Ilu 23
1 Mgbe gị na onye na-achị achị nọdụrụ irikọ nri, lezie ihe dị nʼihu gị anya,
When you take your seat at the feast with a ruler, give thought with care to what is before you;
2 tụkwasị mma nʼakpịrị gị, ma ọ bụrụ na ị bụ onye iri oke nri na-atọ ụtọ.
And put a knife to your throat, if you have a strong desire for food.
3 Achọsila nri ụtọ ya ike, nʼihi na nri ahụ bụ nri aghụghọ.
Have no desire for his delicate food, for it is the bread of deceit.
4 Adọgbula onwe gị nʼọrụ maka ịbụ ọgaranya, atụkwasịla obi na nghọta gị.
Take no care to get wealth; let there be an end to your desire for money.
5 Nʼihi na akụ nwere ike ifu nʼotu ntabi anya dịka a ga-asị na ha nwere nku dịka nnụnụ ugo.
Are your eyes lifted up to it? it is gone: for wealth takes to itself wings, like an eagle in flight up to heaven.
6 Erila nri onye aka ntagide na-enye gị. Nri ụtọ ya agụkwala gị agụ.
Do not take the food of him who has an evil eye, or have any desire for his delicate meat:
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 the thoughts of his heart are, so is he: Take food and drink, he says to you; but his heart is not with you.
8 Ị ga-agbọkwa nke ntakịrị ahụ i riri mgbe ahụ, okwu ọma ahụ niile i kwuru banyere ya ga-abụ ihe efu.
The food which you have taken will come up again, and your pleasing words will be wasted.
9 Atụfula ume gị ịgwa onye nzuzu okwu, nʼihi na ọ ga-eleda okwu i sitere nʼezi uche kwuo anya.
Say nothing in the hearing of a foolish man, for he will put no value on the wisdom of your words.
10 Anarala nwa na-enweghị nne na nna ala ya site nʼihigharị oke ala e gwunyere site nʼoge gara aga,
Do not let the landmark of the widow be moved, and do not go into the fields of those who have no father;
11 nʼihi na onye mgbapụta ha dị ike; ya onwe ya ga-ekwuchitere ha ọnụ ha.
For their saviour is strong, and he will take up their cause against you.
12 Tinye uche gị nʼịdọ aka na ntị; gekwaa ntị nụrụ okwu ihe ọmụma niile.
Give your heart to teaching, and your ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Ahapụla ịdọ ụmụ gị aka na ntị. Ha agaghị anwụ nʼihi na ị tiri ha ihe.
Do not keep back training from the child: for even if you give him blows with the rod, it will not be death to him.
Give him blows with the rod, and keep his soul safe from the underworld. (Sheol h7585)
15 Nwa m, aga m aṅụrị ọṅụ nke ukwuu ma ọ bụrụ na ị ghọọ onye maara ihe.
My son, if your heart becomes wise, I, even I, will be glad in heart;
16 Mkpụrụobi m ga-aṅụrị ọṅụ mgbe egbugbere ọnụ gị abụọ kwuru ihe ziri ezi.
And my thoughts in me will be full of joy when your lips say right things.
17 Ekwela ka obi gị kwosa ndị mmehie ekworo, kama nọgide nʼịnụ ọkụ nʼobi nʼịtụ egwu Onyenwe anyị mgbe niile,
Have no envy of sinners in your heart, but keep in the fear of the Lord all through the day;
18 nʼihi na i nwere ọtụtụ ihe ọma nʼihu gị. Olileanya dị ukwuu dịrị gị.
For without doubt there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
19 Nwa m, nwee uche, gbasookwa ụzọ Chineke.
Give ear, my son, and be wise, guiding your heart in the right way.
20 Anọla nʼetiti ndị na-aṅụbiga mmanya oke, na ndị iri oke oriri na-atọ ụtọ,
Do not be among those who give themselves to wine-drinking, or among those who make themselves full with meat:
21 nʼihi na ihe niile ga-akọ ha. Ọ bụkwa nkịrịnka akwa ka onye oke ụra na-eyi nʼahụ.
For those who take delight in drink and feasting will come to be in need; and through love of sleep a man will be poorly clothed.
22 Ṅaa ntị nʼịdọ aka na ntị nna gị, akpọkwala ịdọ aka na ntị nne gị bụ agadi nwanyị asị.
Give ear to your father whose child you are, and do not keep honour from your mother when she is old.
23 Zụta eziokwu, erekwala ya, zụtakwa amamihe, ntụziaka, na nghọta.
Get for yourself that which is true, and do not let it go for money; get wisdom and teaching and good sense.
24 Nna onye ezi omume ga-aṅụrị ọṅụ. Ọ bụkwa ihe oke ọṅụ inweta nwa maara ihe.
The father of the upright man will be glad, and he who has a wise child will have joy because of him.
25 Ka nne na nna gị nwee obi ụtọ. Ka onye mụrụ gị ṅụrịa.
Let your father and your mother be glad, let her who gave you birth have joy.
26 Nwa m, nye m obi gị ka ụzọ m niile nyekwa anya gị ọṅụ.
My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes take 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 loose woman is a deep hollow, and a strange woman is a narrow water-hole.
28 Dịka onye ohi ka ọ na-echere na-emekwa ka ndị na-ekwesighị ntụkwasị obi baa ụba nʼetiti ụmụ nwoke.
Yes, she is waiting secretly like a beast for its food, and deceit by her is increased 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 says, Oh! who says, Ah! who has violent arguments, who has grief, who has wounds without cause, whose eyes are dark?
30 Ọ bụ ndị na-anọ ogologo oge na-aṅụ mmanya, onye na-aga ịchọpụta mmanya agwara agwa.
Those who are seated late over the wine: those who go looking for 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.
Keep your eyes from looking on the wine when it is red, when its colour is bright in the cup, when it goes smoothly down:
32 Nʼikpeazụ, ọ na-ata dịka agwọ na-atụkwa dịka ajụala.
In the end, its bite is like that of a snake, its wound like the wound of a poison-snake.
33 Anya gị abụọ ga-ahụ ihe ị na-amaghị isi ya na ọdụ ya, obi gị ga-atụlekwa ihe ndị na-agbagwoju anya.
Your eyes will see strange things, and you will say twisted things.
34 Ị ga-adị ka onye na-edina nʼetiti oke osimiri, nke na-edinakwa nʼelu ụdọ nʼejide ụgbọ.
Yes, you will be like him who takes his rest on the sea, or on the top of a sail-support.
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 overcome me, you will say, and I have no pain; they gave me blows without my feeling them: when will I be awake from my wine? I will go after it again.
