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 you sit down to eat a meal with a (government official/king), think carefully about what (OR, who) is in front of you.
2 Pea kapau ko e tangata faʻa kai koe, ai ha hele ki ho kia.
[Even] if you (have a big appetite/want to eat a lot of food), restrain yourself.
3 ʻOua naʻa ke holi ki heʻene ngaahi meʻa lelei: he ko e meʻakai kākā ia.
Do not want to eat [a lot of] his fine food, because he may be trying to trick you.
4 ʻOua naʻa fai feinga ke ke koloaʻia: pea ʻoua naʻa falala ki ho poto ʻoʻou.
Do not [cause yourself to become very tired by] working very hard to become rich; be wise and stop doing that,
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.
because as soon as you look [MTY] at [all the money that you have acquired], it will be gone; it will [disappear as if it] suddenly grew wings [SIM] and flew up into the sky like an eagle.
6 ʻOua naʻa ke kai ʻi he mā ʻaʻana ʻoku manumanu hono mata, pea ʻoua naʻa ke holi ki heʻene ngaahi meʻakai lelei:
[If] someone who is stingy [invites you to a meal], do not eat [a lot of] his fine food,
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.
because he will be thinking about how much [the food cost that you are eating]. He [will] say to you, “Eat and drink all that you want!”, but that is not what he [will] really be thinking.
8 Ko e momoʻi meʻa kuo ke kai te ke toe lua ʻaki, pea mole mo hoʻo ngaahi lea lelei.
[When you realize what he is really thinking, it will cause you to want to] vomit what you have eaten; and your kind words [telling him that you are enjoying the meal] will be wasted.
9 ʻOua naʻa ke lea ʻi he telinga ʻoe vale, he te ne manukiʻi ʻae poto ʻo hoʻo ngaahi lea.
(Do not [waste time by]/It is useless) talking to foolish people; they will [only] despise the wise things that you say.
10 ʻOua naʻa hiki ʻae kauʻā motuʻa; pea ʻoua naʻa faʻao ʻae potu ngoue ʻae tamai mate:
Do not [steal someone’s property by] removing a boundary marker that has been there for a long time, and do not take for yourself the land that belongs to orphans,
11 He ʻoku māfimafi ʻa honau huhuʻi, pea te ne fai mo koe ʻi heʻenau meʻa.
because Yahweh is strong, and he is [like] a relative that has the responsibility to defend them, he will [stand up in court and] argue for them and against you.
12 Fakatokangaʻi ho loto ki he akonaki, pea mo ho telinga ki he ngaahi lea ʻae ʻilo.
Pay attention to what [your teachers] teach you, and try to learn from the wise things that they say.
13 ʻOua naʻa taʻofi ʻae tauteʻi mei he tamasiʻi: he kapau te ke taaʻi ia ʻaki ʻae meʻa tā, ʻe ʻikai mate ia.
Do not refuse to discipline your children; if you punish/spank them, it will not cause them to die,
and it may save them from [going to] the place where dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
15 ʻE hoku foha, kapau ʻe poto ho loto, ʻe fiefia ai hoku loto, ʻio, te u fiefia au.
My son/child, if you [SYN] become wise, I [SYN] will be very happy.
16 Ko e moʻoni ʻe fiefia hoku loto, ʻoka lea ʻaki ʻe ho loungutu ʻae ngaahi meʻa totonu.
I [SYN] will rejoice when I hear you [SYN] say what is right/wise.
17 ʻOua naʻa meheka ho loto ki he angahala: ka ke manavahē koe kia Sihova ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē.
Do not envy sinful people; instead, revere Yahweh all of your life.
18 He ko e moʻoni ʻoku ai ha ngataʻanga; pea ʻe ʻikai motuhi hoʻo ʻamanaki.
[If you do that], you will be happy in the future, and [God] will certainly [do for you what you are] confidently expecting him to do.
19 Ke ke fanongo, ʻE hoku foha, pea ke poto, pea fakahinohino ho loto ʻi he hala.
My son/child, listen carefully to me and become wise, and think about (all that you do/your behavior).
