Ilu 17
1 Ọ ka mma ịta iberibe achịcha kpọrọ nkụ ma ịnọ nʼudo adị ya, karịa nʼụlọ jupụtara nʼoke oriri na ịlụ ọgụ.
It is better [to eat] a dry piece [of bread] and not have strife/quarrels than to have a big feast in a house where [everyone] is quarreling.
2 Ohu nwere uche ga-achị nwa nna ya ukwu na-eweta ihere ma ketakwa oke nʼihe nketa dịka otu nʼime ndị ezinaụlọ ahụ.
A slave who acts wisely will [some day] be the boss of his master’s disgraceful son and when his master dies, the slave will receive part of his master’s possessions.
3 Ite eji anụcha ihe dịrị ọlaọcha, oke ọkụ dịkwara ọlaedo ma Onyenwe anyị na-anwale obi.
[Workers put] silver and gold in a very hot furnace [to burn out what is impure], and Yahweh [similarly] examines people’s inner beings [to see if they are pure].
4 Ajọ mmadụ na-aṅa ntị nʼegbugbere ọnụ na-eduhie, onye ụgha na-aṅakwa ntị nye ire na-ekwu okwu ịla nʼiyi.
Those who do what is evil pay attention to people who say [MTY] what is evil, and liars pay attention to [other people’s] lies.
5 Onye ọbụla na-akwa ogbenye emo ọ bụ Chineke kere ha ka ọ na-elelị anya. Ndị niile na-aṅụrị ọṅụ nʼihi ihe ike dakwasịrị ha aghaghị ịta ahụhụ.
Those who make fun of poor [people] insult God, the one who made the poor [people], [and] those who are happy when [someone else has] troubles will certainly be punished [LIT] [by God].
6 Ụmụ ụmụ bụ okpueze ndị okenye. Nne na nna bụ ịnya isi nke ụmụ ha.
Old [people] are [usually] proud of [MET] their grandchildren, [just like] children are [usually] proud of their parents.
7 Egbugbere ọnụ na-ekwu okwu dị mma abụghị nke onye nzuzu, otu a kwa, egbugbere ọnụ na-agha ụgha ekwesighị ịbụ nke onye na-achị achị.
Fine/Eloquent speech is not suitable for foolish people to say, just like lies are not suitable for rulers [to say].
8 Nʼanya onye na-enye ngarị ọ na-ahụta ya dịka ọgwụ ịrata mmadụ, ha na-eche nʼebe ọbụla ha chere ihu ihe ga-aga nke ọma.
People think that a bribe is like a magic stone [to persuade someone to do what they want him to do]; they think that because of the bribe, that person will do whatever they want him to do.
9 Onye ọbụla na-akwado ịhụnanya na-ekpuchi njehie, ma onye na-ekwu ihe mere mgbe na mgbe na-ekewa ezi enyi.
If you want people to like/love you, forgive them for the wrong things that they do to you. If you continue to remind them about those wrong things, they will no longer be your friends.
10 Ịba mba ntakịrị a baara onye nwere nghọta bara uru karịa narị ụtarị nke a pịara onye nzuzu.
Rebuking people who have good sense will accomplish more for them than hitting them 100 times [with a stick].
11 Onye ọjọọ na-ebi naanị ndụ nnupu isi megide Chineke. Ọ bụkwa onyeozi nke ọnwụ ka a ga-eziga imegide ya.
[Because] wicked people are always trying to cause trouble, someone will be sent to severely punish them.
12 Ọ ka mma izute nne Bịa a napụrụ ụmụ ya karịa izute onye nzuzu uche ya gbagọrọ agbagọ.
A mother bear whose cubs have been taken away from her is dangerous, but it is more dangerous to confront a foolish person who is doing something foolish.
13 Ọ bụrụ na i jiri ihe ọjọọ kwụọ ụgwọ ihe ọma, ọbụbụ ọnụ dịrị ezinaụlọ gị.
If someone does something evil in return for something good being done to him, evil/trouble will never leave that person’s family.
