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26  He pera i te hukarere i te raumati, i te ua hoki i te kotinga witi, te kore e tau o te honore mo te wairangi.

He pera i te manu e rererere noa ana, i te waroa i ona rerenga te kanga pokanoa; e kore e whakatau.

He whiu mo te hoiho, he paraire mo te kaihe, a he rakau mo te tuara o nga wairangi.

Kei rite ki tona whakaarokore tau whakautu ki te wairangi, kei rite hoki a koe na ki a ia.

Kia rite ki tona whakaarokore tau whakautu ki te wairangi, kei mea ia he whakaaro nui ia.

Ko te tangata e tuku korero ana ma te ringa o te wairangi, e tapahi ana i ona waewae ano, e inumia ana hoki te he.

E tautau noa ana nga waewae o te kopa: he pera hoki te whakatauki i te mangai o te wairangi.

Ko te takai mea whakapaipai i roto i te puranga kohatu, ko tona rite kei te tangata e whakakororia ano i te wairangi.

E rite ana ki te tataramoa e wero nei i te ringa o te haurangi, koia ano te whakatauki i te mangai o nga wairangi.

10 Ka rite ki te kaikopere i tu ai te katoa, te tangata e utu ana i te wairangi me te tangata hoki e utu ana i nga tira haere.

11 Ka rite ki te kuri e hoki nei ki tona ruaki, te wairangi e tuarua ana i tona poauau.

12 Ka kite koe i te tangata e mea ana ki a ia he whakaaro nui? Ki ta te whakaaro tera e rahi ake ta te wairangi i tana.

13 E ki ana te mangere, He raiona kei te ara; he raiona kei nga waharoa.

14 He pera i te tatau e tahurihuri ra i runga i ona inihi, koia ano te mangere i runga i tona moenga.

15 E kuhua ana e te mangere tona ringa ki te rihi; he mahi ngenge rawa ki a ia te whakahoki mai ki tona mangai.

16 He nui ke ake te whakaaro nui o te mangere, ki tana nei whakaaro, i to nga tangata 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 tona rite kei te tangata e hopu ana i te kuri ki ona taringa.

18 Rite tonu ki te haurangi e makamaka ana i nga mea mura, i nga pere, i te mate,

19 Te tangata e tinihanga ana ki tona hoa, e mea ana, He teka ianei he takaro taku?

20 Ki te kahore he wahie, ka mate te ahi: ki te kore hoki he tangata kawekawe korero, ka mutu te ngangare.

21 He waro ki nga ngarahu wera, he wahie ki te ahi; he pera te tangata totohe ki te tahu i te ngangare.

22 He rite nga kupu a te kaikawekawe korero ki te maramara reka, tae tonu iho ki nga wahi o roto rawa o te kopu.

23 He ngutu puka me te ngakau kino, ko te rite kei te oko oneone i whakakikoruatia ki te para hiriwa.

24 Ko te tangata mauahara e whakaware ana ki ona ngutu, otiia e rongoatia ana e ia te tinihanga ki roto ki a ia:

25 Ki te pai tona reo, kaua e whakapono ki a ia; e whitu hoki nga mea whakarihariha kei roto i tona ngakau.

26 Ahakoa hipoki tona mauahara i a ia ki te tinihanga, ka whakakitea nuitia tona kino ki te aroaro o te whakaminenga.

27 Ko te tangata e keri ana i te rua, ka taka ano ki roto: a ko te tangata e huri ana i te kohatu, ka hoki mai ano ki runga ki a ia.

28 E kino ana te arero teka ki ana i kuru ai; a, ko ta te mangai whakapati, he mahi kia ngaro.

26 Like snow in summer or rain(A) in harvest,
    honor is not fitting for a fool.(B)
Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,
    an undeserved curse does not come to rest.(C)
A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,(D)
    and a rod for the backs of fools!(E)
Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
    or you yourself will be just like him.(F)
Answer a fool according to his folly,
    or he will be wise in his own eyes.(G)
Sending a message by the hands of a fool(H)
    is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.
Like the useless legs of one who is lame
    is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.(I)
Like tying a stone in a sling
    is the giving of honor to a fool.(J)
Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand
    is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.(K)
10 Like an archer who wounds at random
    is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.
11 As a dog returns to its vomit,(L)
    so fools repeat their folly.(M)
12 Do you see a person wise in their own eyes?(N)
    There is more hope for a fool than for them.(O)

13 A sluggard says,(P) “There’s a lion in the road,
    a fierce lion roaming the streets!”(Q)
14 As a door turns on its hinges,
    so a sluggard turns on his bed.(R)
15 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
    he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.(S)
16 A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
    than seven people who answer discreetly.

17 Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears
    is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.

18 Like a maniac shooting
    flaming arrows of death
19 is one who deceives their neighbor
    and says, “I was only joking!”

20 Without wood a fire goes out;
    without a gossip a quarrel dies down.(T)
21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire,
    so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.(U)
22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
    they go down to the inmost parts.(V)

23 Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware
    are fervent[a] lips with an evil heart.
24 Enemies disguise themselves with their lips,(W)
    but in their hearts they harbor deceit.(X)
25 Though their speech is charming,(Y) do not believe them,
    for seven abominations fill their hearts.(Z)
26 Their malice may be concealed by deception,
    but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27 Whoever digs a pit(AA) will fall into it;(AB)
    if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.(AC)
28 A lying tongue hates those it hurts,
    and a flattering mouth(AD) works ruin.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 26:23 Hebrew; Septuagint smooth

26 As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool.

As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back.

Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.

Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.

He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage.

The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a fool.

As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouths of fools.

10 The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.

11 As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.

12 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.

14 As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.

15 The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.

16 The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason.

17 He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.

18 As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death,

19 So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport?

20 Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.

21 As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.

22 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

23 Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross.

24 He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him;

25 When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart.

26 Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation.

27 Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.

28 A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.