20 ʻOua naʻa ke kau mo e kakai faʻa inu ke konā, mo kinautolu ʻoku ʻuakai ki heʻenau meʻakai:
Do not associate with those who drink a lot of (wine/strong drink) or with those who (are gluttons/eat more than they should),
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.
because drunkards and gluttons will become poor; and if all that you do is eat and sleep, you will [soon] (be wearing rags/not have any money to buy clothes).
22 Fakaongo ki hoʻo tamai naʻa ke tupu ai, pea ʻoua naʻa ke taʻeʻofa ki hoʻo faʻē ʻoka motuʻa ia.
Pay attention to what your father tells you, and (do not neglect/take care of) [LIT] your mother when she is old.
23 Fakatau mai ʻae moʻoni, pea ʻoua naʻa toe fakatau atu; ʻae poto, mo e akonaki, pea mo e faʻa fakakaukau.
Try to know/learn what is wise, and get good instruction and understanding; and do not throw those things away.
24 ʻE fiefia lahi ʻae tamai ʻaʻana ʻoku māʻoniʻoni: pea ko ia ʻoku ne maʻu ʻae tamasiʻi ʻoku poto ʻe fiefia ia ʻiate ia.
Righteous [children] will cause their parents to be very happy; those whose children are wise are proud of them.
25 ʻE fiefia ʻa hoʻo tamai mo hoʻo faʻē, pea ʻe fiefia ia naʻa ne fanauʻi koe.
[Do what will] cause your father to be glad and enable your mother [also] to be happy.
26 ʻE hoku foha, foaki mai ho loto, pea ke tokangaʻi ʻe ho mata ʻa hoku ngaahi hala.
My son, heed what I say to you, and allow what I do to be an example for you.
27 He ʻoku tatau mo e luo taumamaʻo ʻae fefine faʻa feʻauaki; pea ko e fefine anga kehe ʻoku tatau mo e luo ʻapiʻapi.
Prostitutes and immoral women [DOU] are [like] [MET] a deep pit or a well [that you may fall into].
28 ʻOku ne toi foki ʻo hangē ha kaihaʻa, pea ʻoku ne fakatokolahi ʻae kau angahala ʻi he kakai.
They wait [for you] like robbers [SIM], and they cause many men to (be unfaithful to/have sex with women who are not) their wives.
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?
I will tell you [RHQ] what kind of people are always miserable and sad. I will tell you [RHQ] which people are always causing arguments/quarrels and who are always complaining. I will tell you [RHQ] who are injured in fights and whose eyes are always red/bloodshot.
30 Ko kinautolu ʻoku nofo fuoloa ke inu ke konā; ʻakinautolu ʻoku ʻalu ke kumi ʻae uaine kuo felingiʻaki.
[It is] those who drink a lot of wine, who try drinking other kinds of strong drinks.
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 with pleasure at red wine that looks nice, and which sparkles when it is [poured out] into cups, and which tastes good as you drink it,
32 Koeʻuhi ʻe uʻu ia ʻamui ʻo hangē ha ngata, pea huhu foki ʻo hangē ko e ngata kona.
because the next morning [you will feel like] you have been bitten by a poisonous snake [DOU].
33 ʻE sio ho mata ki he kau fefine anga kehe, pea ʻe fakahā mei ho loto ʻae ngaahi meʻa fakafufū.
You [SYN] will [think that you are] seeing strange/weird things, and you [SYN] will not be able to think clearly or speak clearly.
34 ʻIo, te ke hangē ha taha ʻoku tokoto hifo ʻi loto tahi, pe ha taha ʻoku mohe ʻi ha funga fanā.
You will think you are in a ship that is tossing on the sea; you be like [SIM] someone who is trying to sleep when the ship is rolling from one side to the other.
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.”
You will say, “[I think that] someone struck me, but he did not hurt me; he hit me, but I did not feel it. When will I (wake up/feel normal again) in order that I can drink some more wine?”
