< Proverbs 23 >
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what [is] before thee:
Mgbe gị na onye na-achị achị nọdụrụ irikọ nri, lezie ihe dị nʼihu gị anya,
2 And 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 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they [are] deceitful food.
Achọsila nri ụtọ ya ike, nʼihi na nri ahụ bụ nri aghụghọ.
4 Labor not to be rich: cease from thy own wisdom.
Adọgbula onwe gị nʼọrụ maka ịbụ ọgaranya, atụkwasịla obi na nghọta gị.
5 Wilt thou set thy eyes upon that which is not? for [riches] certainly make to themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle towards heaven.
Nʼihi na akụ nwere ike ifu nʼotu ntabi anya dịka a ga-asị na ha nwere nku dịka nnụnụ ugo.
6 Eat thou not the bread of [him that hath] an evil eye, neither desire thou 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 shalt thou vomit up, and lose 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 old 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 redeemer [is] mighty; he will plead their cause with thee.
nʼihi na onye mgbapụta ha dị ike; ya onwe ya ga-ekwuchitere ha ọnụ ha.
12 Apply thy heart to instruction, and thy 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 the child: for [if] thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
Ahapụla ịdọ ụmụ gị aka na ntị. Ha agaghị anwụ nʼihi na ị tiri ha ihe.
14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell. (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 Yes, my reins shall rejoice, 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 [be 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 is an end; and thy 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 guide thy heart in the way.
Nwa m, nwee uche, gbasookwa ụzọ Chineke.
20 Be not among wine-bibbers; among 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 shall 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 that 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; [also] wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Zụta eziokwu, erekwala ya, zụtakwa amamihe, ntụziaka, na nghọta.
24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise [child] shall have joy of him.
Nna onye ezi omume ga-aṅụrị ọṅụ. Ọ bụkwa ihe oke ọṅụ inweta nwa maara ihe.
25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bore thee shall rejoice.
Ka nne na nna gị nwee obi ụtọ. Ka onye mụrụ gị ṅụrịa.
26 My son, give me thy heart, and let thy eyes observe my ways.
Nwa m, nye m obi gị ka ụzọ m niile nyekwa anya gị ọṅụ.
27 For a lewd woman [is] a deep ditch; and 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 She also lieth in wait as [for] a prey, and increaseth the transgressors 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 hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness 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 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 giveth its color in the cup, [when] it moveth itself aright.
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 Thy eyes shall behold strange women, and thy heart shall 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 And 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.
Ị ga-adị ka onye na-edina nʼetiti oke osimiri, nke na-edinakwa nʼelu ụdọ nʼejide ụgbọ.
35 They have stricken me, [wilt thou say], [and] I was not sick; they have beaten me, [and] 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?”