¹The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:

¹¶ Ko nga whakatauki a Horomona tama a Rawiri, kingi o Iharaira;

²to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;

²E mohiotia ai te whakaaro nui, te ako; e kitea ai nga kupu o te matauranga;

³to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;

³E riro mai ai te ako a te ngakau mahara, te tika, te whakawa, te mea ano e rite ana;

⁴to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young man:

⁴Hei hoatu i te ngakau tupato ki nga kuware, i te matauranga, i te ngarahu pai ki te taitamariki;

⁵that the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; that the man of understanding may attain to sound counsel:

⁵Kia whakarongo ai te tangata whakaaro nui, kia nui ake ai tona mohio; kia whiwhi ai te tangata tupato ki nga whakaaro mohio:

⁶to understand a proverb, and parables, the words and riddles of the wise.

⁶E mohio ai ia ki te whakatauki, ki te kupu whakarite, ki nga kupu a nga whakaaro nui, ki a ratou korero whakapeka.

⁷The fear of Yahweh “Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations. is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.

⁷¶ Ko te wehi ki a Ihowa te timatanga o te matauranga; e whakahawea ana te whakaarokore ki te whakaaro nui, ki te ako.

⁸My son, listen to your father’s instruction, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching:

⁸Whakarongo, e taku tama, ki te ako a tou papa, kaua hoki e whakarerea te ture a tou whaea;

⁹for they will be a garland to grace your head, and chains around your neck.

⁹Ka waiho hoki ena hei pare ataahua mo tou matenga, hei mekameka whakapaipai mo tou kaki.

¹⁰¶ E taku tama, ki te whakawaia koe e te hunga hara, kaua e whakaae.

¹¹If they say, “Come with us, Let’s lay in wait for blood; let’s lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;

¹¹Ki te mea ratou, Tatou ka haere, ka whakapapa atu, ka whakaheke toto; kia whanga puku tatou, he mea takekore, mo te tangata harakore:

¹²let’s swallow them up alive like Sheol Sheol is the place of the dead. , and whole, like those who go down into the pit.

¹²Horomia oratia ratou e tatou, peratia me ta te rua tupapaku; ka riro tinana ratou, ka pera me te hunga e heke atu ana ki te poka:

¹³We’ll find all valuable wealth. We’ll fill our houses with spoil.

¹³Ka kitea e tatou nga taonga utu nui katoa, ka whakakiia o tatou whare ki ta tatou e pahua ai:

¹⁴You shall cast your lot among us. We’ll all have one purse.”

¹⁴Maka mai tou wahi ki roto ki to matou; kia kotahi te putea ma tatou katoa.

¹⁵My son, don’t walk in the way with them. Keep your foot from their path,

¹⁵E taku tama, kaua e haere tahi i te ara me ratou; kaiponuhia tou waewae i to ratou huarahi;

¹⁶for their feet run to evil. They hurry to shed blood.

¹⁶E rere ana hoki o ratou waewae ki te kino, e hohoro ana ratou ki te whakaheke toto.

¹⁷He maumau hoki te hora o te kupenga ki te tirohanga a tetahi manu.

¹⁸but these lay wait for their own blood. They lurk secretly for their own lives.

¹⁸Ko ratou, he whakaheke i o ratou toto ano i whakapapa ai ratou; he whakamate i a ratou ano i piri ai ratou.

¹⁹So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain. It takes away the life of its owners.

¹⁹Ka pena nga huarahi o te hunga apo taonga; ko te ora ano o ona rangatira e tangohia.

²⁰Wisdom calls aloud in the street. She utters her voice in the public squares.

²⁰¶ E hamama ana te whakaaro nui i te huarahi; e puaki ana tona reo i nga waharoa;

²¹She calls at the head of noisy places. At the entrance of the city gates, she utters her words:

²¹E karanga ana ia i te tino wahi whakaminenga; i te wahi tuwhera o nga kuwaha, i roto i te pa, e puaki ana ana kupu;

²²“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will mockers delight themselves in mockery, and fools hate knowledge?

²²E te hunga kuware, kia pehea ake te roa o to koutou aroha ki te kuwaretanga? O te hiahia ranei o te hunga whakahi ki to ratou whakahi? O te whakakino ranei a te hunga wairangi ki te matauranga?

²³Turn at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you. I will make known my words to you.

²³Tahuri mai ki taku ako: na ka ringihia e ahau toku wairua ki a koutou, ka whakaaturia aku kupu ki a koutou.

²⁴Because I have called, and you have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one has paid attention;

²⁴I karanga atu hoki ahau, heoi kihai koutou i pai mai; i totoro atu toku ringa, a kihai tetahi i whai whakaaro mai;

²⁵but you have ignored all my counsel, and wanted none of my reproof;

²⁵Heoi whakakahoretia iho e koutou toku whakaaro katoa, kihai hoki i aro ki taku ako:

²⁶I also will laugh at your disaster. I will mock when calamity overtakes you;

²⁶Mo reira ka kata ahau i te ra o to koutou aitua; ka tawai ina pa te pawera ki a koutou.

²⁷when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when your disaster comes on like a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come on you.

²⁷Ina tae mai to koutou pawera ano he tupuhi, a ka pa mai to koutou aitua ano he paroro; ina tae mai te pouri me te ngakau mamae ki a koutou.

²⁸Then will they call on me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me;

²⁸Ko reira ratou karanga ai ki ahau, a e kore ahau e whakahoki kupu atu; ka rapu nui ratou i ahau, otiia e kore ahau e kitea e ratou:

²⁹because they hated knowledge, and didn’t choose the fear of Yahweh.

²⁹Mo ratou i kino ki te matauranga; kihai hoki i whiriwhiria e ratou te wehi ki a Ihowa;

³⁰They wanted none of my counsel. They despised all my reproof.

³⁰Kihai i aro mai ki oku whakaaro; whakahawea ana ratou ki taku kupu riri katoa.

³¹Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own schemes.

³¹Na reira ka kai ratou i nga hua o to ratou nei ara, ka whakakiia ano hoki ki nga mea i titoa e ratou.

³²For the backsliding of the simple will kill them. The careless ease of fools will destroy them.

³²Ko te tahuritanga atu hoki o nga kuware hei patu i a ratou; ko te ngakau warea ano hoki o nga wairangi hei huna i a ratou.

³³But whoever listens to me will dwell securely, and will be at ease, without fear of harm.”

³³Ko te tangata ia e rongo ana ki ahau, ka au tona noho, ka tea hoki i te wehi ki te kino.