¹¶ Kua oti i te whakaaro nui tetahi whare mona te hanga, e whitu nga pou kua oti te tarai e ia:

¹Wisdom hath builded her house, She hath hewn out her pillars — seven.

²Kua oti ana kararehe te patu e ia; whakananu rawa tana waina; kua oti ano tana tepu te whakapai.

²She hath slaughtered her slaughter, She hath mingled her wine, Yea, she hath arranged her table.

³Kua unga e ia ana kotiro, e karanga ana ia i runga i nga wahi tiketike rawa o te pa.

³She hath sent forth her damsels, She crieth on the tops of the high places of the city:

⁴Ki te mea he kuware tetahi, me peka mai ia ki konei: ko te tangata maharakore, ko tana kupu tenei ki a ia,

⁴`Who [is] simple? let him turn aside hither.` Whoso lacketh heart: she hath said to him,

⁵Haere mai, kainga taku taro, inumia hoki te waina kua oti nei te whakananu e ahau.

⁵`Come, eat of my bread, And drink of the wine I have mingled.

⁶Kati ra, e te hunga kuware, kia ora ai koutou; haere hoki i te ara o te matauranga.

⁶Forsake ye, the simple, and live, And be happy in the way of understanding.

⁷Ko ia e papaki ana i te tangata whakahihi, ka whakama; a ko ia e riri ana i te tangata kino, ka piri mai he he ki a ia.

⁷The instructor of a scorner Is receiving for it — shame, And a reprover of the wicked — his blemish.

⁸Kaua e riria te tangata whakahi, kei kino ia ki a koe: riria ko te tangata whakaaro nui, a ka aroha ia ki a koe.

⁸Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee, Give reproof to the wise, and he loveth thee.

⁹Hoatu te mohio ki te tangata whakaaro nui, a ka neke ake ona whakaaro; whakaakona te tangata tika, a ka nui ake tona mohio.

⁹Give to the wise, and he is wiser still, Make known to the righteous, And he increaseth learning.

¹⁰Ko te timatanga o te whakaaro nui ko te wehi ki a Ihowa; ko te matauranga, ko te mohio ki te Mea Tapu.

¹⁰The commencement of wisdom [is] the fear of Jehovah, And a knowledge of the Holy Ones [is] understanding.

¹¹Maku hoki ka maha ai ou ra, maku ka neke ake ai nga tau e ora ai koe.

¹¹For by me do thy days multiply, And added to thee are years of life.

¹²Ki te nui ou whakaaro, mou ano ou whakaaro nui; ki te whakahi koe, mau anake tau pikaunga.

¹²If thou hast been wise, thou hast been wise for thyself, And thou hast scorned — thyself bearest [it].

¹³¶ Ko te wahine wairangi, he mangai nui ia; he kuware ia, kahore ona mohio ki te aha, ki te aha.

¹³A foolish woman [is] noisy, Simple, and hath not known what.

¹⁴Noho ana ia i te kuwaha o tona whare i runga i te nohoanga i nga wahi tiketike o te pa;

¹⁴And she hath sat at the opening of her house, On a throne — the high places of the city,

¹⁵Kia karanga atu ai ia ki nga tangata e haere ana i te ara, e maro tonu ana o ratou huarahi,

¹⁵To call to those passing by the way, Who are going straight [on] their paths.

¹⁶Ko te kuware, peka mai ki konei; tena ko te tangata whakaarokore, ko tana kupu tenei ki a ia,

¹⁶`Who [is] simple? let him turn aside hither.` And whoso lacketh heart — she said to him,

¹⁷He reka te wai tahae, a he ahuareka te taro kai huna.

¹⁷`Stolen waters are sweet, And hidden bread is pleasant.`

¹⁸Te mohio ia kei reira nga tupapaku; kei te reinga riro ana i karanga ai.

¹⁸And he hath not known that Rephaim [are] there, In deep places of Sheol her invited ones!