1 Ko nga kupu a Kingi Remuera; ko te poropititanga i whakaakona ai ia e tona whaea.
2 He aha, e taku tama? He aha, e te tama a toku kopu? A he aha, e te tama a aku kupu taurangi?
3 Kaua e hoatu tou kaha ki nga wahine, ou ara hoki ki te mea whakangaro o nga kingi.
4 Ehara ma nga kingi, e Remuera, ehara ma nga kingi te inu waina; ehara hoki ma nga rangatira te mea, Kei hea he wai kaha?
5 Kei inu ratou, a ka wareware ki te ture, a ka whakapeau ke i te whakawa o te tangata e tukinotia ana.
6 Hoatu he wai kaha ma te tangata e tata ana te marere, he waina hoki ki nga wairua pouri:
7 Tukua ia kia inu, kia wareware ai ki tona rawakore, a kore ake he mahara ki ona mate.
8 Kia puaki tou mangai mo te wahangu, i te whakawakanga o te hunga katoa kua waiho mo te mate.
9 Kia puaki tou mangai, whakaritea te whakawa i runga i te tika, tohea te tohe a te ware, a te rawakore.
10 Ko wai e kite i te wahine e u ana tona pai? Ko tona utu hoki kei runga noa atu i to nga rupi.
11 Ka whakapono te ngakau o tana tane ki a ia, a kahore ona hapanga i te taonga.
12 He pai tana e mea ai ki a ia, kahore hoki he kino, i nga ra katoa e ora ai ia.
13 E kimi ana ia i te huruhuru hipi, i te muka, a ka ngakau nui te mahi a ona ringa.
14 Ko tona rite kei nga kaipuke o nga kaihokohoko; e mauria mai ana e ia tana kai i tawhiti.
15 E maranga ana hoki ia i te mea e po tonu ana, a hoatu ana e ia he kai ma tona whare, he mahi hoki e rite ana ma ana kotiro.
16 E whakaaroaro ana ia ki tetahi mara, a ka hokona e ia: whakatokia ana e ia he mara waina, he hua na ona ringa.
17 E whitiki ana ia i tona hope ki te kaha, e mea ana i ona takakau kia pakari.
18 Ka kite ia he pai tana i hokohoko ai: e kore tana rama e mate i te po.
19 Ka totoro atu ona ringa ki te mea takai miro, ka pupuri ona ringa ki te pou muka.
20 Ka wherahia tona ringa ki te ware; ae ra, ka totoro atu ona ringa ki te rawakore.
21 E kore ia e wehi i te hukarere mo tona whare; no te mea kua kakahuria tona whare katoa ki te ngangana.
22 Oti ake i a ia te whatuwhatu he whariki mona; he rinena pai, he papura ona kakahu.
23 E mohiotia ana tana tane i nga kuwaha, ina noho tahi ia ki nga kaumatua o te whenua.
24 E hanga ana e ia he rinena pai, a hokona atu ana; e hoatu ana e ia he whitiki ki nga kaihoko.
25 He kaha, he honore ona kakahu; a e kata ana ia ki nga ra o muri atu.
26 He nui ona whakaaro ina puaki tona mangai; kei tona arero te ture o te atawhai.
27 Ka ata tirohia e ia nga ara o tona whare, e kore ano ia e kai i te taro o te mangere.
28 Ka whakatika ana tamariki, a he kupu manaaki ta ratou mona; Tana tane hoki, ka whakamoemiti ano ia ki a ia, ka mea:
29 He tokomaha nga tamahine i u te pai o ta ratou mahi, otiia hira ake tau i a ratou katoa.
30 He mea teka noa te manako, he mea horihori te ataahua: tena ko te wahine e wehi ana i a Ihowa, ko ia e whakamoemititia.
31 Hoatu ki a ia o nga hua o ona ringa; a ma ana mahi ia e whakamoemiti i nga kuwaha.
1 Words of Lemuel a king, a declaration that his mother taught him:
2 `What, my son? and what, son of my womb? And what, son of my vows?
3 Give not to women thy strength, And thy ways to wiping away of kings.
4 Not for kings, O Lemuel, Not for kings, to drink wine, And for princes a desire of strong drink.
5 Lest he drink, and forget the decree, And change the judgment of any of the sons of affliction.
6 Give strong drink to the perishing, And wine to the bitter in soul,
7 He drinketh, and forgetteth his poverty, And his misery he remembereth not again.
8 Open thy mouth for the dumb, For the right of all sons of change.
9 Open thy mouth, judge righteously, Both the cause of the poor and needy!`
10 A woman of worth who doth find? Yea, far above rubies [is] her price.
11 The heart of her husband hath trusted in her, And spoil he lacketh not.
12 She hath done him good, and not evil, All days of her life.
13 She hath sought wool and flax, And with delight she worketh [with] her hands.
14 She hath been as ships of the merchant, From afar she bringeth in her bread.
15 Yea, she riseth while yet night, And giveth food to her household, And a portion to her damsels.
16 She hath considered a field, and taketh it, From the fruit of her hands she hath planted a vineyard.
17 She hath girded with might her loins, And doth strengthen her arms.
18 She hath perceived when her merchandise [is] good, Her lamp is not extinguished in the night.
19 Her hands she hath sent forth on a spindle, And her hands have held a distaff.
20 Her hand she hath spread forth to the poor, Yea, her hands she sent forth to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of her household from snow, For all her household are clothed [with] scarlet.
22 Ornamental coverings she hath made for herself, Silk and purple [are] her clothing.
23 Known in the gates is her husband, In his sitting with elders of the land.
24 Linen garments she hath made, and selleth, And a girdle she hath given to the merchant.
25 Strength and honour [are] her clothing, And she rejoiceth at a latter day.
26 Her mouth she hath opened in wisdom, And the law of kindness [is] on her tongue.
27 She [is] watching the ways of her household, And bread of sloth she eateth not.
28 Her sons have risen up, and pronounce her happy, Her husband, and he praiseth her,
29 `Many [are] the daughters who have done worthily, Thou hast gone up above them all.`
30 The grace [is] false, and the beauty [is] vain, A woman fearing Jehovah, she may boast herself.
31 Give ye to her of the fruit of her hands, And her works do praise her in the gates!