¹My son, if thou receivest my words, and layest up my commandments with thee,

¹¶ E taku tama, ki te tango koe i aku kupu, ki te huna i aku whakahau ki roto ki a koe;

²so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom [and] thou apply thy heart to understanding;

²A ka tahuri tou taringa ki te whakaaro nui, ka anga ano tou ngakau ki te matauranga;

³yea, if thou criest after discernment [and] liftest up thy voice to understanding;

³Ae ra, ki te mea ka karangarangatia e koe te matauranga, a ka puaki tou reo ki te ngakau mohio;

⁴if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hidden treasures:

⁴Ki te rapua hoki ia e koe ano he hiriwa, ki te kimihia ano he taonga huna;

⁵then shalt thou understand the fear of Jehovah, and find the knowledge of God.

⁵Ko reira koe matau ai ki te wehi o Ihowa, kite ai i te mohio ki te Atua.

⁶For Jehovah giveth wisdom; out of his mouth [come] knowledge and understanding.

⁶Ma Ihowa hoki e homai te whakaaro nui; no tona mangai te matauranga me te ngakau mohio.

⁷He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright; [he] is a shield to them that walk in integrity;

⁷E rongoatia ana e ia te whakaaro nui ma te hunga tika; he whakangungu rakau ia mo te hunga he tapatahi nei te haere;

⁸guarding the paths of just judgment and keeping the way of his godly ones.

⁸Kia tiakina ai e ia nga ara o te whakawa, kia tohungia ai te ara o tana hunga tapu.

⁹Then shalt thou understand righteousness and judgment and equity: every good path.

⁹Ko reira koe mohio ai ki te tika, ki te whakawa, ki te mea ano e rite ana, ae ra, ki nga ara pai katoa.

¹⁰When wisdom entereth into thy heart and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul,

¹⁰¶ Ka uru hoki te whakaaro nui ki roto ki tou ngakau, a ka reka te matauranga ki tou wairua;

¹¹discretion shall keep thee, understanding shall preserve thee:

¹¹Ka ai te ngarahu pai hei tiaki i a koe, te ngakau mohio hei pupuri i a koe;

¹²To deliver thee from the way of evil, from the man that speaketh froward things;

¹²Hei kukume mai i a koe i te ara o te kino, i te tangata e puta ke ana ana korero;

¹³[from those] who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;

¹³I te hunga e whakarere nei i nga ara o te tika, e haere ana i nga ara o te pouri;

¹⁴who rejoice to do evil, [and] delight in the frowardness of evil;

¹⁴E koa ana, i a ratou e mahi ana i te kino, e hari ana ki nga tikanga parori ke o te kino;

¹⁵whose paths are crooked, and who are perverted in their course:

¹⁵He ara kopikopiko o ratou, he whanoke ratou i o ratou huarahi:

¹⁶To deliver thee from the strange woman, from the stranger who flattereth with her words;

¹⁶Hei whakaora i a koe i te wahine tauhou, i te wahine tauhou e whakapati nei ki ana kupu;

¹⁷who forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God;

¹⁷Kua whakarerea nei e ia te hoa o tona tamahinetanga, kua wareware ki te kawenata o tona Atua.

¹⁸-- for her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead;

¹⁸E heke atu ana hoki tona whare ki te mate, ona ara ki nga tupapaku.

¹⁹none that go unto her return again, neither do they attain to the paths of life:

¹⁹Ko te hunga katoa e haere atu ana ki a ia e kore e hoki mai; e kore ano e mau i a ratou nga ara o te ora.

²⁰-- that thou mayest walk in the way of the good, and keep the paths of the righteous.

²⁰A ka haere koe i nga ara o nga tangata pai, ka mau ano ki nga ara o te hunga tika.

²¹For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it;

²¹Ka noho hoki te hunga tika ki te whenua; ka mau te hunga ngakau tapatahi ki reira.

²²but the wicked shall be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful shall be plucked up out of it.

²²Ka hatepea atu ia te hunga kino i runga i te whenua; ka hutia atu i reira te hunga he kopeka ta ratou mahi.