Ilu 23
1 Mgbe gị na onye na-achị achị nọdụrụ irikọ nri, lezie ihe dị nʼihu gị anya,
When thou sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently him who is before thee,
2 tụkwasị mma nʼakpịrị gị, ma ọ bụrụ na ị bụ onye iri oke nri na-atọ ụtọ.
and put a knife to thy throat if thou be a man given to appetite.
3 Achọsila nri ụtọ ya ike, nʼihi na nri ahụ bụ nri aghụghọ.
Be not desirous of his dainties, since they are deceitful food.
4 Adọgbula onwe gị nʼọrụ maka ịbụ ọgaranya, atụkwasịla obi na nghọta gị.
Weary not thyself to be rich. Out of thine own wisdom, cease.
5 Nʼihi na akụ nwere ike ifu nʼotu ntabi anya dịka a ga-asị na ha nwere nku dịka nnụnụ ugo.
Will thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For it certainly makes itself wings, like an eagle that flies toward heaven.
6 Erila nri onye aka ntagide na-enye gị. Nri ụtọ ya agụkwala gị agụ.
Eat thou not the bread of an evil eye, nor desire thou his dainties.
7 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.
For as he thinks within himself, so is he. Eat and drink, he says to thee, but his heart is not with thee.
8 Ị ga-agbọkwa nke ntakịrị ahụ i riri mgbe ahụ, okwu ọma ahụ niile i kwuru banyere ya ga-abụ ihe efu.
The morsel which thou have eaten thou shall vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
9 Atụfula ume gị ịgwa onye nzuzu okwu, nʼihi na ọ ga-eleda okwu i sitere nʼezi uche kwuo anya.
Speak not in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10 Anarala nwa na-enweghị nne na nna ala ya site nʼihigharị oke ala e gwunyere site nʼoge gara aga,
Remove not the ancient landmark. And enter not into the fields of the fatherless,
11 nʼihi na onye mgbapụta ha dị ike; ya onwe ya ga-ekwuchitere ha ọnụ ha.
for their Redeemer is strong. He will plead their cause against thee.
12 Tinye uche gị nʼịdọ aka na ntị; gekwaa ntị nụrụ okwu ihe ọmụma niile.
Apply thy heart to instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Ahapụla ịdọ ụmụ gị aka na ntị. Ha agaghị anwụ nʼihi na ị tiri ha ihe.
Withhold not correction from the child, for if thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Thou shall beat him with the rod, and shall deliver his soul from Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
15 Nwa m, aga m aṅụrị ọṅụ nke ukwuu ma ọ bụrụ na ị ghọọ onye maara ihe.
My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart will be glad, even mine.
16 Mkpụrụobi m ga-aṅụrị ọṅụ mgbe egbugbere ọnụ gị abụọ kwuru ihe ziri ezi.
Yea, my heart will rejoice when thy lips speak right things.
17 Ekwela ka obi gị kwosa ndị mmehie ekworo, kama nọgide nʼịnụ ọkụ nʼobi nʼịtụ egwu Onyenwe anyị mgbe niile,
Let not thy heart envy sinners, but be thou in the fear of Jehovah all the day long.
18 nʼihi na i nwere ọtụtụ ihe ọma nʼihu gị. Olileanya dị ukwuu dịrị gị.
For surely there is a reward, and thy hope shall not be cut off.
19 Nwa m, nwee uche, gbasookwa ụzọ Chineke.
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the way.
20 Anọla nʼetiti ndị na-aṅụbiga mmanya oke, na ndị iri oke oriri na-atọ ụtọ,
Be not among winebibbers, among gluttonous eaters of flesh.
21 nʼihi na ihe niile ga-akọ ha. Ọ bụkwa nkịrịnka akwa ka onye oke ụra na-eyi nʼahụ.
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.
22 Ṅaa ntị nʼịdọ aka na ntị nna gị, akpọkwala ịdọ aka na ntị nne gị bụ agadi nwanyị asị.
Hearken to thy father who begot thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
23 Zụta eziokwu, erekwala ya, zụtakwa amamihe, ntụziaka, na nghọta.
Buy the truth, and do not sell it, yea, wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24 Nna onye ezi omume ga-aṅụrị ọṅụ. Ọ bụkwa ihe oke ọṅụ inweta nwa maara ihe.
The father of a righteous man will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise son will have joy of him.
25 Ka nne na nna gị nwee obi ụtọ. Ka onye mụrụ gị ṅụrịa.
Let thy father and thy mother be glad, and let her who bore thee rejoice.
26 Nwa m, nye m obi gị ka ụzọ m niile nyekwa anya gị ọṅụ.
My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes delight in my ways.
27 Nʼihi na onye akwụna bụ olulu miri emi, nwanyị nwe di na-akwa iko bụ olulu mmiri dị warawara.
For a harlot is a deep ditch, and an interloping woman is a narrow pit.
28 Dịka onye ohi ka ọ na-echere na-emekwa ka ndị na-ekwesighị ntụkwasị obi baa ụba nʼetiti ụmụ nwoke.
Yea, she lies in wait as a robber, and increases the treacherous among men.
29 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?
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?
30 Ọ bụ ndị na-anọ ogologo oge na-aṅụ mmanya, onye na-aga ịchọpụta mmanya agwara agwa.
Those who tarry long at the wine. Those who go to seek out mixed wine.
31 Elekwasịla mmanya anya mgbe ọ na-acha ọbara ọbara, mgbe ọ na-ezipụta ọdịdị ya nʼiko mgbe ọ na-asụgharị nke ọma nʼime iko.
Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.
32 Nʼikpeazụ, ọ na-ata dịka agwọ na-atụkwa dịka ajụala.
At the end it bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder.
33 Anya gị abụọ ga-ahụ ihe ị na-amaghị isi ya na ọdụ ya, obi gị ga-atụlekwa ihe ndị na-agbagwoju anya.
Thine eyes shall behold strange things, and thy heart shall utter perverse things.
34 Ị ga-adị ka onye na-edina nʼetiti oke osimiri, nke na-edinakwa nʼelu ụdọ nʼejide ụgbọ.
Yea, thou shall be as he who lies down in the midst of the sea, or as he who lies upon the top of a mast.
35 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?”
They have stricken me, thou shall say, and I was not hurt. They have beaten me, and I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
