1 My son, if thou art become surety for thy neighbor,

If thou hast stricken thy hands for a stranger;

2 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth,

Thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

3 Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself,

Seeing thou art come into the hand of thy neighbor:

Go, humble thyself, and importune thy neighbor;

4 Give not sleep to thine eyes,

Nor slumber to thine eyelids;

5 Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter,

And as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard;

Consider her ways, and be wise:

7 Which having no chief,

Overseer, or ruler,

8 Provideth her bread in the summer,

And gathereth her food in the harvest.

9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard?

When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber,

A little folding of the hands to sleep:

11 So shall thy poverty come as a robber,

And thy want as an armed man.

12 A worthless person, a man of iniquity,

Is he that walketh with a perverse mouth;

13 That winketh with his eyes, that speaketh with his feet,

That maketh signs with his fingers;

14 In whose heart is perverseness,

Who deviseth evil continually,

Who soweth discord.

15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly;

On a sudden shall he be broken, and that without remedy.

16 There are six things which Jehovah hateth;

Yea, seven which are an abomination unto him:

17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,

And hands that shed innocent blood;

18 A heart that deviseth wicked purposes,

Feet that are swift in running to mischief,

19 A false witness that uttereth lies,

And he that soweth discord among brethren.

20 My son, keep the commandment of thy father,

And forsake not the law of thy mother:

21 Bind them continually upon thy heart;

Tie them about thy neck.

22 When thou walkest, it shall lead thee;

When thou sleepest, it shall watch over thee;

And when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light;

And reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

24 To keep thee from the evil woman,

From the flattery of the foreigner’s tongue.

25 Lust not after her beauty in thy heart;

Neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

26 For on account of a harlot a man is brought to a piece of bread;

And the adulteress hunteth for the precious life.

27 Can a man take fire in his bosom,

And his clothes not be burned?

28 Or can one walk upon hot coals,

And his feet not be scorched?

29 So he that goeth in to his neighbor’s wife;

Whosoever toucheth her shall not be unpunished.

30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal

To satisfy himself when he is hungry:

31 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold;

He shall give all the substance of his house.

32 He that committeth adultery with a woman is void of understanding:

He doeth it who would destroy his own soul.

33 Wounds and dishonor shall he get;

And his reproach shall not be wiped away.

34 For jealousy is the rage of a man;

And he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

35 He will not regard any ransom;

Neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.

1 E taku tama, ki te mea ko tau hei whakakapi mo ta tou hoa, ki te mea kua papaki tou ringa mo te tangata ke,

2 Kua oti koe te mahanga e nga kupu a tou mangai, kua mau koe i nga kupu a tou mangai.

3 Meinga tenei inaianei, e taku tama, kia ora ai koe, he mea hoki kua taka koe ki roto ki te ringa o tou hoa; haere whakaiti i a koe, a ka tohe ki tou hoa.

4 Kei tukua iho te moe ki ou kanohi; kei tunewha ou kamo.

5 Whakaora i a koe ano he anaterope i roto i te ringa o te kaiwhai, ano he manu i roto i te ringa o te kaihopu.

6 Haere ki te popokorua, e te tangata mangere, matakitakina iho ona ara, kia nui ai ou whakaaro:

7 Kahore nei ona kaitohutohu, ona kaitirotiro, ona rangatira,

8 Heoi e mahi kai ana mana i te raumati, e kohikohi ana i te kai mana i te kotinga witi.

9 Kia pehea ake te roa o tau takoto, e te tangata mangere? A hea koe maranga ai i tau moe?

10 Kia iti ake nei te wahi e parangia ai, kia iti ake nei te moe, kia iti ake te kotuinga o nga ringa i a koe e takoto na:

11 Na ka rite ki te kaipahua te putanga mai o te muhore ki a koe, tou rawakore, ano he tangata he patu nei tana.

12 Ko te tangata kahore ona painga, ko te tangata hara, e haereere ana me te mangai tu ke;

13 E whakakini ana ona kanohi, e korero ana ona waewae, e tuhi ana ona maihao;

14 Kei roto te whanoke i tona ngakau, e whakatakoto ana ia i te kino i nga wa katoa; e rui ana ia i te ngangare.

15 Mo reira ka huaki tata te aitua ki a ia; e kore e aha ka whatiia ia, te taea te rongoa.

16 E ono nga mea e kino ana ki a Ihowa; ae ra, e whitu nga mea e whakariharihangia ana e ia:

17 Ko te kanohi whakakake, ko te arero teka, ko nga ringa whakaheke i te toto harakore;

18 He ngakau e whakatakoto ana i nga whakaaro kikino, he waewae e hohoro ana te rere ki te hianga;

19 He kaiwhakaatu teka e korero teka ana, ko te tangata hoki e rui ana i te ngangare ki waenganui i nga tuakana, i nga teina.

20 E taku tama, puritia te whakahau a tou papa, kaua hoki e whakarerea te ture a tou whaea:

21 Kia mau tonu te takai ki tou ngakau, heia ki tou kaki.

22 Ko tou kaiarahi ano tera ina haere koe; mana koe e tiaki ina takoto koe; ka korero mai ano ki a koe; ina ara koe.

23 He rama hoki te whakahau; a he marama te ture; ko nga riringa hoki, e whakaako ana, he ara ki te ora;

24 Hei tiaki i a koe kei he i te wahine kino, i te whakapati a te arero o te wahine ke.

25 Kei hiahia koe ki tona ataahua i roto i tou ngakau; kei mau ano koe i ona kamo.

26 Ko te tukunga iho o te tangata he wahi taro, he mea mo te wahine kairau; ko ta te wahine purema e whai ana ko te wairua utu nui.

27 E taea ranei e te tangata te tango i te ahi ki roto ki tona uma, a e kore ona kakahu e wera?

28 E taea ranei e tetahi te haere i runga i nga waro ratarata, a e kore ona waewae e hunua?

29 Ka pera ano te tangata e haere ana ki te wahine a tona hoa; e kore e kore ka whiua te tangata e pa ana ki a ia.

30 E kore e whakahaweatia e te tangata te tahae, ki te tahaetia e ia he mea e makona ai tona wairua i a hiakai ia.

31 Otiia ki te kitea ia, kia takiwhitu ana e whakautu ai; me homai e ia nga rawa katoa o tona whare.

32 Ko te tangata e puremu ana ki te wahine, kahore ona mohio: ko te tangata e pera ana, kei te whakangaro ia i tona wairua.

33 He kaiakiko, he whakama te wahi mona; e kore ano tona ingoa kino e horoia atu.

34 He riri nui hoki na te tangata te hae; e kore ano e tohungia e ia i te ra rapu utu.

35 E kore ia e manako ki tetahi utu; e kore hoki e tatu tona ngakau, ahakoa he nui au hakari e tapae ai.