Ilu 21
1 Iyi dị iche iche nke jupụtara na mmiri ka obi eze bụ nʼaka Onyenwe anyị, nke ọ na-ahazi nʼụzọ ọbụla dị ya mma.
Yahweh controls what kings do [MTY] [like] he controls how streams flow; he causes kings to do just what he wants them to do.
2 Ọrụ niile bụ ihe ziri ezi nʼanya onye na-arụ ya, ma Onyenwe anyị bụ onye na-eleba anya nʼechiche obi anyị niile.
People always think that what they do is right, but Yahweh judges our (motives/reasons [for doing things)] [MTY].
3 Ime ezi omume na ihe ziri ezi ka Onyenwe anyị na-anabata karịa ịchụ aja.
Doing what is right and fair is more acceptable to Yahweh than [bringing] sacrifices [to him].
4 Nganga na mpako na agụụ ihe ọjọọ nke bụ ọrụ ndị ajọ omume, bụ mmehie.
Being proud and arrogant [DOU] is [like] a lamp [MTY] [that guides] wicked people; being proud and arrogant characterizes (wicked people’s whole behavior/everything that wicked people do).
5 Echiche niile nke onye na-arụsị ọrụ ike na-eweta uru, dịka echiche onye ome ngwangwa na-enweta naanị ụkọ.
People who plan carefully will surely have plenty [of what they need]; those who act too quickly [to become rich] will become poor.
6 Uru niile enwetara nʼụzọ na-ezighị ezi adịghị adịgide, ha bụ nkuume ifufe na-efesa, ndị na-achọ ya na-achọ ọnwụ.
Money that people acquire [by cheating others] by lying [MTY] to them will soon disappear [like] a mist, and doing that will [soon] lead to their death.
7 Nʼihi na ndị na-emebi iwu anaghị eme ihe ọma, ihe ọjọọ ha na-eme na-alaghachi laa ha nʼiyi.
Wicked [people] refuse to do what is right/just, but they will be ruined because of the violent things [PRS] that they do.
8 Ụzọ onye na-emebi iwu bụ ihe gbagọrọ agbagọ, ma omume onye aka ya dị ọcha ziri ezi.
Guilty [people continually do what is evil; it is as though] [MET] they are walking on a crooked road; but righteous/innocent people [always] do what is right.
9 Ọ ka mma ibi nʼotu akụkụ elu ụlọ karịa ibinyere nwanyị na-ese okwu.
It is better to live in the corner of an attic/housetop [by yourself] than to live inside the house with a wife who is always nagging.
10 Ihe na-atọ onye ọjọọ ụtọ bụ imerụ ndị ọzọ ahụ; ọ maghị imere mmadụ ibe ya ebere.
Wicked [people] [SYN] are always wanting [to do what is] evil; they never act mercifully toward anyone.
11 Mgbe a na-ata onye na-akwa emo ahụhụ, onye na-enweghị uche na-enweta amamihe, ma mgbe a na-akụziri onye maara ihe ihe ọ na-enweta ihe ọmụma.
When those who ridicule [others] are punished, [even] those who do not have good sense [see that, and] they become wise, and when those who are wise are taught, they become wiser.
12 Onye ezi omume na-amụta ihe site nʼile ụlọ onye ajọ omume anya na-emekwa ka ndị ajọ omume laa nʼiyi.
[God], the one [who is completely] righteous, knows [what happens inside] the houses of wicked [people], and [he will cause] those people to be completely ruined/destroyed.
13 Onye na-adịghị ege ntị na mkpu onye ogbenye, ya onwe ya ga-akpọkwa mkpu ma agaghị aza ya.
There are people who refuse to listen when poor people cry out [for help]; [but some day] they themselves will cry out [for help], and no one will hear them.
14 Onyinye enyere na nzuzo na-eme ka iwe dajụọ, otu a kwa, ngarị ezonyere nʼime uwe na-eme ka oke ọnụma dajụọ.
When someone is angry [with you], if you secretly give him a gift, he will stop being angry.
15 Onye ezi omume na-aṅụrị ọṅụ mgbe e kpere ikpe ziri ezi, ma bụrụ ihe oke egwu dịrị ndị na-eme ajọ ihe.
Good/Righteous [people] are happy when they [see others do] what is just/fair, but those who do what is evil are terrified [when they think about what may happen to them].
