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.

1 Hear, ye sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding.

2 For good learning I have given to you, My law forsake not.

3 For, a son I have been to my father -- tender, And an only one before my mother.

4 And he directeth me, and he saith to me: `Let thy heart retain my words, Keep my commands, and live.

5 Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings of my mouth.

6 Forsake her not, and she doth preserve thee, Love her, and she doth keep thee.

7 The first thing [is] wisdom -- get wisdom, And with all thy getting get understanding.

8 Exalt her, and she doth lift thee up, She honoureth thee, when thou dost embrace her.

9 She giveth to thy head a wreath of grace, A crown of beauty she doth give thee freely.

10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And years of life [are] multiplied to thee.

11 In a way of wisdom I have directed thee, I have caused thee to tread in paths of uprightness.

12 In thy walking thy step is not straitened, And if thou runnest, thou stumblest not.

13 Lay hold on instruction, do not desist, Keep her, for she [is] thy life.

14 Into the path of the wicked enter not, And be not happy in a way of evil doers.

15 Avoid it, pass not over into it, Turn aside from it, and pass on.

16 For they sleep not if they do not evil, And their sleep hath been taken violently away, If they cause not [some] to stumble.

17 For they have eaten bread of wickedness, And wine of violence they drink.

18 And the path of the righteous [is] as a shining light, Going and brightening till the day is established,

19 The way of the wicked [is] as darkness, They have not known at what they stumble.

20 My son, to my words give attention, To my sayings incline thine ear,

21 Let them not turn aside from thine eyes, Preserve them in the midst of thy heart.

22 For life they [are] to those finding them, And to all their flesh healing.

23 Above every charge keep thy heart, For out of it [are] the outgoings of life.

24 Turn aside from thee a froward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee,

25 Thine eyes do look straightforward, And thine eyelids look straight before thee.

26 Ponder thou the path of thy feet, And all thy ways [are] established.

27 Incline not [to] the right or to the left, Turn aside thy foot from evil!