1¶ He teka ianei kei te karanga te whakaaro nui, e puaki ana ano te reo o te matauranga?
1Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding give forth her voice?
2I runga i nga wahi tiketike tona turanga, i te ara i te tutakitanga o nga huarahi;
2On the top of high places by the way, at the cross-paths she taketh her stand.
3Hamama ana ia i te taha o nga kuwaha, i te ngutu o te pa, i te tomokanga atu i nga tatau:
3Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors, she crieth aloud.
4Ki a koutou, e nga tangata, taku karanga; ki nga tama ano a te tangata toku reo.
4Unto you, men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of man:
5E nga kuware, kia matau koutou ki te ngarahu tupato; e nga wairangi, kia mohio te ngakau.
5O ye simple, understand prudence; and ye foolish, understand sense.
6Whakarongo mai, ka korerotia hoki e ahau nga mea pai rawa; ko ta oku ngutu e whakapuaki ai ko nga mea e rite ana.
6Hear, for I will speak excellent things, and the opening of my lips shall be right things.
7He pono hoki te korero a toku mangai; he mea whakarihariha ano te kino ki oku ngutu.
7For my palate shall meditate truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8Kei runga i te tika nga kupu katoa a toku mangai; kahore he whakapeka, he whanoke ranei, i roto.
8All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing tortuous or perverse in them.
9Ko enei katoa he marama ki te tangata e matau ana, he tika ki te hunga i kitea ai te mohio.
9They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.
10Manakohia mai taku ako, kaua te hiriwa; ko te matauranga, nui atu i te koura pai rawa.
10Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold:
11Pai atu hoki te whakaaro nui i nga rupi; e kore hoki nga mea katoa e minaminatia nei e tau hei whakarite mona.
11for wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things that may be desired are not equal to it.
12¶ Kua meinga e ahau, e te whakaaro nui, ko te ngarahu pai hei nohoanga moku, e kitea ana e ahau te mohio me te ata whakaaro.
12I wisdom dwell [with] prudence, and find the knowledge [which cometh] of reflection.
13Ko te wehi ki a Ihowa koia tena ko te kino ki te he: e kino ana ahau ki te whakapehapeha, ki te whakakake, ki te ara he, ki te mangai whanoke.
13The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil; pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth do I hate.
14Ko te whakaaro tika, ko te whakaaro nui, naku; ko ahau te matauranga, kei ahau te kaha.
14Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am intelligence; I have strength.
15Naku nga kingi i kingi ai, naku nga rangatira i whakatakoto ai i te tika.
15By me kings reign, and rulers make just decrees;
16Naku i whai rangatiratanga ai nga rangatira, nga tangata nunui, ara nga kaiwhakawa katoa o te whenua.
16by me princes rule, and nobles, all the judges of the earth.
17E arohaina ana e ahau te hunga e aroha ana ki ahau; ko te hunga hoki e ata rapu ana i ahau, e kite ratou i ahau.
17I love those that love me; and they that seek me early shall find me.
18He taonga, he kororia kei ahau; ae ra, he rawa mau tonu, he tika.
18Riches and honour are with me; durable wealth and righteousness.
19Pai atu oku hua i te koura, ae ra, i te koura parakore; ko nga mea e puta ana i ahau, pai atu i te hiriwa kowhiri.
19My fruit is better than fine gold, yea, than pure gold; and my revenue than choice silver.
20Kei nga ara o te tika ahau e haere ana, kei waenganui i nga huarahi o te whakawa:
20I walk in the path of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment:
21Kia meinga ai e ahau te hunga e aroha ana ki ahau kia whiwhi ki te rawa, kia whakakiia ai e ahau a ratou takotoranga taonga.
21that I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasuries.
22¶ I a Ihowa ahau, no te timatanga ra ano o ona ara, no mua atu i ana mahi o nehera.
22Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.
23Nonamata riro ahau i whakaritea ai, no te timatanga, no mua atu i te whenua.
23I was set up from eternity, from the beginning, before the earth was.
24I te mea kahore ano nga rire, kua whanau ahau; i te mea kiano he puna whai wai.
24When there were no depths, I was brought forth, when there were no fountains abounding with water.
25No mua atu i te whakaunga o nga maunga, no mua i nga pukepuke toku whanautanga:
25Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth;
26I te mea kahore ano i hanga noatia e ia te whenua, me nga parae, me te timatanga o te puehu o te ao.
26while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the beginning of the dust of the world.
27I tana whakaturanga i nga rangi, i reira ano ahau: i tana whakaritenga i te awhi mo te mata o te rire;
27When he prepared the heavens I was there; when he ordained the circle upon the face of the deep;
28I tana whakapumautanga i nga rangi i runga; i te tototanga o nga puna o te rire;
28when he established the skies above, when the fountains of the deep became strong;
29I tana rohenga mai i te moana, kei takahia tana kupu e nga wai; i tana waitohutanga i nga turanga o te whenua;
29when he imposed on the sea his decree that the waters should not pass his commandment, when he appointed the foundations of the earth:
30I reira ahau i tona taha, he tohunga ki nga mahi: he ahuarekatanga ahau nona i ia ra, i ia ra, e koa ana i nga wa katoa i tona aroaro;
30then I was by him [his] nursling, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;
31E koa ana ki tana ao; a ko taku i ahuareka ai ko nga tama a te tangata.
31rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth, and my delights [were] with the sons of men.
32¶ No reira, e aku tamariki, whakarongo mai ki ahau: ka hari hoki te hunga e pupuri ana i oku ara.
32And now, sons, hearken unto me, and blessed are they that keep my ways:
33Whakarongo mai ki te ako, kia whai whakaaro ai koutou; kaua hoki e paopaongia.
33hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not.
34Ka hari te tangata e whakarongo ana ki ahau, e tatari ana i oku tatau i tenei ra, i tenei ra, e whanga ana i nga pou o oku kuwaha.
34Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
35Ko te tangata hoki e kite ana i ahau, e kite ana i te ora, ka whiwhi ano ia ki ta Ihowa manako mai.
35For whoso findeth me findeth life, and obtaineth favour of Jehovah;
36Ko te tangata ia e hara ana ki ahau, he mahi nanakia tana ki tona wairua ake; ko te hunga katoa e kino ana ki ahau, e aroha ana ki te mate.
36but he that sinneth against me doeth violence to his own soul: all they that hate me love death.