14 Esemokwu malite ọ na-esi ike imedo ya, nʼihi ya ekwela ka ọ malite.
Starting a quarrel is like allowing water to start to leak out of a dam; they both need to be stopped before they get worse.
15 Onye na-asị onye ikpe maara na ikpe amaghị ya na-amakwa onye aka ya dị ọcha ikpe, Onyenwe anyị na-akpọ omume abụọ a asị.
There are two things that Yahweh hates: (Condemning innocent [people]/Saying that people who have done nothing wrong must be punished), and declaring that people who have done wicked things should not be punished.
16 Uru gịnị ka ego bara nʼaka onye nzuzu; ebe ọ bụ na o nweghị ike ịchọ amamihe.
It is useless to allow foolish people [RHQ] to try to become wise by paying for it, because they do not have enough good sense to become wise.
17 Ezi enyi na-egosi ịhụnanya ya nʼoge ọbụla. Otu a kwa, nwanne na-aba uru nʼoge mkpa.
Friends love [others] all the time, and relatives are able to help us when we have troubles.
18 Ọ bụ uche ezughị oke ịnara ụgwọ onye ọzọ ji, si otu a ghọọ onye ji ụgwọ.
[If someone borrows money from another person], it is foolish for you to promise [IDM] that you will pay the money back if that other person is unable to pay back the money that he borrowed.
19 Onye na-ahụ esemokwu nʼanya hụrụ mmehie nʼanya. Onye na-ewuli ọnụ ụzọ ama ya elu na-akpọ ntipịa oku.
Those who like to sin [also] like to cause strife/trouble; [and] those who build fancy doors in their houses [to show that they are very wealthy] (OR, speak proudly) are inviting disaster.
20 Ọ dịghị aga nʼihu bụ onye obi ya gbagọrọ agbagọ. Onye nwere ire nrafu ga-adanye na nsogbu.
Those who (have perverse minds/are always thinking about doing evil things) will not prosper, and disasters will happen to those who always tell lies.
21 Ọ bụ naanị iru ụjụ na obi ọjọọ dịịrị nna nke nwa ya na-eme ihe nzuzu.
Children who are foolish [soon] cause their parents to be very sad; their parents will not be joyful at all.
22 Obi nke na-aṅụrị ọṅụ na-eme ka ahụ sie ike, ma mmụọ na-eru ụjụ oge niile na-akpata ọrịa.
Being cheerful is [like swallowing] good medicine; being discouraged/gloomy [all the time will] (drain away your energy/cause you to become weak) [MTY].
23 Onye ajọ omume na-anara ihe ngarị na nzuzo ka ọ sụgharịa ikpe ziri ezi isi.
Wicked people/judges accept bribes that are given to them secretly, and as a result they do not decide matters justly/fairly.
24 Onye nwere nghọta na-eche uche amamihe nʼihe ọ na-eme, ma anya onye nzuzu na-elegharị ruo na nsọtụ nke ụwa.
Those who have good sense determine to do what is wise, but foolish people are always thinking about many different things [and never decide what they should do].
25 Nwa dị nzuzu na-ewetara nna ya mwute, bụrụkwa nne mụrụ ya ihe ilu.
Children who are foolish cause their father to be sad and [also] cause their mother to be very sorrowful.
26 Ọ bụrụ na ịra onye ezi omume nra adịghị mma, nʼezie, ịpịa ndị ọrụ ihe nʼihi ezi ọrụ ha ezighị ezi.
It is not right to force someone who has done nothing wrong to pay a fine; it is wrong to punish good/respected people.
27 Nwoke ahụ na-adịghị ekwu ọtụtụ okwu bụ onye maara ihe, onye mmụọ ya dịkwa jụụ bụ onye nwere nghọta.
Those who have good sense do not talk a lot, and those who (control their tempers/keep themselves from becoming very angry) are [truly] wise.
28 A ga-agụ onye nzuzu nʼonye maara ihe ma ọ bụrụ na ha gba nkịtị, gụọkwa ha na ndị nwere nghọta ma ọ bụrụ na ha e jide ire ha.
People [may] think that foolish people who do not say anything are wise; if foolish people (do not say anything/keep their mouths shut), others will think that they are [very] intelligent.
