1 I taua wā, ka haere mai ngā ākonga ki a Īhu, ka mea, "Ko wai te nui rawa i te rangatiratanga o te rangi?"

2 Nā, ka karangatia e Īhu tētahi tamaiti nohinohi, ka whakatūria e ia ki waenganui i a rātou, 3 ka mea, "He pono tāku e mea nei ki a koutou, ki te kore koutou e tahuri, ā, e pēnei me ngā tamariki nonohi, e kore koutou e tomo ki te rangatiratanga o te rangi. 4 Nā, ki te whakaiti tētahi i a ia, ā, ka rite ki tēnei tamaiti nohinohi, ko ia te nui rawa i te rangatiratanga o te rangi. 5 Ā, ki te manako tētahi ki tētahi tamaiti nohinohi pēnei, he whakaaro hoki ki tōku ingoa, e manako ana ki ahau."

6 "Tēnā ko tēnei, ka hē i tētahi tangata tētahi o ēnei mea nonohi e whakapono nei ki ahau, nui kē te pai ki a ia me i whakawerewerea ki tōna kakī te kōhatu mira kāihe, me i pungaia ia ki te rire o te moana. 7 Auē te mate mō te ao i ngā take hē! Kua tino takoto rawa hoki he putanga mō ngā take hē; otiia, auē te mate mō tērā tangata e puta ai te take hē!

8 "Ki te hē koe i tōu ringa, i tōu waewae rānei, pōutoa, makā atu; pai kē hoki mōu te tomo ki te ora he kopa, he ringa mutu, i te makā ki te ahi kā tonu, he ringa rua, he waewae rua. 9 Ki te hē hoki koe i tōu kanohi, tīkarohia, makā atu; pai kē hoki mōu te tomo kanohi tahi ki te ora, i te makā kanohi rua ki te kāpura o Kehena."

10 "Kia mahara kei whakahāwea ki tētahi o ēnei mea nonohi; ko tāku kupu hoki tēnei ki a koutou, E titiro tonu ana ō rātou anahera i te rangi ki te kanohi o tōku Matua i te rangi. 11 I haere mai hoki te Tama a te tangata ki te whakaora i te mea i ngaro.

12 "Pēhea tō koutou whakaaro? Ki te mea he rau ngā hipi a tētahi tangata, ā, ka kotiti kē tētahi, e kore ianei e waiho e ia ngā iwa tekau mā iwa, ka haere i runga i ngā maunga, rapu ai i te mea i kotiti kē? 13 Ā, ki te kitea, he pono tāku e mea nei ki a koutou, tērā atu tōna hari ki taua hipi, i te hari ki ngā iwa tekau mā iwa kīhai i kotiti kē. 14 Waihoki kāhore he ngākau o tō koutou Matua i te rangi kia ngaro tētahi o ēnei mea nonohi."

15 "Ā, ki te hara tōu teina ki a koe, haere, kōrerotia tōna hara ki a ia, kōrua anake; ki te whakarongo ia ki a koe, ka riro i a koe tōu teina. 16 Ā, ki te kore ia e whakarongo, kawea atu hei hoa mōu kia kotahi, kia tokorua rānei, kia mau ai ngā kupu katoa i ngā māngai o ngā kaiwhakarongo tokorua, tokotoru rānei. 17 Ā, ki te pake ia ki a rāua, kōrerotia ki te hāhi; ā, ki te pake anō ia ki te hāhi, me waiho e koe hei tautangata, hei pupirikana."

18 "He pono tāku e mea nei ki a koutou, Ko ā koutou e here ai i te whenua e herea anō ki te rangi; ko ā koutou e wewete ai i te whenua e wetekia anō ki te rangi.

19 "Tēnei anō tāku kupu ki a koutou, Ki te mea ka tokorua o koutou e rite tahi ana ngā whakaaro i te whenua mō tētahi mea e īnoi ai rāua, e meinga anō mō rāua e tōku Matua i te rangi. 20 Nā, ko te wāhi e whakaminea ai te hunga tokorua, tokotoru rānei, he whakaaro ki tōku ingoa, kei reira ahau kei waenganui i a rātou."

21 Kātahi, ka haere a Pita ki a ia, ka mea, "E te Ariki, kia hia ngā haranga o tōku teina ki ahau, me tāku whakarere noa iho i tōna hara? Kia whitu?"

22 Ka mea a Īhu ki a ia, "E kore ahau e mea ki a koe, Kia whitu, engari, kia whitu tekau whitu."

23 "Koia, ka rite ai te rangatiratanga o te rangi ki tētahi kīngi, i mea kia kōrerotia ki a ia āna moni e āna pononga. 24 Ā, ka tīmata ia te ui, ka kawea ki a ia he tangata, tekau mano ngā taranata i a ia. 25 Ā, tē whai rawa ia hei utu, ka mea tōna ariki kia hokona ia, tāna wahine me āna tamariki, me āna taonga katoa, hei whakautu.

26 "Nā, ka tāpapa iho taua pononga, ka koropiko ki a ia, ka mea, ‘E te Ariki, kia āta hanga ki ahau, ā, ka utua katoatia e ahau ki a koe.’ 27 Nā, ka oho i te aroha te ariki o taua pononga, tuku ana i a ia, ā, whakarērea noatia iho e ia āna moni tārewa.

28 "Heoi, te putanga o taua pononga ki waho, ka kite i tētahi o ōna hoa pononga, kotahi rau āna pene i a ia; nā, hopukia ana e ia, nōtia iho te kakī, me te kī anō, ‘Utua tāku nama.’

29 "Heoi, tāpapa ana tōna hoa pononga ki ōna waewae, ka īnoi ki a ia, ka mea, ‘Kia āta hanga ki ahau, ā, ka utua katoatia e ahau ki a koe.’ 30 Ā, kīhai ia i pai; heoi haere ana, maka ana i a ia ki te whare herehere, kia utua katoatia rā anō te nama.

31 "Heoi, nō te kitenga o ōna hoa pononga i taua meatanga, nui atu tō rātou pōuri, ā, haere ana, whakaaturia ana ki tō rātou ariki ngā mea katoa i meatia. 32 Kātahi, ka karanga tōna ariki i a ia, ka mea ki a ia, ‘Pononga kino, i whakarērea noatia e ahau taua moni tārewa katoa i a koe, nāu hoki i īnoi ki ahau. 33 Ehara oti i te tika kia tohungia e koe tōu hoa pononga, me ahau hoki i tohu i a koe?’ 34 Nā, ka riri tōna ariki, ā, tukua ana ia ki ngā kaiwhakamamae, kia utua katoatia rā anō tāna nama. 35 Tērā anō, e pērā tōku Matua i te rangi ki a koutou, ki te kore e whakarērea noatia i roto i ō koutou ngākau ngā hē o te teina o tēnei, o tēnei, o koutou."