Lea Fakatātā 4
1 ʻAe fānau, mou fanongo ki he akonaki ʻae tamai, pea tokanga ke ʻilo ʻae poto.
Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;
2 He ʻoku ou foaki ʻae akonaki lelei kiate kimoutolu, pea ʻoua naʻa mou liʻaki ʻa ʻeku fono.
for I give you sound learning. Don’t forsake my law.
3 He ko e foha au ʻo ʻeku tamai, ko e pele mo e ʻofeina taha pe au ʻi he ʻao ʻo ʻeku faʻē.
For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.
4 Naʻa ne akonakiʻi foki au, ʻo ne pehē mai, “Tuku ke maʻu ʻi ho loto ʻa ʻeku ngaahi lea: tauhi ʻa ʻeku ngaahi fekau, ka ke moʻui.”
He taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.
5 Ke ke maʻu ʻae poto, pea maʻu mo e ʻilo: ʻoua naʻa ngalo ia; pea ʻoua naʻa ke fakaholomui mei he ngaahi lea ʻa hoku ngutu.
Get wisdom. Get understanding. Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth.
6 ʻOua naʻa liʻaki ia, pea te ne fakamoʻui koe: ke ke ʻofa kiate ia, pea te ne tauhi kiate koe.
Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.
7 Ko e poto ko e meʻa ʻoku fungani hake ia; ko ia ke ke maʻu ʻae poto: pea ʻi he meʻa kotoa pē ʻoku ke maʻu, ke ke maʻu mo e ʻilo.
Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.
8 Fakahikihikiʻi ia, pea te ne hakeakiʻi koe: pea ʻi hoʻo fāʻufua kiate ia, te ne fakaongoongolelei koe.
Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor when you embrace her.
9 ʻE ai ʻe ʻia ʻae teunga matamatalelei ki ho ʻulu: ko e tatā ʻoe nāunau te ne foaki kiate koe.”
She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you.”
10 ʻE hoku foha, fanongo, pea ke maʻu ʻa ʻeku ngaahi tala, pea ʻe hoko ai ʻo lahi ʻae ngaahi taʻu ʻo hoʻo moʻui.
Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many.
11 Kuo u akonakiʻi koe ʻi he hala ʻoe poto; pea kuo u tataki koe ʻi he ngaahi ʻaluʻanga totonu.
I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.
12 ʻOka ke ka ʻeveʻeva ʻe ʻikai ʻefihia ho vaʻe; pea ʻoka ke ka lele ʻe ʻikai te ke hinga.
When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.
13 Puke ke maʻu ʻae akonaki; ʻoua naʻa tukuange ia: kuku maʻu ia; he ko hoʻo moʻui ia.
Take firm hold of instruction. Don’t let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.
14 ʻOua naʻa ke ʻalu atu ki he hala ʻoe angahala, pea ʻoua naʻa ʻeveʻeva ʻi he ʻaluʻanga ʻoe kakai angakovi.
Don’t enter into the path of the wicked. Don’t walk in the way of evil men.
15 Fakaʻehiʻehi mei ai, ʻoua naʻa ke ofi ki ai, tafoki mei ai, pea ʻalu atu pe.
Avoid it, and don’t pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.
16 He ʻoku ʻikai te nau mohe, ka ʻi heʻenau lavaʻi ʻae kovi; pea ʻi he ʻikai te nau fakahinga ha niʻihi ʻoku ʻikai ai te nau faʻa mohe.
For they don’t sleep unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.
17 He ʻoku nau kai ʻae mā ʻoe fai kovi, ʻonau inu ʻi he uaine ʻoe fakamālohi.
For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
18 Ka ko e hala ʻoe angatonu ʻoku tatau ia mo e ulo ʻoe maama, ʻaia ʻoku ʻāsili pe ʻene ulo ʻo aʻu ki he haohaoa ʻoe ʻaho.
But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light that shines more and more until the perfect day.
19 ʻOku tatau mo e poʻuli ʻae hala ʻoe angahala: ʻoku ʻikai te nau ʻilo ʻaia ʻoku nau tūkia ai.
The way of the wicked is like darkness. They don’t know what they stumble over.
20 ʻE hoku foha, tokanga ki heʻeku ngaahi lea; fakatokangaʻi ho telinga ki heʻeku ngaahi tala.
My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.
21 Ke ʻoua naʻa mole atu ia mei ho mata; ke maʻu ia ʻi he kakano ʻo ho loto.
Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the center of your heart.
22 He ko e moʻui ia kiate kinautolu ʻoku maʻu ia, pea ko e faitoʻo ki honau kakano.
For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body.
23 Ke ke tauhi fakamātoato ki ho loto; he ʻoku tupu mei ai ʻae ikuʻanga ʻoe moʻui.
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.
24 Ke liʻaki ke mamaʻo ʻiate koe ʻae ngutu ʻoku kovi, mo e loungutu paongataʻa.
Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.
25 Ke sio totonu atu pe ho mata, pea ke hangatonu ki muʻa ho laumata ʻiate koe.
Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Fakakaukau ki he ʻalunga ʻo ho vaʻe, pea ʻe fakatonutonu ai ho ngaahi hala kotoa pē.
Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.
27 ʻOua naʻa afe ki he nima toʻomataʻu pe ki he toʻohema: ka ke fakatafoki ho vaʻe mei he kovi.
Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.
