< Proverbs 23 >

1 When you sit down to eat a meal with a (government official/king), think carefully about what (OR, who) is in front of you.
Ki te noho tahi korua ko te rangatira ki te kai, ata whakaaroa marietia tera i tou aroaro:
2 [Even] if you (have a big appetite/want to eat a lot of food), restrain yourself.
Whakapakia he maripi ki tou korokoro, ki te mea he tangata kakai koe.
3 Do not want to eat [a lot of] his fine food, because he may be trying to trick you.
Kaua e hiahia ki ana mea reka: he kai tinihanga hoki era.
4 Do not [cause yourself to become very tired by] working very hard to become rich; be wise and stop doing that,
Kaua e taruke ki te mea taonga: kati tau mea ki tou matauranga.
5 because as soon as you look [MTY] at [all the money that you have acquired], it will be gone; it will [disappear as if it] suddenly grew wings [SIM] and flew up into the sky like an eagle.
E anga mai ranei ou kanohi ki taua mea korekore nei? He pono hoki ka whai parirau te taonga, koia ano kei te ekara, rere ana whaka te rangi.
6 [If] someone who is stingy [invites you to a meal], do not eat [a lot of] his fine food,
Kaua e kainga te kai a te tangata kanohi kino, kei minamina hoki koe ki ana mea reka.
7 because he will be thinking about how much [the food cost that you are eating]. He [will] say to you, “Eat and drink all that you want!”, but that is not what he [will] really be thinking.
Ko tana hoki e mea ai i roto i a ia, pera tonu ia: E kai, e inu; koia tana kupu ki a koe; kahore ia ona ngakau ki a koe.
8 [When you realize what he is really thinking, it will cause you to want to] vomit what you have eaten; and your kind words [telling him that you are enjoying the meal] will be wasted.
Ko te kongakonga i kainga e koe, ka ruakina e koe, ka maumauria ano hoki au kupu reka.
9 (Do not [waste time by]/It is useless) talking to foolish people; they will [only] despise the wise things that you say.
Kaua e korero ki nga taringa o te kuware; ka whakahawea hoki ia ki te whakaaro nui o au kupu.
10 Do not [steal someone’s property by] removing a boundary marker that has been there for a long time, and do not take for yourself the land that belongs to orphans,
Kei whakanekehia e koe te rohe tawhito; kei haere koe ki nga mara a te pani:
11 because Yahweh is strong, and he is [like] a relative that has the responsibility to defend them, he will [stand up in court and] argue for them and against you.
No te mea he kaha to ratou kaiwhakaora; ka tohea e ia ta ratou tohe ki a koe.
12 Pay attention to what [your teachers] teach you, and try to learn from the wise things that they say.
Anga atu tou ngakau ki te ako, me ou taringa ki nga kupu o te matauranga.
13 Do not refuse to discipline your children; if you punish/spank them, it will not cause them to die,
Kaua e tohungia te whiu ki te tamaiti: ki te patua hoki ia e koe ki te rakau, e kore ia e mate.
14 and it may save them from [going to] the place where dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
Tatatia ia e koe ki te rakau, a ka whakaorangia e koe tona wairua i te reinga. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son/child, if you [SYN] become wise, I [SYN] will be very happy.
E taku tama, ki te whakaaro nui tou ngakau, ka koa hoki toku ngakau, ae ra, toku nei ano:
16 I [SYN] will rejoice when I hear you [SYN] say what is right/wise.
Ae ra, ka hari oku whatumanawa, ina korero ou ngutu i nga mea tika.
17 Do not envy sinful people; instead, revere Yahweh all of your life.
Kei hae tou ngakau ki te hunga hara; engari kia wehi koe ki a Ihowa, a pau noa te ra.
18 [If you do that], you will be happy in the future, and [God] will certainly [do for you what you are] confidently expecting him to do.
He pono hoki tera ano he whakautu; e kore ano hoki tau i tumanako ai e hatepea atu.
19 My son/child, listen carefully to me and become wise, and think about (all that you do/your behavior).
Whakarongo ra, e taku tama, kia whai whakaaro hoki koe, a whakatikaia tou ngakau i te ara.
