Lea Fakatātā 8

1 ‌ʻIkai ʻoku kalanga ʻae poto? Pea ʻai mai ʻe he faʻa ʻilo hono leʻo?

It is as if wisdom, with great understanding [of many things], is calling [PRS] out [to people].

2 ‌ʻOku tuʻu ia ʻi he tumutumu ʻoe ngaahi potu māʻolunga, mo e ngaahi potu ʻi he ngaahi veʻe hala.

Wisdom stands on hilltops and at crossroads.

3 ‌ʻOku ne kalanga ʻi he ngaahi matapā, mo e ngaahi matanikolo, ʻi he ava ʻoe ngaahi matapā.

[Wisdom also stands] at the city gates and shouts loudly,

4 “ʻAe kau tangata, ʻoku ou ui kiate kimoutolu! Pea ʻoku hiki hake hoku leʻo ki he fānau ʻae tangata,

“I am calling to everyone! I am shouting loudly to all people!

5 ‌ʻAe kau sesele, mou ʻilo ʻae poto: pea ke maʻu ʻekimoutolu, ko e kau vale, ʻae loto faʻa ʻilo.

You people who do not know how to do things that are smart to do, get sound judgment; you foolish people, get good understanding!

6 Fanongo; he te u lea ki he ngaahi meʻa ʻoku lelei; pea ʻe mafaʻa hoku loungutu ʻi he ngaahi meʻa totonu.

Listen to me, because I have some excellent/important things to say. What I say is what is fair/right.

7 Pea ʻe lea ʻaki ʻae moʻoni ʻe hoku ngutu; pea ko e meʻa fakalielia ki hoku loungutu ʻae kovi.

I speak what is true; I detest speaking [MTY] what is false/deceptive.

8 ‌ʻOku ʻi he māʻoniʻoni ʻae ngaahi lea kotoa pē ʻa hoku ngutu; ʻoku ʻikai ha pikopiko pe ha kākā ʻi ai.

Everything that I say is honest; there is nothing that I say that deceives [people].

9 ‌ʻOku ʻilongofua kotoa pē kiate ia ʻoku poto, pea totonu kiate kinautolu ʻoku maʻu ʻae ʻilo.

My words are clear to those who have good sense; those who are wise know that what I say is right.

10 Maʻuā ʻeku akonaki, kae siʻaki ʻae siliva; pea ke lelei hake ʻae maʻu ʻoe ʻilo ʻi he koula lelei.

[If someone offers you the kind of teaching I give] or offers you silver, choose my teaching. [If he offers to show you how to be wise] or offers you gold, choose to know how to be wise,

11 “He ʻoku lelei hake ʻae poto ʻi he ngaahi maka koloa; pea ʻoku ʻikai faʻa tatau mo ia ʻae ngaahi meʻa kotoa pē ʻoku ke faʻa holi ki ai.

because wisdom is more valuable than jewels. Nothing that you desire [is as valuable] as being wise.

12 Ko au poto ʻoku ma nonofo mo faʻa filioʻi, pea u maʻu ʻae ʻilo ʻi he fakatupu meʻa foʻou.

I, wisdom, and understanding of what is smart to do, cannot be separated. We are like two people who live in the same house. I know how to be wise and how to make smart decisions.

13 Ko e manavahē kia Sihova, ko e fehiʻa ia ki he kovi: ko e fielahi, mo e fakapuhopuhā, mo e angakovi mo e ngutu kovi, ʻoku ou fehiʻa ki ai.

[All the people] who revere Yahweh hate evil. I, wisdom, hate [people who are] proud and [people] who think they are more important [than others]. I hate [people who] behave in an evil way and those who say things to deceive [others].

14 ‌ʻOku ʻaʻaku ʻae akonaki, mo e poto moʻoni: ko au ko e faʻa ʻilo, ʻoku ʻiate au ʻae mālohi.

I give [people] good advice and I enable them to do things that are wise. I understand how things really are, and I am strong.

15 Ko e meʻa ʻiate au ʻoku pule ai ʻae ngaahi tuʻi, pea fai fakamaau ʻe he houʻeiki.

When kings are wise, they rule [well]; and when rulers are wise, they make laws that are just/fair.

16 ‌ʻOku pule ʻae houʻeiki ʻiate au, mo e kakai ʻeiki, mo e kau fakamaau kotoa pē ʻo māmani.

Rulers govern their people with the help of me, wisdom, and those who have authority decide things fairly/just with my help.

17 ‌ʻOku ou ʻofa kiate kinautolu ʻoku ʻofa kiate au; pea ʻe maʻu au ʻekinautolu ʻoku kumi tōtōaki kiate au.

I, [wisdom], love [all] those who love me, and [all] those who truly seek me [will] find me.

18 ‌ʻOku ʻiate au ʻae koloa mo e ongoongolelei; ʻio, ʻae koloa taʻepopo mo e māʻoniʻoni.

I enable [people] to become rich and to be honored; [I enable them to have] wealth that will last and to be successful.

