Ilu 18
1 Onye ihe mmadụ na-adịghị amasị na-agbaso naanị ọchịchọ nke ya onwe ya, na-alụsokwa ezi nzube niile ọzọ ọgụ.
Those who separate themselves [from other people] think [only] about those things that they are interested in; [if they would continually associate with] those who have good judgment/sense, they would constantly disagree/quarrel with them.
2 Nghọta adịghị atọ onye nzuzu ụtọ. Naanị ihe ọ maara bụ ikwu uche ya.
Foolish people do not want to understand [anything]; they only want to (express their [own] opinions/say what they think) [IDM].
3 Mgbe onye ajọ omume na-abata, ka nleda anya na-abata, otu a kwa nkọcha na-eweta ihere.
Whenever people do wicked things, others will despise them; when people do things that cause themselves to no [longer] be honored, they will be disgraced [also].
4 Okwu ọnụ niile bụ mmiri dị omimi, ma amamihe dị ka mmiri iyi na-asọ asọ.
What wise people say is [like] a deep ocean [that you can never get to the bottom of] [MET], and it [refreshes us like water from] a rapidly flowing stream.
5 Ọ dịghị mma ime ka ikpe gara onye mere ihe ọjọọ, si otu a gbochie onye aka ya dị ọcha inweta ikpe ziri ezi.
It is not good [for a judge] to decide matters in favor of those who (are guilty/have done wicked things) and to not do what is just for those who (are innocent/have not done what is wrong).
6 Egbugbere ọnụ ndị nzuzu na-ebutere ha esemokwu, ọnụ ha na-ebutere ha ihe otiti.
When foolish people [SYN] start arguments, [it is as though] they [SYN] are requesting/inviting someone to flog/whip them.
7 Ọnụ onye nzuzu na-etinye ya na nsogbu, egbugbere ọnụ ya bụ ọnya nye mkpụrụobi ya.
What foolish people [MTY] say causes them to be ruined; their [own] words are [like] a trap [MET] [that catches/seizes] them.
8 Okwu niile nke onye na-agba asịrị na-ekwu dịka iberibe nri nʼatọ ezi ụtọ, ha na-agbadakwa nʼime ime ala afọ.
[People enjoy listening to] what gossips say like [SIM] [they enjoy] tasty food; they [accept what gossips tell them like] [MET] they swallow tasty food.
9 Onye dị umengwụ nʼọrụ ya bụ nwanne nke onye mbibi.
People who are lazy while they work are [just as bad] as [IDM] those who destroy things.
10 Aha Onyenwe anyị bụ ụlọ elu e wusiri ike, ndị ezi omume na-agbaba nʼime ya izere ndụ.
Yahweh [MTY] is [like] a strong tower [MET]; righteous people [can] go to him and be safe [like they can run to a tower to be safe].
11 Akụ ndị ọgaranya bụrụ ha obodo e wusiri ike, ọ bụkwa mgbidi dị elu nke a na-apụghị ịmafe nʼechiche ha.
Rich people [are protected because they have] a lot of money [PRS] like a city is protected because it has a high wall surrounding it [SIM].
12 Tupu mmadụ adaa obi ya na-ejupụta na nganga, ma inwe obi umeala na-eweta nsọpụrụ.
Proud people are on the road to being ruined, but being humble leads to being honored.
13 Inye ọsịsa okwu tupu mmadụ ege ntị bụ enweghị uche na ihe ihere.
Those who reply to someone before that person has finished speaking are foolish; doing that is disgraceful.
14 Ọ bụ mmụọ mmadụ na-akwado ya nʼoge nrịa nrịa, ma mmụọ e tipịara etipịa, onye pụrụ ibuli ya?
A desire to [continue to] live can sustain someone when he is sick; if he loses that desire, he (cannot endure it/will become very discouraged) when he is sick [RHQ].
15 Obi onye nwere nghọta na-enweta ihe ọmụma, nʼihi na ntị onye maara ihe na-achọpụta ya.
Intelligent people [are always wanting to] learn more; wise people [SYN] are not content with what they already know.
16 Onyinye mmadụ na-akwara ya ụzọ sara mbara, ọ na-edubakwa ya nʼihu ndị dị elu.
If you take a gift to an important person, that will open the way to allow you to talk to him.
17 Nʼikpe onye buru ụzọ kwuo ihe na-ese na-adị ka onye ikpe gaara, tutu ruo mgbe mmadụ bịara bido ịjụ ya ajụjụ.
The first person to present his case in court seems right, but when (someone else/his opponent) begins to ask him questions, [it may become clear that what he said was not true].
18 Ife nza na-akwụsị esemokwu na ndọrọndọrọ dị nʼetiti mmadụ abụọ ndị olu ha na-ala elu.
If two influential/important people are arguing, [someone can] settle the matter by (casting lots/throwing marked stones to decide who is right).
19 Ọ dị mfe ịlụgbụ obodo karịa ime ka obi nwanne e mehiere tụgharịa. Iwe ya na-adị ike dịka ọnụ ụzọ e jiri igodo tụchie.
If you help relatives, they will [protect you] like [SIM] a strong wall [protects a city], but if you quarrel with them, [that will separate you from them] like bars on a city gate [separate the city from those who want to enter it] [MET].
20 Site na mkpụrụ nke okwu ọnụ mmadụ mịpụtara ka afọ ga-eji ju ya. Sitekwa nʼihe owuwe ubi nke egbugbere ọnụ ha ka ha ga-eji rijuo afọ.
People are happy when they hear others say [MTY] something that is good, [like] they are happy when they eat food that is good [MET].
21 Ike ọnwụ na ndụ dị ire nʼaka. Ndị hụrụ ya nʼanya ga-eri mkpụrụ ya.
What you say can cause others to be killed or it can cause them to [continue to] live; [so] those who like [to talk a lot] must (accept the consequences/realize that what they say can cause much harm).
22 Nwoke ahụ chọtara nwunye chọtara ezi ihe. Ọ na-anatakwa ihuọma site nʼaka Onyenwe anyị.
If you marry a [good] woman, that is [like] finding a wonderful thing; [it shows that] Yahweh is pleased with you.
23 Onye ogbenye na-arịọ arịrịọ maka ebere; ma ọgaranya na-asa okwu ike ike.
[It is necessary for] poor [people] to speak politely when they request [rich people to do something for them], but rich [people] reply very impolitely when poor people speak to them.
24 Onye nwere ọtụtụ ndị enyi ndị na-ekwesighị ga-abịa nʼịla nʼiyi mgbe na-adịghị anya, ma ọ dị enyi nke na-arapara nso karịa nwanne.
There are [some] people who [only] pretend to be friends [with us], but there are [some] friends who are more loyal than members of our families.