20 Do not associate with those who drink a lot of (wine/strong drink) or with those who (are gluttons/eat more than they should),
Kei uru ki te hunga kakai waina; ki te hunga pukukai kikokiko:
21 because drunkards and gluttons will become poor; and if all that you do is eat and sleep, you will [soon] (be wearing rags/not have any money to buy clothes).
No te mea ka tutuki tahi te tangata inu raua ko te tangata kakai ki te rawakore; he tawhetawhe hoki te kakahu a te momoe mo te tangata.
22 Pay attention to what your father tells you, and (do not neglect/take care of) [LIT] your mother when she is old.
Whakarongo ki tou papa nana koe; kaua hoki e whakahawea ki tou whaea ina ruruhi ia.
23 Try to know/learn what is wise, and get good instruction and understanding; and do not throw those things away.
Hokona te pono, kaua hoki e whakawhitiwhitia; ae ra, te whakaaro nui, te ako hoki, me te matauranga.
24 Righteous [children] will cause their parents to be very happy; those whose children are wise are proud of them.
Nui atu hoki te koa o te papa o te tangata tika; a, ko te tangata e whanau he tama whakaaro nui mana, ka hari ia ki a ia.
25 [Do what will] cause your father to be glad and enable your mother [also] to be happy.
Kia hari tou papa raua ko tou whaea, ina, kia koa te wahine i whanau ai koe.
26 My son, heed what I say to you, and allow what I do to be an example for you.
E taku tama, homai tou ngakau ki ahau, kia manako ano hoki ou kanohi ki aku ara.
27 Prostitutes and immoral women [DOU] are [like] [MET] a deep pit or a well [that you may fall into].
No te mea he rua hohonu te wahine kairau; he poka kuiti te wahine ke.
28 They wait [for you] like robbers [SIM], and they cause many men to (be unfaithful to/have sex with women who are not) their wives.
Ae ra, ka whanga ia ano he kaipahua, a ka whakatokomahatia e ia nga tangata poka ke.
29 I will tell you [RHQ] what kind of people are always miserable and sad. I will tell you [RHQ] which people are always causing arguments/quarrels and who are always complaining. I will tell you [RHQ] who are injured in fights and whose eyes are always red/bloodshot.
Ko wai e aue? Ko wai e tangi? Ko wai e totohe? Ko wai e ngangautia? Ko wai e maru, he mea takekore? Ko wai e whero tonu ona kanohi?
30 [It is] those who drink a lot of wine, who try drinking other kinds of strong drinks.
Ko te hunga e noho roa ana ki te waina; ko te hunga e haere ana ki te rapu i te waina whakaranu.
31 Do not look with pleasure at red wine that looks nice, and which sparkles when it is [poured out] into cups, and which tastes good as you drink it,
Kaua e titiro ki te waina i te mea e whero ana, ina puta tona kara i roto i te kapu, ina mania tona heke.
32 because the next morning [you will feel like] you have been bitten by a poisonous snake [DOU].
Tona tukunga iho ano he nakahi e ngau ana, koia ano kei te wero a te neke.
33 You [SYN] will [think that you are] seeing strange/weird things, and you [SYN] will not be able to think clearly or speak clearly.
E kite hoki ou kanohi i nga mea rereke, a ka puta he kupu rereke i tou ngakau.
34 You will think you are in a ship that is tossing on the sea; you be like [SIM] someone who is trying to sleep when the ship is rolling from one side to the other.
Ae ra, ka rite koe ki te tangata e takoto ana i waenga moana, ki te tangata ranei e takoto ana i te tihi o te rewa.
35 You will say, “[I think that] someone struck me, but he did not hurt me; he hit me, but I did not feel it. When will I (wake up/feel normal again) in order that I can drink some more wine?”
A ka mea koe, Patua ana ahau e ratou, a kihai ahau i mamae; tatatia ana ahau e ratou, a kihai ahau i mohio: a hea ahau ara ake ai? Ka rapua ano e ahau.

< Proverbs 23 >