1 Give ear, my sons, to the teaching of a father; give attention so that you may have knowledge:
2 For I give you good teaching; do not give up the knowledge you are getting from me.
3 For I was a son to my father, a gentle and an only one to my mother.
4 And he gave me teaching, saying to me, Keep my words in your heart; keep my rules so that you may have life:
5 Get wisdom, get true knowledge; keep it in memory, do not be turned away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not give her up, and she will keep you; give her your love, and she will make you safe.
7 The first sign of wisdom is to get wisdom; go, give all you have to get true knowledge.
8 Put her in a high place, and you will be lifted up by her; she will give you honour, when you give her your love.
9 She will put a crown of grace on your head, giving you a head-dress of glory.
10 Give ear, O my son, and let your heart be open to my sayings; and long life will be yours.
11 I have given you teaching in the way of wisdom, guiding your steps in the straight way.
12 When you go, your way will not be narrow, and in running you will not have a fall.
13 Take learning in your hands, do not let her go: keep her, for she is your life.
14 Do not go in the road of sinners, or be walking in the way of evil men.
15 Keep far from it, do not go near; be turned from it, and go on your way.
16 For they take no rest till they have done evil; their sleep is taken away if they have not been the cause of someone's fall.
17 The bread of evil-doing is their food, the wine of violent acts their drink.
18 But the way of the upright is like the light of early morning, getting brighter and brighter till the full day.
19 The way of sinners is dark; they see not the cause of their fall.
20 My son, give attention to my words; let your ear be turned to my sayings.
21 Let them not go from your eyes; keep them deep in your heart.
22 For they are life to him who gets them, and strength to all his flesh.
23 And keep watch over your heart with all care; so you will have life.
24 Put away from you an evil tongue, and let false lips be far from you.
25 Keep your eyes on what is in front of you, looking straight before you.
26 Keep a watch on your behaviour; let all your ways be rightly ordered.
27 Let there be no turning to the right or to the left, keep your feet from evil.
1 Whakarongo, e aku tamariki, ki te whakaako a te matua, tahuri mai hoki kia matauria ai nga whakaaro mohio.
2 He pai hoki te kupu mohio ka hoatu nei e ahau ki a koutou, kaua taku ture e whakarerea.
3 He tama ano hoki ahau ki toku papa, a he ngawari, he mea kotahi e matenuitia ana e toku whaea.
4 I whakaako ano ia i ahau, i mea ki ahau, Puritia aku kupu e tou ngakau; kia mau ki aku whakahau, a e ora koe.
5 Whaia mou te whakaaro nui, whaia mou te matauranga; kaua e wareware ki tera, kaua hoki e neke atu i nga kupu a toku mangai.
6 Kaua ia e whakarerea, a mana koe e tiaki; arohaina ia, a mana koe e mau ai.
7 Ko te whakaaro nui te tino mea; no reira whaia mau te whakaaro nui; a i ou whiwhinga katoa, kia whiwhi koe ki te matauranga.
8 Whakanuia ia, a mana koe ka kake ai; ka whakahonore ia i a koe ki te awhitia e koe.
9 Ka homai e ia he pare ataahua ki tou mahunga, ka potaea ano koe e ia ki te karauna whakapaipai.
10 Whakarongo, e taku tama, maharatia aku kupu, a he maha nga tau e ora ai koe.
11 He mea whakaako koe naku ki te ara o te whakaaro nui; he mea arahi koe naku i nga ara o te tika.
12 Ka haere koe, e kore ou takahanga e whakakikitia mai; ki te rere koe, e kore koe e tutuki.
13 Kia mau ki te ako, kaua e tukua atu; matapoporetia iho, ko tou oranga hoki ia.
14 Kaua e haere i te ara o te hunga kino, kaua hoki e takahia te huarahi o te hunga he.
15 Anga ke ake, kaua e tika na reira; peka ake i taua ara, haere tonu atu.
16 E kore hoki ratou e moe ki te kore e oti tetahi mahi he ma ratou; riro rawa to ratou moe, ki te kahore tetahi tangata e hinga i a ratou.
17 No te kino hoki te taro e kainga ana e ratou, no te nanakia te waina e inumia ana e ratou.
18 Ko te huarahi ia o te hunga tika, koia ano kei te marama e whiti ana, a ka neke haere tonu ake tona marama, a taea noatia te tino ra.
19 Ko te ara o te hunga kino, me he pouri; e kore ratou e mohio ki te mea i tutuki ai ratou.
20 E taku tama, tahuri ki aku kupu; anga mai tou taringa ki aku korero.
21 Kei kotiti ke enei i ou kanohi; puritia i waenganui o tou ngakau.
22 He oranga enei mo te hunga e kitea ai, he rongoa mo o ratou kikokiko katoa.
23 Kia pau ou mahara ki te tiaki i tou ngakau; no reira hoki nga putanga o te ora.
24 Whakarerea te mangai whanoke, kia matara rawa i a koe nga ngutu tutu.
25 Kia hangai tonu te titiro whakamua a ou kanohi; kia titiro ou kamo ki mua tonu i a koe.
26 Whakatikaia te huarahi o ou waewae, kia u ano hoki ou ara katoa.
27 Kaua e peka ki matau, ki maui; kia anga ke tou waewae i te kino.