< Proverbs 23 >
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Consider well what is before thee;
Mgbe gị na onye na-achị achị nọdụrụ irikọ nri, lezie ihe dị nʼihu gị anya,
2 For thou wilt put a knife to thy throat, If thou art a man given to appetite!
tụkwasị mma nʼakpịrị gị, ma ọ bụrụ na ị bụ onye iri oke nri na-atọ ụtọ.
3 Long not for his dainties. For they are deceitful meat.
Achọsila nri ụtọ ya ike, nʼihi na nri ahụ bụ nri aghụghọ.
4 Toil not to become rich; Cease from this, thy wisdom.
Adọgbula onwe gị nʼọrụ maka ịbụ ọgaranya, atụkwasịla obi na nghọta gị.
5 Wilt thou let thine eyes fly toward them? They are gone! For riches truly make to themselves wings; They fly away like the eagle toward heaven.
Nʼihi na akụ nwere ike ifu nʼotu ntabi anya dịka a ga-asị na ha nwere nku dịka nnụnụ ugo.
6 Eat not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, And long not for his dainties;
Erila nri onye aka ntagide na-enye gị. Nri ụtọ ya agụkwala gị agụ.
7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” saith he to thee; But his heart is not with thee.
Nʼihi na ọ bụ ụdị mmadụ ahụ na-eche ọnụahịa ihe ọ na-emefuru gị. Ọ na-asị gị, “Rie ihe, ṅụọkwa ihe ọṅụṅụ,” ma obi ya adịghị nʼebe ị nọ.
8 The morsel, which thou hast eaten, thou shalt vomit up; And thou wilt have thrown away thy sweet words.
Ị ga-agbọkwa nke ntakịrị ahụ i riri mgbe ahụ, okwu ọma ahụ niile i kwuru banyere ya ga-abụ ihe efu.
9 Speak not in the ears of a fool; For he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Atụfula ume gị ịgwa onye nzuzu okwu, nʼihi na ọ ga-eleda okwu i sitere nʼezi uche kwuo anya.
10 Remove not the ancient landmark, And enter not into the fields of the fatherless!
Anarala nwa na-enweghị nne na nna ala ya site nʼihigharị oke ala e gwunyere site nʼoge gara aga,
11 For their avenger is mighty; He will maintain their cause against thee.
nʼihi na onye mgbapụta ha dị ike; ya onwe ya ga-ekwuchitere ha ọnụ ha.
12 Apply thy heart to instruction, And thine ears to the words of knowledge.
Tinye uche gị nʼịdọ aka na ntị; gekwaa ntị nụrụ okwu ihe ọmụma niile.
13 Withhold not correction from a child; If thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Ahapụla ịdọ ụmụ gị aka na ntị. Ha agaghị anwụ nʼihi na ị tiri ha ihe.
14 Beat him thyself with the rod, And thou shalt rescue him from the underworld. (Sheol )
Jiri mkpara tie ya ihe ma zọpụta ndụ ya site nʼọnwụ. (Sheol )
15 My son, if thy heart be wise, My heart shall rejoice, even mine;
Nwa m, aga m aṅụrị ọṅụ nke ukwuu ma ọ bụrụ na ị ghọọ onye maara ihe.
16 Yea, my reins shall exult, When thy lips speak right things.
Mkpụrụobi m ga-aṅụrị ọṅụ mgbe egbugbere ọnụ gị abụọ kwuru ihe ziri ezi.
17 Let not thy heart envy sinners, But continue thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long;
Ekwela ka obi gị kwosa ndị mmehie ekworo, kama nọgide nʼịnụ ọkụ nʼobi nʼịtụ egwu Onyenwe anyị mgbe niile,
18 For surely there shall be a reward, And thine expectation shall not be cut off.
nʼihi na i nwere ọtụtụ ihe ọma nʼihu gị. Olileanya dị ukwuu dịrị gị.
19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise; And let thy heart go forward in the way!
Nwa m, nwee uche, gbasookwa ụzọ Chineke.
20 Be not thou among winebibbers, And riotous eaters of flesh;
Anọla nʼetiti ndị na-aṅụbiga mmanya oke, na ndị iri oke oriri na-atọ ụtọ,
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.
nʼihi na ihe niile ga-akọ ha. Ọ bụkwa nkịrịnka akwa ka onye oke ụra na-eyi nʼahụ.
22 Hearken to thy father, who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she is old.
Ṅaa ntị nʼịdọ aka na ntị nna gị, akpọkwala ịdọ aka na ntị nne gị bụ agadi nwanyị asị.
23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; Buy wisdom and instruction and understanding.
Zụta eziokwu, erekwala ya, zụtakwa amamihe, ntụziaka, na nghọta.
24 The father of a righteous man shall greatly rejoice; Yea, he who begetteth a wise child shall have joy in him.
Nna onye ezi omume ga-aṅụrị ọṅụ. Ọ bụkwa ihe oke ọṅụ inweta nwa maara ihe.
25 Let thy father and thy mother have joy; Yea, let her that bore thee rejoice!
Ka nne na nna gị nwee obi ụtọ. Ka onye mụrụ gị ṅụrịa.
26 My son, give me thy heart, And let thine eyes observe my ways!
Nwa m, nye m obi gị ka ụzọ m niile nyekwa anya gị ọṅụ.
27 For a harlot is a deep ditch; Yea, a strange woman is a narrow pit.
Nʼihi na onye akwụna bụ olulu miri emi, nwanyị nwe di na-akwa iko bụ olulu mmiri dị warawara.
28 Like a robber she lieth in wait, And increaseth the treacherous among men.
Dịka onye ohi ka ọ na-echere na-emekwa ka ndị na-ekwesighị ntụkwasị obi baa ụba nʼetiti ụmụ nwoke.
29 Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who contentions? Who anxiety? Who wounds without cause? Who dimness of eyes?
Onye ka obi ya jupụtara nʼahụhụ? Onye nọ na iru ụjụ? Olee onye nwere esemokwu? Onye nwere ọtụtụ ihe mkpesa? Onye nwere mmerụ ahụ nke na-abaghị uru? Onye nwere anya nke na-acha ọbara ọbara?
30 They that tarry long at the wine; They that go in to seek mixed wine.
Ọ bụ ndị na-anọ ogologo oge na-aṅụ mmanya, onye na-aga ịchọpụta mmanya agwara agwa.
31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, When it sparkleth in the cup, When it goeth down smoothly.
Elekwasịla mmanya anya mgbe ọ na-acha ọbara ọbara, mgbe ọ na-ezipụta ọdịdị ya nʼiko mgbe ọ na-asụgharị nke ọma nʼime iko.
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, And stingeth like an adder.
Nʼikpeazụ, ọ na-ata dịka agwọ na-atụkwa dịka ajụala.
33 Thine eyes will look upon strange women, And thy heart will utter perverse things.
Anya gị abụọ ga-ahụ ihe ị na-amaghị isi ya na ọdụ ya, obi gị ga-atụlekwa ihe ndị na-agbagwoju anya.
34 Yea, thou shalt be as one that lieth down in the midst of the sea, And as one that lieth down upon the top of a mast.
Ị ga-adị ka onye na-edina nʼetiti oke osimiri, nke na-edinakwa nʼelu ụdọ nʼejide ụgbọ.
35 They have stricken me [[shalt thou say]], —I suffered no pain! They have beaten me, —I felt it not! When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
Ị ga-asị, “Ha tiri m ihe, ma emerụghị m ahụ. Ha pịara m ihe, ma amaghị m. Olee mgbe m ga-eteta, ka m pụọ ga chọọ mmanya ọzọ?”