Ko e momoʻi meʻa kuo ke kai te ke toe lua ʻaki, pea mole mo hoʻo ngaahi lea lelei.
Thy morsel which thou hast eaten must thou spit out, and thou hast wasted thy pleasant words.
9 ʻOua naʻa ke lea ʻi he telinga ʻoe vale, he te ne manukiʻi ʻae poto ʻo hoʻo ngaahi lea.
Speak not before the ears of a fool; for he will despise the intelligence of thy words.
10 ʻOua naʻa hiki ʻae kauʻā motuʻa; pea ʻoua naʻa faʻao ʻae potu ngoue ʻae tamai mate:
Remove not the ancient landmark, and into the fields of the fatherless must thou not enter;
11 He ʻoku māfimafi ʻa honau huhuʻi, pea te ne fai mo koe ʻi heʻenau meʻa.
For their redeemer is strong; he will indeed plead their cause with thee.
12 Fakatokangaʻi ho loto ki he akonaki, pea mo ho telinga ki he ngaahi lea ʻae ʻilo.
Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thy ears to the sayings of knowledge.
13 ʻOua naʻa taʻofi ʻae tauteʻi mei he tamasiʻi: he kapau te ke taaʻi ia ʻaki ʻae meʻa tā, ʻe ʻikai mate ia.
Withhold not from a lad correction; for if thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Thou wilt indeed beat him with the rod; but thou wilt deliver his soul from perdition. (Sheol h7585)
15 ʻE hoku foha, kapau ʻe poto ho loto, ʻe fiefia ai hoku loto, ʻio, te u fiefia au.
My son, If thy heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
16 Ko e moʻoni ʻe fiefia hoku loto, ʻoka lea ʻaki ʻe ho loungutu ʻae ngaahi meʻa totonu.
And my reins shall exult when thy lips speak what is equitable.
17 ʻOua naʻa meheka ho loto ki he angahala: ka ke manavahē koe kia Sihova ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē.
Let not thy heart be envious against sinners; but [remain] in the fear of the lord all the time.
18 He ko e moʻoni ʻoku ai ha ngataʻanga; pea ʻe ʻikai motuhi hoʻo ʻamanaki.
For surely there is a future, and thy hope will not be cut off.
19 Ke ke fanongo, ʻE hoku foha, pea ke poto, pea fakahinohino ho loto ʻi he hala.
Hear thou, my son, and become wise, and guide thy heart on the right way.
20 ʻOua naʻa ke kau mo e kakai faʻa inu ke konā, mo kinautolu ʻoku ʻuakai ki heʻenau meʻakai:
Be not among those that drink wine immoderately, among those that over-indulge in eating flesh:
21 Koeʻuhi ʻe iku ki he masiva ʻaia ʻoku faʻa konā mo faʻa ʻuakai: pea ko ia ʻoku faʻa mohe ʻe kofu mahaehae pe ia.
For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty; and drowsiness clotheth a man in rags.
22 Fakaongo ki hoʻo tamai naʻa ke tupu ai, pea ʻoua naʻa ke taʻeʻofa ki hoʻo faʻē ʻoka motuʻa ia.
Hearken unto thy father that hath begotten thee, and despise not thy mother although she be old.
23 Fakatau mai ʻae moʻoni, pea ʻoua naʻa toe fakatau atu; ʻae poto, mo e akonaki, pea mo e faʻa fakakaukau.
Buy the truth and sell it not; [also] wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24 ʻE fiefia lahi ʻae tamai ʻaʻana ʻoku māʻoniʻoni: pea ko ia ʻoku ne maʻu ʻae tamasiʻi ʻoku poto ʻe fiefia ia ʻiate ia.
The father of the righteous will be greatly glad, and he that begetteth a wise child will have joy through him.
25 ʻE fiefia ʻa hoʻo tamai mo hoʻo faʻē, pea ʻe fiefia ia naʻa ne fanauʻi koe.
Let [then] thy father and thy mother rejoice, and let her that hath born thee be glad.
26 ʻE hoku foha, foaki mai ho loto, pea ke tokangaʻi ʻe ho mata ʻa hoku ngaahi hala.
Give, my son, thy heart unto me, and let thy eyes watch my ways.
27 He ʻoku tatau mo e luo taumamaʻo ʻae fefine faʻa feʻauaki; pea ko e fefine anga kehe ʻoku tatau mo e luo ʻapiʻapi.
For a harlot is a deep ditch, and a strange woman is a narrow well.
28 ʻOku ne toi foki ʻo hangē ha kaihaʻa, pea ʻoku ne fakatokolahi ʻae kau angahala ʻi he kakai.
She also lieth in wait like a robber, and she increaseth the treacherous among men.
29 Ko hai ia ʻoku malaʻia? Ko hai ia ʻoku mamahi? Ko hai ia ʻoku ʻi he feʻiteʻitani? Ko hai ʻoku papūnoa? Ko hai ʻoku lavea noa pe? Ko hai ʻoku kulokula hono mata?
Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath quarrels? who hath complaints? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30 Ko kinautolu ʻoku nofo fuoloa ke inu ke konā; ʻakinautolu ʻoku ʻalu ke kumi ʻae uaine kuo felingiʻaki.
They that tarry late over the wine: they that come to seek for mixed drink.
31 ʻOua naʻa ke sio ki he uaine ʻi heʻene kulokula, ʻi heʻene tuku hono lanu ʻi he ipu, pea ʻoku mālie hono inu.
Do not look on the wine when it looketh red, when it giveth its color in the cup, when it glideth down so readily.
32 Koeʻuhi ʻe uʻu ia ʻamui ʻo hangē ha ngata, pea huhu foki ʻo hangē ko e ngata kona.
At the last it will bite like a serpent, and like a basilisk will it sting.
33 ʻE sio ho mata ki he kau fefine anga kehe, pea ʻe fakahā mei ho loto ʻae ngaahi meʻa fakafufū.
Thy eyes will see strange forms, and thy heart will speak perverse things.
34 ʻIo, te ke hangē ha taha ʻoku tokoto hifo ʻi loto tahi, pe ha taha ʻoku mohe ʻi ha funga fanā.
And thou wilt be like one that lieth down in the heart of the sea, or as he that lieth on the top of a mast.
35 Te ke pehē ʻe koe, “Kuo nau taaʻi au, ka ʻoku ʻikai te u mamahi; pea kuo nau haha au, ka ʻoku ʻikai te u ongoʻi ia: te u ʻā ʻafē? Te u toe kumi pe ki ai.”
“They smote me, [but] I suffered no pain; they struck me hard, [but] I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will continue to seek it again.”
