Ilu 2

1 Nwa m, ọ bụrụ na ị nabata okwu ọnụ m niile zobekwa iwu m niile nʼime obi gị,

[My] son, if thou wilt receive the utterance of my commandment, and hide it with thee;

2 tọọ ntị gị nʼala nye amamihe, wepụta obi gị inwe nghọta.

thine ear shall hearken to wisdom; thou shalt also apply thine heart to understanding, and shalt apply it to the instruction of thy son.

3 E, ọ bụrụ na ọ bụ ihe ọmụma ka ị na-akpọku, ọ bụrụkwa na ọ bụ nghọta ka ị na-eweliri olu gị,

For it thou shalt call to wisdom, and utter thy voice for understanding;

4 ọ bụrụ na ị na-achọ ya dịka i si achọ ọlaọcha maọbụ akụ nke zoro ezo,

and if thou shalt seek it as silver, and search diligently for it as for treasures;

5 mgbe ahụ, ị ga-aghọtakwa ihe bụ ịtụ egwu Onyenwe anyị chọtakwa ihe ọmụma nke Chineke.

then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

6 Nʼihi na ọ bụ Onyenwe anyị na-enye amamihe; nʼebe ọ nọ ka nghọta na ihe ọmụma na-esi abịa.

For the Lord gives wisdom; and from his presence [come] knowledge and understanding,

7 Ọ na-edebere ndị ụzọ ha ziri ezi nzube ọganihu, ọ bụ ọta nye ndị na-eje ije nʼizuoke.

and he treasures up salvation for them that walk uprightly: he will protect their way;

8 Ọ na-echebekwa ụzọ nke ndị na-eme ezi ihe na-agbaso, na-elekọtakwa ụzọ nke ndị hụrụ ya nʼanya na-agbaso.

that he may guard the righteous ways: and he will preserve the way of them that fear him.

9 Mgbe ahụ ka ị ga-aghọta ihe ziri ezi na ihe dị mma na ezi ụzọ niile.

Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment; and shalt direct all thy course aright.

10 Nʼihi na amamihe ga-enwe ọnọdụ nʼime obi gị, ihe ọmụma ga-adịkwa mkpụrụobi gị ụtọ.

For if wisdom shall come into thine understanding, and discernment shall seem pleasing to thy soul,

11 Izuzu zuruoke ga-echebe gị, nghọta ga na-eche gị nche.

good counsel shall guard thee, and holy understanding shall keep thee;

12 Amamihe ga-azọpụta gị site nʼụzọ ndị mmehie, sitekwa na mmadụ ndị okwu ha jọrọ njọ,

to deliver thee from the evil way, and from the man that speaks nothing faithfully.

13 ndị hapụrụ ụzọ niile ziri ezi nke Chineke na-agbaso ụzọ niile nke ọchịchịrị,

Alas [for those] who forsake right paths, to walk in ways of darkness;

14 ndị na-aṅụrị ọṅụ nʼihe ọjọọ, nʼihi na mmehie ha na-atọ ha ụtọ.

who rejoice in evils, and delight in wicked perverseness;

15 Ihe ọbụla ha na-eme gbagọrọ agbagọ, jọọkwa njọ.

whose paths are crooked, and their courses winding;

16 Ọ bụ naanị amamihe ga-anapụta gị nʼaka nwanyị akwụna, na nwanyị na-abụghị nwunye gị nke na-ekwu okwu nrafu.

to remove thee far from the straight way, and to estrange thee from a righteous purpose. [My] son, let not evil counsel overtake thee,

17 Onye na-ahapụ di ọ lụrụ nʼagbọghọ, nke chefuru ọgbụgba ndụ ọ gbara nʼihu Chineke.

[of her] who has forsaken the instruction of her youth, and forgotten the covenant of God.

18 Ụlọ nwanyị dị otu a dị nʼokporoụzọ nke na-eduba nʼọnwụ na nʼọkụ ala mmụọ. (questioned)

For she has fixed her house near death, and [guided] her wheels near Hades with the giants.

19 Ndị ikom niile banyere nʼụlọ ha na-ala nʼiyi. Ha adịghị alọtakwa nʼokporoụzọ nke na-eduba na ndụ.

None that go by her shall return, neither shall they take hold of right paths, for they are not apprehended of the years of life.

20 Nʼihi nke a, ị ga-aga ije nʼụzọ ndị ezi omume, debekwa ụkwụ gị nʼokporoụzọ niile nke ndị ezi omume,

For had they gone in good paths, they would have found the paths of righteousness easy.

21 nʼihi na ọ bụ naanị ndị ziri ezi ga-ebi nʼala ahụ, ndị na-enweghị ịta ụta ga-afọdụkwa nʼime ya.

For the upright shall dwell in the earth, and the holy shall be left behind in it.

22 Ma ndị na-emebi iwu ka a ga-ebipụ site nʼala ahụ, ọ bụkwa ndị na-ekwesighị ntụkwasị obi ka a ga-ewezuga na ya.

The paths of the ungodly shall perish out of the earth, and transgressors shall be driven away from it.