1 Nā, ko te tino tēnei o ēnei kōrero; he tohu­nga pērā tō tātou, kua noho ki matau o te torōna o te Nui i ngā rangi; 2 he minita mō te wāhi tapu, mō te ta­pe­nā­kara pono, tōna kai­whaka­ara nei ko te Ariki, ehara i te tangata.

3 Ko ngā tohu­nga nui katoa hoki, he mea whaka­rite hei tāpae atu i ngā whaka­here, i ngā patu­nga tapu; nā konei hoki i tika ai kia whai mea anō tēnei tohu­nga nui hei tāpae­nga atu māna. 4 Me i runga hoki ia i te whenua, kāhore ōna tohunga­tanga; tēnei hoki ngā tohu­nga hei tāpae i ngā whaka­here i runga i tā te ture. 5 Ko tā rātou mahi he rite­nga, he ātā­rangi nō ngā mea i te rangi, he pērā anō me te mea i tohu­tohu­ngia ki a Mohi, i a ia meāke hanga i te ta­pe­nā­kara, i mea hoki ia, "Kia mahara kia hangā e koe ngā mea katoa kia rite ki te tauira i whaka­kitea ki a koe i runga i te maunga." 6 Tēnā ko tēnei he nui kē te mahi minita kua riro nei i a ia, he pai rawa hoki te kawe­nata ko tōna taka­wae­nga nei ko ia, he pai rawa hoki ngā kupu whaka­ari, i whaka­takoto­ria ai taua kawe­nata.

7 Me­he­mea hoki kīhai i whai hē taua kawe­nata ō mua, e kore e rapua he wāhi mō te tuarua. 8 I a ia hoki e whaka­hē ana, i mea ia ki a rātou:

"Nana, tēnei ake ko ngā rā, e ai tā te Ariki,

e whaka­ritea ai e ahau he kawe­nata hou

ki te whare o Īharaira,

ki te whare anō hoki o Hūrā.

9 E kore e rite ki te kawe­nata i whaka­ritea e ahau ki ō rātou mātua,

i te rā i mau ai ahau ki ō rātou ringa­ringa,

i ārahi mai ai i a rātou i te whenua o Īhipa.

Kīhai nei hoki rātou i ū ki tāku kawe­nata,

ā, kore ake ōku whaka­aro ki a rātou, e ai tā te Ariki.

10 Ko te kawe­nata hoki tēnei e whaka­rite ai ahau ki te whare o Īharaira

i muri iho i aua rā, e ai tā te Ariki:

Ka hoatu e ahau āku ture ki ō rātou hine­ngaro,

ka tuhi­tuhia anō hoki ki ō rātou ngākau.

Ko ahau hei Atua mō rātou

ko rātou hoki hei iwi māku.

11 I kore anō hoki rātou e whaka­ako i tōna hoa,

i tōna hoa, i tōna teina, i tōna tua­kana, e mea,

‘Kia mātau koe ki te Ariki,’

e mātau katoa hoki rātou ki ahau,

te nohi­nohi o rātou, te nui anō hoki o rātou.

12 Ka mahi tohu hoki ahau ki ō rātou kino,

e kore anō hoki e mahara­tia e ahau ō rātou hara ā mua ake nei."

13 I a ia i mea, "He kawe­nata hou," kua whaka­tawhito­tia e ia te mea tua­tahi. Nā, ko te mea kua tawhito­tia, kua koro­heke­tia, ka tata te memeha.