Proverbs 23
JPS Tanakh (Jewish Publication Society, 1917)
Tongan Bible, Revised West Version
1When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider well him that is before thee;
1ʻOka ke ka nofo ke keinanga mo ha taha ʻoku pule, tokanga lahi ki he meʻa ʻoku ʻi ho ʻao:
2And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
2Pea kapau ko e tangata faʻa kai koe, ai ha hele ki ho kia.
3Be not desirous of his dainties; seeing they are deceitful food.
3ʻOua naʻa ke holi ki heʻene ngaahi meʻa lelei: he ko e meʻakai kākā ia.
4Weary not thyself to be rich; cease from thine own wisdom.
4ʻOua naʻa fai feinga ke ke koloaʻia: pea ʻoua naʻa falala ki ho poto ʻoʻou.
5Wilt thou set thine eyes upon it? it is gone; for riches certainly make themselves wings, like an eagle that flieth toward heaven.
5He te ke sio fakamamaʻu ki he meʻa ʻoku ʻikai? He ko e moʻoni ʻoku ngaohi ʻe he koloa hono kapakau; ʻoku puna atu ia ʻo hangē ko e ʻikale ki he langi.
6Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties;
6ʻOua naʻa ke kai ʻi he mā ʻaʻana ʻoku manumanu hono mata, pea ʻoua naʻa ke holi ki heʻene ngaahi meʻakai lelei:
7For as one that hath reckoned within himself, so is he: 'Eat and drink', saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
7He ko e ngaahi mahalo ʻo hono loto, ko ia ai pe ia: ʻoku ne pehē kiate koe, “Ke ke kai mo inu;” ka ʻoku ʻikai ʻiate koe hono loto.
8The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
8Ko e momoʻi meʻa kuo ke kai te ke toe lua ʻaki, pea mole mo hoʻo ngaahi lea lelei.
9Speak not in the ears of a fool; for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
9ʻOua naʻa ke lea ʻi he telinga ʻoe vale, he te ne manukiʻi ʻae poto ʻo hoʻo ngaahi lea.
10Remove not the ancient landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless;
10ʻOua naʻa hiki ʻae kauʻā motuʻa; pea ʻoua naʻa faʻao ʻae potu ngoue ʻae tamai mate:
11For their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their cause with thee.
11He ʻoku māfimafi ʻa honau huhuʻi, pea te ne fai mo koe ʻi heʻenau meʻa.
12Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
12Fakatokangaʻi ho loto ki he akonaki, pea mo ho telinga ki he ngaahi lea ʻae ʻilo.
13Withhold not correction from the child; for though thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
13ʻOua naʻa taʻofi ʻae tauteʻi mei he tamasiʻi: he kapau te ke taaʻi ia ʻaki ʻae meʻa tā, ʻe ʻikai mate ia.
14Thou beatest him with the rod, and wilt deliver his soul from the nether-world.
14He te ke tauteʻi ʻaki ia ʻae meʻa tā, ʻo fakahaofi ai hono laumālie mei heli.
15My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart will be glad, even mine;
15ʻE hoku foha, kapau ʻe poto ho loto, ʻe fiefia ai hoku loto, ʻio, te u fiefia au.
16Yea, my reins will rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
16Ko e moʻoni ʻe fiefia hoku loto, ʻoka lea ʻaki ʻe ho loungutu ʻae ngaahi meʻa totonu.
17Let not thy heart envy sinners, but be in the fear of the LORD all the day;
17ʻOua naʻa meheka ho loto ki he angahala: ka ke manavahē koe kia Sihova ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē.
18For surely there is a future; and thy hope shall not be cut off.
18He ko e moʻoni ʻoku ai ha ngataʻanga; pea ʻe ʻikai motuhi hoʻo ʻamanaki.
19Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the way.
19Ke ke fanongo, ʻE hoku foha, pea ke poto, pea fakahinohino ho loto ʻi he hala.
