1 Ko te tangata tu ke, e whai ana i ta tona ake hiahia, e ngangau ana ki nga whakaaro totika katoa.

2 Kahore o te whakaarokore ahuareka ki te matauranga; engari kia whakakitea e ia tona ngakau.

3 I te taenga mai o te tangata kino ka tae mai ano te whakahawea, me te tawai hei hoa mo te whakama.

4 He wai hohonu nga kupu a te mangai o te tangata; he awa e rere ana te puna o te whakaaro nui.

5 Ehara i te mea pai te whakapai ki te kanohi o te tangata kino, te whakapeau ke ranei i ta te tangata tika ina whakawa.

6 E uru ana nga ngutu o te whakaarokore ki te totohe, e karanga ana tona mangai ki nga whiu.

7 Hei hunga ano mona te mangai o te whakaarokore; a ko ona ngutu hei rore mo tona wairua.

8 Ano he kai reka nga kupu a te kawe korero; tae tonu iho ki nga wahi o roto rawa o te kopu.

9 Ko te tangata ano hoki e mangere ana ki tana mahi, hei teina ia ki te tangata maumau.

10 Hei pourewa kaha te ingoa o Ihowa; rere ana te tangata tika ki reira, a ora ake.

11 Ko nga rawa o te tangata taonga hei pa kaha mona, hei pa tiketike ki tona whakaaro.

12 I mua ake o te whakangaromanga ka whakakake te ngakau o te tangata; i mua ake ano hoki o te honore ko te ngakau papaku.

13 Ko te tangata e whakahoki kupu ana i te mea kahore ano ia i rongo noa, he mahi wairangi tera nana, he hanga whakama.

14 E whakamanawanui te wairua o te tangata ki tona mate; tena ko te wairua maru, ko wai e kaha ki tera?

15 Ka whiwhi te ngakau o te tangata matau ki te mohio; e rapu ana hoki te taringa o nga whakaaro nui ki te mohio.

16 Ma te mea tuku noa a te tangata ka watea ai he wahi mona, ka kawea hoki ia e tera ki te aroaro o nga tangata nunui.

17 Ko te tangata nana te kupu tuatahi i te whakawa me te mea kei a ia te tika; na ka haere mai tona hoa, kei te rapu i te tikanga o tana.

18 Ma te rota e mutu ai nga tautohe, a ko tera hei tauarai i waenganui o te hunga kaha.

19 Ko te tuakana, teina ranei, i whakatakariritia, pakeke atu i te pa kaha: a ko aua tu ngangare me he tutaki tatau no te whare rangatira.

20 Ka ki te kopu o te tangata i nga hua o tona mangai, ka makona ia i nga hua o ona ngutu.

21 Ko te mate, ko te ora kei te arero: ko te hunga e aroha ana ki tera ka kai i ona hua.

22 Ko te tangata kua kite i te wahine mana, kua kite i te mea pai, kua whiwhi hoki ki ta Ihowa whakapai.

23 He inoi ta te rawakore hanga; he taikaha ia te whakahoki a te tangata taonga.

24 Ko te tangata tini nga hoa aroha e whai ana i te he mona; tera ano ia te hoa aroha, nui atu i to te tuakana, i to te teina, tona piri mai.

1 For [an object of] desire he who is separated doth seek, With all wisdom he intermeddleth.

2 A fool delighteth not in understanding, But -- in uncovering his heart.

3 With the coming of the wicked come also hath contempt, And with shame -- reproach.

4 Deep waters [are] the words of a man`s mouth, The fountain of wisdom [is] a flowing brook.

5 Acceptance of the face of the wicked [is] not good, To turn aside the righteous in judgment.

6 The lips of a fool enter into strife, And his mouth for stripes calleth.

7 The mouth of a fool [is] ruin to him, And his lips [are] the snare of his soul.

8 The words of a tale-bearer [are] as self-inflicted wounds, And they have gone down [to] the inner parts of the heart.

9 He also that is remiss in his work, A brother he [is] to a destroyer.

10 A tower of strength [is] the name of Jehovah, Into it the righteous runneth, and is set on high.

11 The wealth of the rich [is] the city of his strength, And as a wall set on high in his own imagination.

12 Before destruction the heart of man is high, And before honour [is] humility.

13 Whoso is answering a matter before he heareth, Folly it is to him and shame.

14 The spirit of a man sustaineth his sickness, And a smitten spirit who doth bear?

15 The heart of the intelligent getteth knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.

16 The gift of a man maketh room for him, And before the great it leadeth him.

17 Righteous [is] the first in his own cause, His neighbour cometh and hath searched him.

18 The lot causeth contentions to cease, And between the mighty it separateth.

19 A brother transgressed against is as a strong city, And contentions as the bar of a palace.

20 From the fruit of a man`s mouth is his belly satisfied, [From the] increase of his lips he is satisfied.

21 Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue, And those loving it eat its fruit.

22 [Whoso] hath found a wife hath found good, And bringeth out good-will from Jehovah.

23 [With] supplications doth the poor speak, And the rich answereth fierce things.

24 A man with friends [is] to show himself friendly, And there is a lover adhering more than a brother!