Lea Fakatātā 17

1 ‌ʻOku lelei hake ʻae kihiʻi meʻakai siʻi ʻoku mōmoa, mo e fakalongolongo, ʻi he fale ʻoku fonu ʻi he meʻakai lelei, ka ʻoku ʻi ai mo e feʻiteʻitani.

It is better to have quiet with a dry morsel of bread than a house full of feasting with strife.

2 ‌ʻE pule ʻae tamaioʻeiki ʻoku poto ki he foha ʻoku fai fakamā; pea ʻe maʻu ʻe ia ha tofiʻa fakataha mo e fānau.

A wise servant will rule over a son who acts shamefully and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.

3 Ko e kulo ʻahiʻahiʻi ko e meʻa ia ki he siliva, pea ko e meʻa ki he koula ʻae afi kakaha: ka ʻoku ʻahiʻahiʻi ʻae loto kotoa pē ʻe Sihova.

The crucible is for silver and the furnace is for gold, but Yahweh refines hearts.

4 ‌ʻOku tokanga ʻae tangata fai kovi ki he loungutu ʻoku loi; pea ʻoku tokanga ʻe ia ʻoku loi ki he ʻelelo ʻoku kovi.

The evildoer pays attention to wicked lips; a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.

5 Ko ia ʻoku manuki ki he masiva ʻoku valoki ʻe ia ʻa hono Tupuʻanga: pea ʻe ʻikai fakatonuhiaʻi ʻae tangata ko ia ʻoku fiefia ʻi he hoko ʻae ngaahi kovi.

Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker and the one who rejoices at misfortune will not go unpunished.

6 Ko e fānau ʻae fānau ko e tatā ia ʻoe kau mātuʻa: pea ko e lelei ʻoe fānau ʻa ʻenau ngaahi tamai.

Grandchildren are the crown of the aged and parents bring honor to their children.

7 ‌ʻOku ʻikai ngali mo e vale ʻae lea lelei: pea ʻoku taʻengali ʻaupito mo ha ʻeiki ʻae loungutu ʻoku loi.

Eloquent speech is not suitable for a fool; much less are lying lips suitable for royalty.

8 ‌ʻOku tatau ha meʻa foaki mo e maka mahuʻinga ki he mata ʻoʻona ʻoku ne maʻu ia: he ʻoku lelei pe ia ʻi he potu kotoa pē ʻoku tafoki ia ki ai.

A bribe is like a magic stone to the one who gives it; wherever he turns, he succeeds.

9 ‌ʻOku ʻofeina ia ʻoku faʻa ʻufiʻufi ʻae fai hala: ka ko ia ʻoku toe lea ʻaki ha meʻa, ko e fakamāvae ia ʻoe kaumeʻa feʻofoʻofani.

Whoever overlooks an offense seeks love, but the one who repeats a matter alienates close friends.

10 ‌ʻOku ongongofua ʻae valoki ki he loto ʻoe tangata poto ʻi he kauʻimaea ke liunga teau ki he vale.

A rebuke goes deeper into a person who has understanding than a hundred blows go into a fool.

11 ‌ʻOku fie talangataʻa pe ʻae tangata angakovi; pea ko ia ʻe fekau atu ai kiate ia ha taha ʻoku angamālohi.

An evil person only seeks rebellion, so a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

12 ‌ʻOku lelei hake ke fakafetaulaki ha tangata mo ha pea kuo kaihaʻasi mei ai ʻa hono ʻuhiki, ʻi he fetaulaki mo ha vale ʻi heʻene vale.

It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than to meet a fool in his foolishness.

13 Ko ia ʻoku ne totongi ʻaki ʻae kovi ki he lelei, ʻe ʻikai mavahe ʻae kovi mei hono fale.

When someone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.

14 Ko e kamataʻanga ʻoe feʻiteʻitani ʻoku hangē ko e fakapā mai ʻo ha vai: ko ia ke tuku ʻā ʻae fekeʻikeʻi ʻi he teʻeki ai hoko ha meʻa.

