1 He pērā i te hukarere i te raumati, i te ua hoki i te kotinga wīti,

te kore e tau o te hōnore mō te wairangi.

2 He pērā i te manu e rererere noa ana, i te warou i ōna rerenga

te kanga pokanoa; e kore e whakatau.

3 He whiu mō te hōiho, he paraire mō te kāihe,

ā, he rākau mō te tuarā o ngā wairangi.

4 Kei rite ki tōna whakaarokore tāu whakautu ki te wairangi,

kei rite hoki a koe nā ki a ia.

5 Kia rite ki tōna whakaarokore tāu whakautu ki te wairangi,

kei mea ia he whakaaro nui ia.

6 Ko te tangata e tuku kōrero ana mā te ringa o te wairangi,

e tapahi ana i ōna waewae anō, e inumia ana hoki te hē.

7 E tautau noa ana ngā waewae o te kopa;

he pērā hoki te whakatauki i te māngai o te wairangi.

8 Ko te takai mea whakapaipai i roto i te pūranga kōhatu,

ko tōna rite kei te tangata e whakakorōria ana i te wairangi.

9 E rite ana ki te tātarāmoa e wero nei i te ringa o te haurangi,

koia anō te whakatauki i te māngai o ngā wairangi.

10 Ka rite ki te kaikōpere i tū ai te katoa,

te tangata e utu ana i te wairangi

me te tangata hoki e utu ana i ngā tira haere.

11 Ka rite ki te kurī e hoki nei ki tōna ruaki,

te wairangi e tuarua ana i tōna pōauau.

12 Ka kite koe i te tangata e mea ana ki a ia he whakaaro nui?

Ki tā te whakaaro tērā e rahi ake tā te wairangi i tāna.

13 E kī ana te māngere, "He raiona kei te ara;

he raiona kei ngā waharoa."

14 He pērā i te tatau e tāhurihuri rā i runga i ōna īnihi,

koia anō te māngere i runga i tōna moenga.

15 E kuhua ana e te māngere tōna ringa ki te rīhi;

he mahi ngenge rawa ki a ia te whakahoki mai ki tōna māngai.

16 He nui kē ake te whakaaro nui o te māngere, ki tāna nei whakaaro,

i tō ngā tāngata tokowhitu e whakaatu ana i te tikanga.

17 Ko te tangata e haere atu ana, e pokanoa ana ki te whawhai ehara nei i a ia,

ko tōna rite kei te tangata e hopu ana i te kurī ki ōna taringa.

18 Rite tonu ki te haurangi e makamaka ana i ngā mea mura,

i ngā pere, i te mate,

19 te tangata e tinihanga ana ki tōna hoa,

e mea ana, "He teka ianei he tākaro tāku?"

20 Ki te kāhore he wahie, ka mate te ahi;

ki te kore hoki he tangata kawekawe kōrero, ka mutu te ngangare.

21 He waro ki ngā ngārahu wera, he wahie ki te ahi;

he pērā te tangata totohe ki te tahu i te ngangare.

22 He rite ngā kupu a te kaikawekawe kōrero ki te maramara reka,

tae tonu iho ki ngā wāhi o roto rawa o te kōpū.

23 He ngutu pukā me te ngākau kino,

ko te rite kei te oko oneone i whakakikoruatia ki te para hiriwa.

24 Ko te tangata mauāhara e whakaware ana ki ōna ngutu,

otiia e rongoātia ana e ia te tinihanga ki roto ki a ia;

25 ki te pai tōna reo, kaua e whakapono ki a ia;

e whitu hoki ngā mea whakarihariha kei roto i tōna ngākau.

26 Ahakoa hīpoki tōna mauāhara i a ia ki te tinihanga,

ka whakakitea nuitia tōna kino ki te aroaro o te whakaminenga.

27 Ko te tangata e keri ana i te rua, ka taka anō ki roto;

ā, ko te tangata e huri ana i te kōhatu, ka hoki mai anō ki runga ki a ia.

28 E kino ana te arero teka ki āna i kuru ai,

ā, ko tā te māngai whakapati, he mahi kia ngaro.