20Be not among winebibbers; among gluttonous eaters of flesh;
20ʻOua naʻa ke kau mo e kakai faʻa inu ke konā, mo kinautolu ʻoku ʻuakai ki heʻenau meʻakai:
21For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
21Koeʻuhi ʻe iku ki he masiva ʻaia ʻoku faʻa konā mo faʻa ʻuakai: pea ko ia ʻoku faʻa mohe ʻe kofu mahaehae pe ia.
22Hearken unto thy father that begot thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
22Fakaongo ki hoʻo tamai naʻa ke tupu ai, pea ʻoua naʻa ke taʻeʻofa ki hoʻo faʻē ʻoka motuʻa ia.
23Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
23Fakatau mai ʻae moʻoni, pea ʻoua naʻa toe fakatau atu; ʻae poto, mo e akonaki, pea mo e faʻa fakakaukau.
24The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; and he that begetteth a wise child will have joy of him.
24ʻE fiefia lahi ʻae tamai ʻaʻana ʻoku māʻoniʻoni: pea ko ia ʻoku ne maʻu ʻae tamasiʻi ʻoku poto ʻe fiefia ia ʻiate ia.
25Let thy father and thy mother be glad, and let her that bore thee rejoice.
25ʻE fiefia ʻa hoʻo tamai mo hoʻo faʻē, pea ʻe fiefia ia naʻa ne fanauʻi koe.
26My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
26ʻE hoku foha, foaki mai ho loto, pea ke tokangaʻi ʻe ho mata ʻa hoku ngaahi hala.
27For a harlot is a deep ditch; and an alien woman is a narrow pit.
27He ʻoku tatau mo e luo taumamaʻo ʻae fefine faʻa feʻauaki; pea ko e fefine anga kehe ʻoku tatau mo e luo ʻapiʻapi.
28She also lieth in wait as a robber, and increaseth the faithless among men.
28ʻOku ne toi foki ʻo hangē ha kaihaʻa, pea ʻoku ne fakatokolahi ʻae kau angahala ʻi he kakai.
29Who crieth: 'Woe'? who: 'Alas'? who hath contentions? who hath raving? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
29Ko hai ia ʻoku malaʻia? Ko hai ia ʻoku mamahi? Ko hai ia ʻoku ʻi he feʻiteʻitani? Ko hai ʻoku papūnoa? Ko hai ʻoku lavea noa pe? Ko hai ʻoku kulokula hono mata?
30They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to try mixed wine.
30Ko kinautolu ʻoku nofo fuoloa ke inu ke konā; ʻakinautolu ʻoku ʻalu ke kumi ʻae uaine kuo felingiʻaki.
31Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth its colour in the cup, when it glideth down smoothly;
31ʻOua naʻa ke sio ki he uaine ʻi heʻene kulokula, ʻi heʻene tuku hono lanu ʻi he ipu, pea ʻoku mālie hono inu.
32At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like a basilisk.
32Koeʻuhi ʻe uʻu ia ʻamui ʻo hangē ha ngata, pea huhu foki ʻo hangē ko e ngata kona.
33Thine eyes shall behold strange things, and thy heart shall utter confused things.
33ʻE sio ho mata ki he kau fefine anga kehe, pea ʻe fakahā mei ho loto ʻae ngaahi meʻa fakafufū.
34Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
34ʻIo, te ke hangē ha taha ʻoku tokoto hifo ʻi loto tahi, pe ha taha ʻoku mohe ʻi ha funga fanā.
35'They have struck me, and I felt it not, they have beaten me, and I knew it not; when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.'
35Te ke pehē ʻe koe, “Kuo nau taaʻi au, ka ʻoku ʻikai te u mamahi; pea kuo nau haha au, ka ʻoku ʻikai te u ongoʻi ia: te u ʻā ʻafē? Te u toe kumi pe ki ai.”
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