The beginning of conflict is like one who releases water everywhere, so walk away from the dispute before it has broken out.

15 ‌ʻOku fakatou fakalielia kia Sihova ʻaia ʻoku ne fakatonuhiaʻi ʻae halaia, mo ia ʻoku ne talatalaakiʻi ʻae māʻoniʻoni.

The person who acquits the wicked person and the person who condemns the righteous person— both are an abomination to Yahweh.

16 Ko e hā eni kuo ʻai ʻae totongi ki he nima ʻoe vale ke ne maʻu ai ʻae poto, ka ʻoku ʻikai te ne maʻu ha loto ki ai?

Why should a fool pay money to learn about wisdom, when he has no ability to learn it?

17 ‌ʻOku ʻofa maʻuaipē ʻae kāinga moʻoni, pea kuo fanauʻi ho tokoua ke talifaki ʻae ʻaho ʻoe kovi.

A friend is loving at all times and a brother is born for times of trouble.

18 Ko e tangata ʻoku masiva poto, ʻoku puke ʻe ia ʻae nima, ʻo ne fai ʻae fakamoʻoni totongi ʻi he ʻao ʻo hono kāinga.

A man having no sense makes binding promises and becomes responsible for his neighbor's debts.

19 Ko ia ʻoku manako ki he feʻiteʻitani ʻoku ʻofa ia ki he kovi: pea ko ia ʻoku hiki hake hono matapā ʻoku kumi ʻe ia ki he fakaʻauha.

Whoever loves conflict loves sin; the one who makes the threshold of his door too high causes bones to be broken.

20 ‌ʻOku ʻikai ʻilo ha lelei siʻi ʻe ia ʻoku loto talangataʻa: pea ʻoku tō hifo ki he kovi ʻaia ʻoku maʻu ʻae ʻelelo kovi.

A person who has a crooked heart finds nothing that is good; the one who has a perverse tongue falls into calamity.

21 Ko ia ʻoku ne fakatupu ha vale ʻoku ne fai ke ne mamahi ai ia: pea ʻoku ʻikai maʻu ha fiefia ʻe he tamai ʻae tangata vale.

Whoever is the parent of a fool brings grief to himself; and the father of a fool has no joy.

22 ‌ʻOku tupu ʻae lelei ʻo hangē ha faitoʻo mei he loto ʻoku fiefia: ka ʻoku fakamōmoa ʻae hui ʻe he laumālie kuo mafesi.

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

23 ‌ʻOku toʻo mai ʻe he angakovi ha meʻa foaki mei he fatafata, ke ne taki kehe ʻae hala ʻoe fakamaau.

A wicked man accepts a secret bribe to pervert the ways of justice.

24 ‌ʻOku ʻi he ʻao ʻoe tangata ʻoku faʻa fakakaukau ʻae poto: ka ʻoku ʻi he ngaahi ngataʻanga ʻo māmani ʻae mata ʻoe vale.

The one who has understanding sets his face toward wisdom, but the eyes of a fool are set on the ends of the earth.

25 Ko e foha ʻoku vale ko e fakamamahi ia ki heʻene tamai, mo e ongosia kiate ia naʻe fāʻeleʻi ia.

A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to the woman who bore him.

26 ‌ʻOku ʻikai lelei ke tautea ʻae angatonu: pe ko e taaʻi ʻoe houʻeiki ʻi heʻenau fai totonu.

Also, it is never good to punish the righteous person; neither is it good to flog noble men who have integrity.

27 Ko ia ʻoku ne maʻu ʻae poto ʻoku ne taʻofi ki heʻene lea: pea ʻoku loto lelei ʻae tangata ko ia ʻoku faʻa fakakaukau.

One who has knowledge uses few words and one with understanding is even-tempered.

28 Naʻa mo e vale ʻoku lau ia ko e poto, ʻoka fakalongo pē ia: pea ʻoku lau ko e tangata faʻa ʻilo ʻaia ʻoku mapuni hono loungutu.

Even a fool is thought to be wise if he keeps silent; when he keeps his mouth shut, he is considered to be intelligent.