Ilu 23
1 Mgbe gị na onye na-achị achị nọdụrụ irikọ nri, lezie ihe dị nʼihu gị anya,
When thou shalt sit to eat with a prince, consider diligently what is set before thy face.
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 it be so that thou have thy soul in thy own power.
3 Achọsila nri ụtọ ya ike, nʼihi na nri ahụ bụ nri aghụghọ.
Be not desirous of his meats, in which is the bread of deceit.
4 Adọgbula onwe gị nʼọrụ maka ịbụ ọgaranya, atụkwasịla obi na nghọta gị.
Labour not to be rich: but set bounds to thy prudence.
5 Nʼihi na akụ nwere ike ifu nʼotu ntabi anya dịka a ga-asị na ha nwere nku dịka nnụnụ ugo.
Lift not up thy eyes to riches which thou canst not have: because they shall make themselves wings like those of an eagle, and shall fly towards heaven.
6 Erila nri onye aka ntagide na-enye gị. Nri ụtọ ya agụkwala gị agụ.
Eat not with an envious man, and desire not his meats:
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.
Because like a soothsayer, and diviner, he thinketh that which he knoweth not. Eat and drink, will he say to thee: and his mind 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 meats which thou hadst eaten, thou shalt vomit up: and shalt loose thy beautiful 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 ears of fools: because they will despise the instruction of thy speech.
10 Anarala nwa na-enweghị nne na nna ala ya site nʼihigharị oke ala e gwunyere site nʼoge gara aga,
Touch not the bounds of little ones: and enter not into the field of the fatherless:
11 nʼihi na onye mgbapụta ha dị ike; ya onwe ya ga-ekwuchitere ha ọnụ ha.
For their near kinsman is strong: and he will judge their cause against thee.
12 Tinye uche gị nʼịdọ aka na ntị; gekwaa ntị nụrụ okwu ihe ọmụma niile.
Let thy heart apply itself to instruction: and thy ears to words of knowledge.
13 Ahapụla ịdọ ụmụ gị aka na ntị. Ha agaghị anwụ nʼihi na ị tiri ha ihe.
Withhold not correction from a child: for if thou strike him with the rod, he shall not die.
Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and deliver his soul from hell. (Sheol h7585)
15 Nwa m, aga m aṅụrị ọṅụ nke ukwuu ma ọ bụrụ na ị ghọọ onye maara ihe.
My son, if thy mind be wise, my heart shall rejoice with thee:
16 Mkpụrụobi m ga-aṅụrị ọṅụ mgbe egbugbere ọnụ gị abụọ kwuru ihe ziri ezi.
And my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips shall speak what is right.
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 the Lord all the day long:
18 nʼihi na i nwere ọtụtụ ihe ọma nʼihu gị. Olileanya dị ukwuu dịrị gị.
Because thou shalt have hope in the latter end, and thy expectation shall not be taken away.
19 Nwa m, nwee uche, gbasookwa ụzọ Chineke.
Hear thou, my son, and be wise: and guide thy mind in the way.
20 Anọla nʼetiti ndị na-aṅụbiga mmanya oke, na ndị iri oke oriri na-atọ ụtọ,
Be not in the feasts of great drinkers, nor in their revellings, who contribute flesh to eat:
21 nʼihi na ihe niile ga-akọ ha. Ọ bụkwa nkịrịnka akwa ka onye oke ụra na-eyi nʼahụ.
Because they that give themselves to drinking, and that club together shall be consumed; and drowsiness shall be clothed 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, that beget thee: and despise not thy mother when she is old.
23 Zụta eziokwu, erekwala ya, zụtakwa amamihe, ntụziaka, na nghọta.
Buy truth, and do not sell 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 the just rejoiceth greatly: he that hath begotten a wise son, shall have joy in him.
25 Ka nne na nna gị nwee obi ụtọ. Ka onye mụrụ gị ṅụrịa.
Let thy father, and thy mother be joyful, and let her rejoice that bore thee.
26 Nwa m, nye m obi gị ka ụzọ m niile nyekwa anya gị ọṅụ.
My son, give me thy heart: and let thy eyes keep 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 a strange 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.
She lieth in wait in the way as a robber, and him whom she shall see unwary, she will kill.
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 hath woe? whose father hath woe? who hath contentions? who falls into pits? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30 Ọ bụ ndị na-anọ ogologo oge na-aṅụ mmanya, onye na-aga ịchọpụta mmanya agwara agwa.
Surely they that pass their time in wine, and study to drink of their cups.
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 upon the wine when it is yellow, when the colour thereof shineth in the glass: it goeth in pleasantly,
32 Nʼikpeazụ, ọ na-ata dịka agwọ na-atụkwa dịka ajụala.
But in the end, it will bite like a snake, and will spread abroad poison like a basilisk.
33 Anya gị abụọ ga-ahụ ihe ị na-amaghị isi ya na ọdụ ya, obi gị ga-atụlekwa ihe ndị na-agbagwoju anya.
Thy eyes shall behold strange women, 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.
And thou shalt be as one sleeping in the midst of the sea, and as a pilot fast asleep, when the stern is lost.
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?”
And thou shalt say: They have beaten me, but I was not sensible of pain: they drew me, and I felt not: when shall I awake, and find wine again?