16 Onye ọbụla si nʼụzọ nghọta wezuga onwe ya ga-eso nʼotu ndị nwụrụ anwụ.
Those who stop behaving like those who have good sense behave will [soon] discover that they have gone to the place where dead people are.
17 Nwoke hụrụ ibi ndụ nganga nʼanya na-ada ụkpa; ịṅụ mmanya na oke oriri abụghị ụzọ esi akpata akụ.
Those who spend their money to buy (things that give them pleasure/things that cause them to feel happy) will become poor; those who love [to spend money to buy] wine and nice/fancy food [MTY] will never become rich.
18 Onye ajọ omume ga-abụ ihe mgbapụta maka onye ezi omume, onye aghụghọ ga-abụkwa ihe mgbapụta maka onye ndụ ya ziri ezi.
Wicked [people] bring on themselves the sufferings that they were trying to cause righteous [people] to experience [DOU].
19 Ọ ka mma ibi nʼọzara karịa ibinyere nwanyị na-atamu ntamu na-esekwa okwu.
It is better to live [alone] in a desert than [to live] with a wife who is [always] nagging and complaining.
20 Onye maara ihe na-edebe ezi ihe oriri na mmanụ oliv nʼụlọ ya, ma onye nzuzu na-eloda ihe niile nʼọnụ ya.
Wise people have many valuable things in their houses, but foolish people [quickly] spend/waste [all their money].
21 Onye na-achụso ezi omume na ịhụnanya ga-achọta ndụ, na ugwu na ọganihu.
Those who [always] try to act in a fair and kind way [toward others] will live [a long time] and be honored/respected.
22 Onye maara ihe nwere ike megide obodo ndị dike, kwatuokwa ebe ewusiri ike nke ha tụkwasịrị obi ha.
A wise army commander [helps his troops] climb over a wall [to attack] a city that is defended by a strong army, with the result that they are able to (get over/destroy) the high walls that their enemies trusted [would protect them].
23 Onye na-echekwa ire ya na ọnụ ya na-egbochiri onwe ya ọdachi.
Those who are very careful about what they say [MTY] are [able to] avoid trouble.
24 Onye nganga na onye mpako, onye na-akwa emo bụ aha ya. Ọ na-eji oke nganga eme ihe niile.
Those who make fun of [everything that is good] are proud and conceited [DOU]; they [always] act in an inconsiderate way [toward others].
25 Oke ọchịchọ nke onye umengwụ na-ewetara ya ọnwụ nʼihi na ọ jụrụ ịrụ ọrụ.
Lazy people, who refuse to work, [will] die [of hunger] because they [SYN] do not earn [money to buy food].
26 Kwa ụbọchị ka ọ na-achọ inwe karịa, ma onye ezi omume na-enye na-akpaghị oke.
All during the day [wicked people] desire to obtain things, but righteous [people] have plenty, [with the result that] they [are able to] give things generously to others.
27 Chineke kpọrọ aja ndị na-emebi iwu asị, nke ka nke, ma ọ bụrụ na ha na-enye onyinye a site na nzube ọjọọ.
[Yahweh] detests the sacrifices that wicked [people] offer [to him]; [but he] detests it even more when they [think that they will escape being punished for] their evil deeds because of the sacrifices that they bring.
28 Onyeama ụgha ga-ala nʼiyi, ma onye ọbụla na-ege ya ntị ka a ga-ebibi ruo ebighị ebi.
Those who tell lies in court will be punished; no one stops/silences witnesses who say what is truthful/reliable.
29 Ndị ajọ omume na-ebi ndụ atụghị egwu, ma ndị omume ha ziri ezi na-atụgharị uche nʼụzọ ha niile.
Wicked people pretend [that they know everything], but righteous people think carefully about [what will happen because of] what they do.
30 O nweghị amamihe dị, o nweghị nghọta dị, o nwekwaghị atụmatụ ọbụla, nke pụrụ iguzosi ike megide Onyenwe anyị.
[Thinking that we are] wise, and that we understand many things, and that we have good insight, does not help us if Yahweh is (acting against/not pleased with) us.
31 E nwere ike jikere ịnyịnya, kwadokwaa maka agha, maọbụ naanị Onyenwe anyị na-enye mmeri.
We [can] get horses ready to fight in a battle, but Yahweh is the one who enables us to (win victories/defeat our enemies).
