1 He whakatauki ano enei na Horomona, he mea tuhi e nga tangata a Hetekia kingi o Hura.

2 Ko to te Atua whakakororia, he hunga mea; ko to nga kingi whakakororia he rapu mea.

3 Ko te rangi mo te tiketike, ko te whenua mo te hohonu, a ko te ngakau o nga kingi, te taea te rapu.

4 Tahia atu te para i te hiriwa, a ka puta mai he oko ma te kaitahi para:

5 Tangohia atu te tangata kino i te aroaro o te kingi, a ka u tona torona i runga i te tika.

6 Kei whakaputa i a koe ki mua i te aroaro o te kingi, kei tu hoki ki te wahi o nga metararahi.

7 He pai he hoki kia kiia mai ki a koe, Haere mai ki runga nei; i te mea kia whakahokia iho koe ki raro i te aroaro o te rangatira i kitea nei e ou kanohi.

8 Kei hohoro te haere ki te ngangare, kei kore e kitea e koe tau e mea ai i tona mutunga iho, ina meinga koe e tou hoa kia whakama.

9 Tohea tau tohe ki tou hoa tonu, a kaua e whakina te mea hunga a tetahi:

10 Kei kohukohutia koe e te tangata i rongo, a kore ake tou ingoa kino e tahuri atu.

11 He kupu i tika te korero, ko tona rite kei nga a poro koura i roto i nga kete hiriwa.

12 He pera i te whakakai koura, i te whakapaipai koura parakore koia ano te ako a te whakaaro nui ki te taringa rongo.

13 Rite tonu ki te matao o te hukarere i te kotinga witi te karere pono ki ona kaingare; ka ora hoki i a ia te ngakau o ona ariki.

14 He pera i nga kapua me te hau uakore, koia ano te rite o te tangata e whakamanamana ana ki ana hakari horihori.

15 Ma te roa e whakamanawanui ana ka whakaae mai ai te kingi, a ma te arero ngawarika mangungu ai te wheua.

16 Kua kitea e koe he honi? Kainga ko te wahi e makona ai koe; kei ki rawa koe i taua mea, ka ruakina e koe.

17 Kia takitahi tou waewae ki te whare o tou hoa; kei hoha ia ki a koe, a ka kino ki a koe.

18 Ko te tangata e whakaatu teka ana mo tona hoa, he patu ia, he hoari, a he pere koi.

19 Ko te whakawhirinaki ki te tangata tinihanga i te wa o te raru, e rite ana ki te niho whati, ki te waewae kua takoki.

20 Ko te tangata e waiata ana ki te ngakau pouri, e rite ana ki te tangata e whakarere ana i te kakahu i te rangi maeke, ki te winika hoki i runga i te houra.

21 Ki te matekai tou hoariri whangaia ki te taro; ki te matewai whakainumia ki te wai;

22 Ka purangatia hoki e koe he waro kapura ki tona mahunga, a ka utua tau e Ihowa.

23 E mauria ana mai e te hauraro he ua: e peratia ana hoki e te arero ngautuara, he kanohi pukuriri.

24 He pai ke te noho i te kokonga o te tuanui, i te noho tahi me te wahine ngangare i roto i te whare mahorahora.

25 He rongo pai no te whenua tawhiti, tona rite kei nga wai matao ki te wairua matewai.

26 Me te manawa whenua i takatakahia, me te puna i whakaparuparutia, koia ano te tangata tika e hinga ana i te aroaro o te tangata kino.

27 Ehara i te mea pai te kai nui i te honi; waihoki ko a te tangata rapu i to ratou ake kororia ehara i te kororia.

28 Ko te tangata e kore nei e pehi i tona wairua, e rite ana ki te pa kua pakaru, kahore ona taiepa.

1 Also these are Proverbs of Solomon, that men of Hezekiah king of Judah transcribed: --

2 The honour of God [is] to hide a thing, And the honour of kings to search out a matter.

3 The heavens for height, and the earth for depth, And the heart of kings -- [are] unsearchable.

4 Take away dross from silver, And a vessel for the refiner goeth forth,

5 Take away the wicked before a king, And established in righteousness is his throne.

6 Honour not thyself before a king, And in the place of the great stand not.

7 For better [that] he hath said to thee, `Come thou up hither,` Than [that] he humble thee before a noble, Whom thine eyes have seen.

8 Go not forth to strive, haste, turn, What dost thou in its latter end, When thy neighbour causeth thee to blush?

9 Thy cause plead with thy neighbour, And the secret counsel of another reveal not,

10 Lest the hearer put thee to shame, And thine evil report turn not back.

11 Apples of gold in imagery of silver, [Is] the word spoken at its fit times.

12 A ring of gold, and an ornament of pure gold, [Is] the wise reprover to an attentive ear.

13 As a vessel of snow in a day of harvest, [So is] a faithful ambassador to those sending him, And the soul of his masters he refresheth.

14 Clouds and wind, and rain there is none, [Is] a man boasting himself in a false gift.

15 By long-suffering is a ruler persuaded, And a soft tongue breaketh a bone.

16 Honey thou hast found -- eat thy sufficiency, Lest thou be satiated [with] it, and hast vomited it.

17 Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour`s house, Lest he be satiated [with] thee, and have hated thee.

18 A maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, [Is] the man testifying against his neighbour a false testimony.

19 A bad tooth, and a tottering foot, [Is] the confidence of the treacherous in a day of adversity.

20 Whoso is taking away a garment in a cold day, [Is as] vinegar on nitre, And a singer of songs on a sad heart.

21 If he who is hating thee doth hunger, cause him to eat bread, And if he thirst, cause him to drink water.

22 For coals thou art putting on his head, And Jehovah giveth recompense to thee.

23 A north wind bringeth forth rain, And a secret tongue -- indignant faces.

24 Better to sit on a corner of a roof, Than [with] a woman of contentions, and a house of company.

25 [As] cold waters for a weary soul, So [is] a good report from a far country.

26 A spring troubled, and a fountain corrupt, [Is] the righteous falling before the wicked.

27 The eating of much honey is not good, Nor a searching out of one`s own honour -- honour.

28 A city broken down without walls, [Is] a man without restraint over his spirit!