1 My son, if thou receivest my words, and layest up my commandments with thee,

2 so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom {and} thou apply thy heart to understanding;

3 yea, if thou criest after discernment {and} liftest up thy voice to understanding;

4 if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hidden treasures:

5 then shalt thou understand the fear of Jehovah, and find the knowledge of God.

6 For Jehovah giveth wisdom; out of his mouth {come} knowledge and understanding.

7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright; {he} is a shield to them that walk in integrity;

8 guarding the paths of just judgment and keeping the way of his godly ones.

9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness and judgment and equity: every good path.

10 When wisdom entereth into thy heart and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul,

11 discretion shall keep thee, understanding shall preserve thee:

12 To deliver thee from the way of evil, from the man that speaketh froward things;

13 {from those} who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;

14 who rejoice to do evil, {and} delight in the frowardness of evil;

15 whose paths are crooked, and who are perverted in their course:

16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, from the stranger who flattereth with her words;

17 who forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God;

18 -for her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead;

19 none that go unto her return again, neither do they attain to the paths of life:

20 -that thou mayest walk in the way of the good, and keep the paths of the righteous.

21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it;

22 but the wicked shall be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful shall be plucked up out of it.

1 E taku tama, ki te tango koe i aku kupu, ki te huna i aku whakahau ki roto ki a koe;

2 A ka tahuri tou taringa ki te whakaaro nui, ka anga ano tou ngakau ki te matauranga;

3 Ae ra, ki te mea ka karangarangatia e koe te matauranga, a ka puaki tou reo ki te ngakau mohio;

4 Ki te rapua hoki ia e koe ano he hiriwa, ki te kimihia ano he taonga huna;

5 Ko reira koe matau ai ki te wehi o Ihowa, kite ai i te mohio ki te Atua.

6 Ma Ihowa hoki e homai te whakaaro nui; no tona mangai te matauranga me te ngakau mohio.

7 E rongoatia ana e ia te whakaaro nui ma te hunga tika; he whakangungu rakau ia mo te hunga he tapatahi nei te haere;

8 Kia tiakina ai e ia nga ara o te whakawa, kia tohungia ai te ara o tana hunga tapu.

9 Ko reira koe mohio ai ki te tika, ki te whakawa, ki te mea ano e rite ana, ae ra, ki nga ara pai katoa.

10 Ka uru hoki te whakaaro nui ki roto ki tou ngakau, a ka reka te matauranga ki tou wairua;

11 Ka ai te ngarahu pai hei tiaki i a koe, te ngakau mohio hei pupuri i a koe;

12 Hei kukume mai i a koe i te ara o te kino, i te tangata e puta ke ana ana korero;

13 I te hunga e whakarere nei i nga ara o te tika, e haere ana i nga ara o te pouri;

14 E koa ana, i a ratou e mahi ana i te kino, e hari ana ki nga tikanga parori ke o te kino;

15 He ara kopikopiko o ratou, he whanoke ratou i o ratou huarahi:

16 Hei whakaora i a koe i te wahine tauhou, i te wahine tauhou e whakapati nei ki ana kupu;

17 Kua whakarerea nei e ia te hoa o tona tamahinetanga, kua wareware ki te kawenata o tona Atua.

18 E heke atu ana hoki tona whare ki te mate, ona ara ki nga tupapaku.

19 Ko te hunga katoa e haere atu ana ki a ia e kore e hoki mai; e kore ano e mau i a ratou nga ara o te ora.

20 A ka haere koe i nga ara o nga tangata pai, ka mau ano ki nga ara o te hunga tika.

21 Ka noho hoki te hunga tika ki te whenua; ka mau te hunga ngakau tapatahi ki reira.

22 Ka hatepea atu ia te hunga kino i runga i te whenua; ka hutia atu i reira te hunga he kopeka ta ratou mahi.