19 ‌ʻOku lelei hake ʻi he koula ʻa hoku fua, ʻio, ʻi he koula lelei; mo ʻeku koloa ʻi he siliva lelei.

What I can give people is more valuable than fine/pure gold and the best silver.

20 ‌ʻOku ou takimuʻa ʻi he hala ʻoe māʻoniʻoni, ʻi he loto hala ʻoe fakamaau:

I always do what is righteous and just/fair.

21 Koeʻuhi ke u pule ke maʻu ʻae koloa moʻoni ʻekinautolu ʻoku ʻofa kiate au; pea te u fakafonu honau tukunga koloa.

I give wealth to those who love me; I fill their houses with valuable things.

22 “Naʻe maʻu au ʻe Sihova ʻi he kamataʻanga ʻo hono hala, ʻi muʻa ange ʻi heʻene ngaahi ngāue ʻi muʻa.

Yahweh created me, [wisdom], when he began [to create the world]; he created me [to do my work] before he created anything else.

23 Naʻe fokotuʻu au talu mei muʻa, mei he kamataʻanga ʻi he teʻeki ai ʻa māmani.

He appointed me long ago, before he created the earth.

24 Naʻe fanauʻi au ʻi he teʻeki ke ai ha loloto; ʻi he teʻeki ai ha matavai ʻoku fonu ʻi he vai.

I was born before the oceans were [created], when there were no springs from which water flowed.

25 ‌ʻI he teʻeki ke tuʻumaʻu ʻae ngaahi moʻunga; naʻe fanauʻi au ʻi he teʻeki ai ʻae ngaahi potu māʻolunga:

I was born before the hills and mountains were formed;

26 ‌ʻI he teʻeki ai te ne ngaohi ʻa māmani, pe ko e potu maʻalaʻala, pe ko e potu lahi ʻoe efu ʻo māmani.

[I, wisdom], was born before Yahweh made the earth, before he made the fields and the soil on the earth.

27 ‌ʻI heʻene teuteu ʻae ngaahi langi, naʻaku ʻi ai au: pea ʻi heʻene tuku ʻae ngataʻanga ʻoe funga loloto:

I was there when Yahweh put the sky in place, when he marked the place [in the distance] where the sky and the oceans [seem to] come together.

28 ‌ʻI heʻene fokotuʻu ʻae ngaahi ʻao ʻi ʻolunga: ʻi heʻene fakamālohi ʻae ngaahi matavai ʻoe loloto:

I was there when Yahweh put the clouds above [the earth] and when he caused the water that is inside the earth to be secure.

29 ‌ʻI heʻene tuku ki he tahi ʻene fono, ke ʻoua naʻa laka mai ia ʻi he meʻa kuo ne fekau: ʻi heʻene tuʻutuʻuni ʻae ngaahi tuʻunga ʻo māmani.

I was there when he fixed a boundary for the seas, so that the water in the seas would not go past those boundaries, and when he put down the foundations which support the earth.

30 Naʻaku ʻi ai mo ia, ʻo hangē ha taha kuo tupu hake mo ia: ko hono fiefiaʻanga au ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē, pe naʻaku fiefia maʻuaipē i hono ʻao;

I was at the side of Yahweh, the master worker (OR, as though I was his child). I caused him to be happy every day, and I was always rejoicing when I was with him.

31 Naʻaku fiefia ʻi he ngaahi potu ʻo māmani ʻoku kakai, pea naʻe ʻi he fānau ʻae tangata ʻa ʻeku fiefiaʻanga.

I was delighted with the world that he created; I was happy with the people whom he created, too.

32 “Ko ia, ʻE fānau, mou fanongo mai kiate au: he ʻoku monūʻia ia ʻoku tokanga ki hoku ngaahi hala.

So, [you people who are like] my sons, listen to me. [I am] pleased with [all] those who obey my teachings.

33 Mou fanongo ki he akonaki, pea mou poto, pea ʻoua naʻa mou taʻetokanga ki ai.

Listen [carefully] to what I teach you and become wise. Do not reject my teaching!

34 ‌ʻOku monūʻia ʻae tangata ʻoku fanongo kiate au, ʻo ne tatali ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē ʻi hoku ngaahi matapā, ʻo ne nofo ʻi hoku veʻe matapā.

[I am] pleased with those who listen to me, those who are outside my house every day, waiting [for me to come out].

35 He ko ia ʻoku ne maʻu au ʻoku ne maʻu ʻae moʻui, pea ʻe ʻiate ia ʻae ongoongolelei meia Sihova.”

Those who find me will have [a long] life, and Yahweh [will] be pleased with them.

36 Ka ko ia ʻoku fai angahala kiate au, ʻoku ne fai kovi ki hono laumālie ʻoʻona: ʻoku ʻofa ki he mate ʻakinautolu kotoa pē ʻoku fehiʻa kiate au.

But those who stray away from me [just] harm themselves. All those who hate me, [it is as though] [IRO] they are loving death.”