Proverbs 23
1 When you sit to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what is before you,
Mgbe gị na onye na-achị achị nọdụrụ irikọ nri, lezie ihe dị nʼihu gị anya,
2 and put a knife to your throat if you are a person who likes to eat a lot of food.
tụkwasị mma nʼakpịrị gị, ma ọ bụrụ na ị bụ onye iri oke nri na-atọ ụtọ.
3 Do not crave his delicacies, for it is the food of lies.
Achọsila nri ụtọ ya ike, nʼihi na nri ahụ bụ nri aghụghọ.
4 Do not work too hard to gain wealth; be wise enough to know when to stop.
Adọgbula onwe gị nʼọrụ maka ịbụ ọgaranya, atụkwasịla obi na nghọta gị.
5 Will you let your eyes light upon it? It will be gone, for it will surely take up wings like an eagle and fly off to the sky.
Nʼihi na akụ nwere ike ifu nʼotu ntabi anya dịka a ga-asị na ha nwere nku dịka nnụnụ ugo.
6 Do not eat the food of one with an evil eye— and do not crave his delicacies,
Erila nri onye aka ntagide na-enye gị. Nri ụtọ ya agụkwala gị agụ.
7 for he is the kind of man who counts the price of the food. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.
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 You will vomit up the little you have eaten and you will have wasted your compliments.
Ị ga-agbọkwa nke ntakịrị ahụ i riri mgbe ahụ, okwu ọma ahụ niile i kwuru banyere ya ga-abụ ihe efu.
9 Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
Atụfula ume gị ịgwa onye nzuzu okwu, nʼihi na ọ ga-eleda okwu i sitere nʼezi uche kwuo anya.
10 Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of orphans,
Anarala nwa na-enweghị nne na nna ala ya site nʼihigharị oke ala e gwunyere site nʼoge gara aga,
11 for their Redeemer is strong and he will plead their case against you.
nʼihi na onye mgbapụta ha dị ike; ya onwe ya ga-ekwuchitere ha ọnụ ha.
12 Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.
Tinye uche gị nʼịdọ aka na ntị; gekwaa ntị nụrụ okwu ihe ọmụma niile.
13 Do not withhold instruction from a child, for if you discipline him, he will not die.
Ahapụla ịdọ ụmụ gị aka na ntị. Ha agaghị anwụ nʼihi na ị tiri ha ihe.
Jiri mkpara tie ya ihe ma zọpụta ndụ ya site nʼọnwụ. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart also will be glad;
Nwa m, aga m aṅụrị ọṅụ nke ukwuu ma ọ bụrụ na ị ghọọ onye maara ihe.
16 my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.
Mkpụrụobi m ga-aṅụrị ọṅụ mgbe egbugbere ọnụ gị abụọ kwuru ihe ziri ezi.
17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of Yahweh all the day.
Ekwela ka obi gị kwosa ndị mmehie ekworo, kama nọgide nʼịnụ ọkụ nʼobi nʼịtụ egwu Onyenwe anyị mgbe niile,
18 Surely there is a future and your hope will not be cut off.
nʼihi na i nwere ọtụtụ ihe ọma nʼihu gị. Olileanya dị ukwuu dịrị gị.
19 Hear—you!—my son, and be wise and direct your heart in the way.
Nwa m, nwee uche, gbasookwa ụzọ Chineke.
20 Do not associate with drunkards, or with gluttonous eaters of meat,
Anọla nʼetiti ndị na-aṅụbiga mmanya oke, na ndị iri oke oriri na-atọ ụtọ,
21 for the drunkard and the glutton become poor and slumber will clothe them with rags.
nʼihi na ihe niile ga-akọ ha. Ọ bụkwa nkịrịnka akwa ka onye oke ụra na-eyi nʼahụ.
22 Listen to your father who begot you and do not despise your 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, but do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
Zụta eziokwu, erekwala ya, zụtakwa amamihe, ntụziaka, na nghọta.
24 The father of the righteous person will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise child will be glad in him.
Nna onye ezi omume ga-aṅụrị ọṅụ. Ọ bụkwa ihe oke ọṅụ inweta nwa maara ihe.
25 Let your father and your mother be glad and let her who bore you rejoice.
Ka nne na nna gị nwee obi ụtọ. Ka onye mụrụ gị ṅụrịa.
26 My son, give me your heart and let your eyes observe my ways.
Nwa m, nye m obi gị ka ụzọ m niile nyekwa anya gị ọṅụ.
27 For a prostitute is a deep pit, and an immoral woman is a narrow well.
Nʼihi na onye akwụna bụ olulu miri emi, nwanyị nwe di na-akwa iko bụ olulu mmiri dị warawara.
28 She lies in wait like a robber and she increases the number of the treacherous among humanity.
Dịka onye ohi ka ọ na-echere na-emekwa ka ndị na-ekwesighị ntụkwasị obi baa ụba nʼetiti ụmụ nwoke.
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has fights? Who has complaining? Who has wounds for no reason? Who has bloodshot 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 Those who linger over wine, those who try the mixed wine.
Ọ bụ ndị na-anọ ogologo oge na-aṅụ mmanya, onye na-aga ịchọpụta mmanya agwara agwa.
31 Do not look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes 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 In the last it bites like a serpent and it stings like an adder.
Nʼikpeazụ, ọ na-ata dịka agwọ na-atụkwa dịka ajụala.
33 Your eyes will see strange things and your 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 You will be as one who sleeps on the high seas or lies on the top of a mast.
Ị ga-adị ka onye na-edina nʼetiti oke osimiri, nke na-edinakwa nʼelu ụdọ nʼejide ụgbọ.
35 “They hit me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt. They beat me, but I did not feel it. When will I wake up? I will seek another drink.”
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?”
