1 E ōku tēina, kaua e waiho i runga i te whakapai kanohi te whakapono ki tō tātou Ariki korōria, ki a Īhu Karaiti. 2 Ki te tomo mai hoki tētahi tangata ki tō koutou whare karakia he mōwhiti kōura nei tōna, he kākahu pai; ā, ka tomo mai anō he rawakore, he kākahu paru nei tōna; 3 ā, ka titiro atu koutou ki te tangata i te kākahu pai, ka mea ki a ia, “E noho koe ki konei, ki te wāhi pai,” ā, ka mea ki te rawakore, “E tū koe ki konā, e noho rānei ki konei, ki raro i tōku tūranga waewae.” 4 He teka ianei he tikanga tahatahi tā koutou, kua hē hoki ngā whakaaro o koutou, o ngā kaiwhakawā?

5 Whakarongo, e ōku tēina aroha. Kāhore anō koia te Atua i whiriwhiri i ngā rawakore o tēnei ao, kia whiwhi ki te taonga, arā ki te whakapono, kia riro hoki i a rātou te rangatiratanga kua whakaaria mai e ia mō te hunga e aroha ana ki a ia? 6 Heoi, ka whakakino nā koutou ki te rawakore. He teka ianei ko ngā tāngata taonga hei whakatupu rangatira ki a koutou, hei tōtō i a koutou ki ngā whakawākanga? 7 He teka ianei he hunga kohukohu rātou i te ingoa pai kua whakahuatia nā ki a koutou?

8 Engari, ki te rite i a koutou te ture kīngi, tō te karaipiture, “Me aroha e koe tōu hoa, ānō ko koe,” ka pai tā koutou hanga. 9 Tēnā ki te whakapai kanohi koutou, e mahi ana koutou i te hara, ka mau hoki i te ture he hunga hē. 10 Ki te mau hoki te ture katoa i tētahi tangata, ā, ka kotahi anō te mea e tapepa ai ia, kua hē ia ki te katoa. 11 I tāna kīanga mai hoki, “Kaua e pūremu,” i kī mai anō ia, “Kaua e patu tangata.” Nā, ahakoa kāhore koe e pūremu, ki te patu tangata koe, kua takahia e koe te ture.

12 Kia rite tā koutou kōrero, tā koutou mahi, ki tā te hunga e whakawākia ā mua i runga i ngā tikanga o te ture herekore. 13 Ko te tangata hoki kāhore ōna ngākau tohu, e kore e tohungia ina whakawākia; ka whakapehapeha ia te ngākau tohu ki te whakawā.

14 He aha te pai, e ōku tēina, ki te mea tētahi he whakapono tōna, ā, kāhore āna mahi? E taea rānei ia te whakaora e taua whakapono? 15 Ki te mea e noho tahanga ana tētahi teina, tuahine rānei, ki te mea rānei kua kore he kai māna mō tēnei rā, mō tēnei rā, 16 ā, ka mea atu tētahi o koutou ki a rātou, “Haere mārie, kia mahana, kia mākona,” ā, kāhore e hoatu e koutou ki a rātou ngā mea e matea ana e te tinana; he aha te pai? 17 Waihoki ko te whakapono, ki te kāhore āna mahi, he mea mate i roto anō i a ia.

18 Nā, he kī tēnei mā tētahi, “He whakapono tōu, he mahi āku.” Whakakitea mai ki ahau tōu whakapono motu kē i āu mahi, ā, māku, arā mā āku mahi, e whakakite atu tōku whakapono ki a koe. 19 E whakapono ana koe kotahi tonu te Atua; he pai tāu meatanga. E whakapono ana hoki ngā rēwera, me te wiri anō.

20 Heoi, e pai ana rānei koe kia mātau, e te kūware, he mea huakore te whakapono ki te kāhore he mahi? 21 Kīhai ianei a Āperahama, tō tātou matua, i tika i ngā mahi, i a ia i whakaeke atu ai i tāna tama, i a Īhaka, ki runga ki te āta? 22 Ka kite rānei koe i mahi tahi te whakapono me āna mahi, nā ngā mahi hoki i tino rite ai te whakapono? 23 Ā, i rite anō tā te karaipiture e mea nei, “I whakapono a Āperahama ki te Atua, ā, ka whakairia ki a ia hei tika,” ka huaina anō hoki ia, “Ko te hoa o te Atua.” 24 Heoi, ka kite koutou kei ngā mahi he tika mō te tangata, ehara i te mea kei te whakapono anake.

25 Waihoki ko Rahapa, te wahine kairau, kīhai ianei ia i whakatikaia e ngā mahi, i a ia i whakamanuhiri ai i ngā karere, ā, tukua atu ana rāua e ia rā tētahi ara kē?

26 Ka rite hoki ki te tinana ka mate nei ki te kāhore te manawa ora, waihoki ko te whakapono, ki te kāhore he mahi, he mea mate.

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