Lea Fakatātā 4
1 ʻAe fānau, mou fanongo ki he akonaki ʻae tamai, pea tokanga ke ʻilo ʻae poto.
Give ear, my sons, to the teaching of a father; give attention so that you may have knowledge:
2 He ʻoku ou foaki ʻae akonaki lelei kiate kimoutolu, pea ʻoua naʻa mou liʻaki ʻa ʻeku fono.
For I give you good teaching; do not give up the knowledge you are getting from me.
3 He ko e foha au ʻo ʻeku tamai, ko e pele mo e ʻofeina taha pe au ʻi he ʻao ʻo ʻeku faʻē.
For I was a son to my father, a gentle and an only one to my mother.
4 Naʻa ne akonakiʻi foki au, ʻo ne pehē mai, “Tuku ke maʻu ʻi ho loto ʻa ʻeku ngaahi lea: tauhi ʻa ʻeku ngaahi fekau, ka ke moʻui.”
And he gave me teaching, saying to me, Keep my words in your heart; keep my rules so that you may have life:
5 Ke ke maʻu ʻae poto, pea maʻu mo e ʻilo: ʻoua naʻa ngalo ia; pea ʻoua naʻa ke fakaholomui mei he ngaahi lea ʻa hoku ngutu.
Get wisdom, get true knowledge; keep it in memory, do not be turned away from the words of my mouth.
6 ʻOua naʻa liʻaki ia, pea te ne fakamoʻui koe: ke ke ʻofa kiate ia, pea te ne tauhi kiate koe.
Do not give her up, and she will keep you; give her your love, and she will make you safe.
7 Ko e poto ko e meʻa ʻoku fungani hake ia; ko ia ke ke maʻu ʻae poto: pea ʻi he meʻa kotoa pē ʻoku ke maʻu, ke ke maʻu mo e ʻilo.
The first sign of wisdom is to get wisdom; go, give all you have to get true knowledge.
8 Fakahikihikiʻi ia, pea te ne hakeakiʻi koe: pea ʻi hoʻo fāʻufua kiate ia, te ne fakaongoongolelei koe.
Put her in a high place, and you will be lifted up by her; she will give you honour, when you give her your love.
9 ʻE ai ʻe ʻia ʻae teunga matamatalelei ki ho ʻulu: ko e tatā ʻoe nāunau te ne foaki kiate koe.”
She will put a crown of grace on your head, giving you a head-dress of glory.
10 ʻE hoku foha, fanongo, pea ke maʻu ʻa ʻeku ngaahi tala, pea ʻe hoko ai ʻo lahi ʻae ngaahi taʻu ʻo hoʻo moʻui.
Give ear, O my son, and let your heart be open to my sayings; and long life will be yours.
11 Kuo u akonakiʻi koe ʻi he hala ʻoe poto; pea kuo u tataki koe ʻi he ngaahi ʻaluʻanga totonu.
I have given you teaching in the way of wisdom, guiding your steps in the straight way.
12 ʻOka ke ka ʻeveʻeva ʻe ʻikai ʻefihia ho vaʻe; pea ʻoka ke ka lele ʻe ʻikai te ke hinga.
When you go, your way will not be narrow, and in running you will not have a fall.
13 Puke ke maʻu ʻae akonaki; ʻoua naʻa tukuange ia: kuku maʻu ia; he ko hoʻo moʻui ia.
Take learning in your hands, do not let her go: keep her, for she is your life.
14 ʻOua naʻa ke ʻalu atu ki he hala ʻoe angahala, pea ʻoua naʻa ʻeveʻeva ʻi he ʻaluʻanga ʻoe kakai angakovi.
Do not go in the road of sinners, or be walking in the way of evil men.
15 Fakaʻehiʻehi mei ai, ʻoua naʻa ke ofi ki ai, tafoki mei ai, pea ʻalu atu pe.
Keep far from it, do not go near; be turned from it, and go on your way.
16 He ʻoku ʻikai te nau mohe, ka ʻi heʻenau lavaʻi ʻae kovi; pea ʻi he ʻikai te nau fakahinga ha niʻihi ʻoku ʻikai ai te nau faʻa mohe.
For they take no rest till they have done evil; their sleep is taken away if they have not been the cause of someone's fall.
17 He ʻoku nau kai ʻae mā ʻoe fai kovi, ʻonau inu ʻi he uaine ʻoe fakamālohi.
The bread of evil-doing is their food, the wine of violent acts their drink.
18 Ka ko e hala ʻoe angatonu ʻoku tatau ia mo e ulo ʻoe maama, ʻaia ʻoku ʻāsili pe ʻene ulo ʻo aʻu ki he haohaoa ʻoe ʻaho.
But the way of the upright is like the light of early morning, getting brighter and brighter till the full day.
19 ʻOku tatau mo e poʻuli ʻae hala ʻoe angahala: ʻoku ʻikai te nau ʻilo ʻaia ʻoku nau tūkia ai.
The way of sinners is dark; they see not the cause of their fall.
20 ʻE hoku foha, tokanga ki heʻeku ngaahi lea; fakatokangaʻi ho telinga ki heʻeku ngaahi tala.
My son, give attention to my words; let your ear be turned to my sayings.
21 Ke ʻoua naʻa mole atu ia mei ho mata; ke maʻu ia ʻi he kakano ʻo ho loto.
Let them not go from your eyes; keep them deep in your heart.
22 He ko e moʻui ia kiate kinautolu ʻoku maʻu ia, pea ko e faitoʻo ki honau kakano.
For they are life to him who gets them, and strength to all his flesh.
23 Ke ke tauhi fakamātoato ki ho loto; he ʻoku tupu mei ai ʻae ikuʻanga ʻoe moʻui.
And keep watch over your heart with all care; so you will have life.
24 Ke liʻaki ke mamaʻo ʻiate koe ʻae ngutu ʻoku kovi, mo e loungutu paongataʻa.
Put away from you an evil tongue, and let false lips be far from you.
25 Ke sio totonu atu pe ho mata, pea ke hangatonu ki muʻa ho laumata ʻiate koe.
Keep your eyes on what is in front of you, looking straight before you.
26 Fakakaukau ki he ʻalunga ʻo ho vaʻe, pea ʻe fakatonutonu ai ho ngaahi hala kotoa pē.
Keep a watch on your behaviour; let all your ways be rightly ordered.
27 ʻOua naʻa afe ki he nima toʻomataʻu pe ki he toʻohema: ka ke fakatafoki ho vaʻe mei he kovi.
Let there be no turning to the right or to the left, keep your feet from evil.
