Ilu 23
1 Mgbe gị na onye na-achị achị nọdụrụ irikọ nri, lezie ihe dị nʼihu gị anya,
When you sit to eat with a ruler, Diligently consider that which [is] before you,
2 tụkwasị mma nʼakpịrị gị, ma ọ bụrụ na ị bụ onye iri oke nri na-atọ ụtọ.
And you have put a knife to your throat, If you [are] a man of appetite.
3 Achọsila nri ụtọ ya ike, nʼihi na nri ahụ bụ nri aghụghọ.
Have no desire to his delicacies, seeing it [is] lying food.
4 Adọgbula onwe gị nʼọrụ maka ịbụ ọgaranya, atụkwasịla obi na nghọta gị.
Do not labor to make wealth, Cease from your own understanding, Do you cause your eyes to fly on it? Then it is not.
5 Nʼihi na akụ nwere ike ifu nʼotu ntabi anya dịka a ga-asị na ha nwere nku dịka nnụnụ ugo.
For wealth makes wings to itself, It flies to the heavens as an eagle.
6 Erila nri onye aka ntagide na-enye gị. Nri ụtọ ya agụkwala gị agụ.
Do not eat the bread of an evil eye, And have no desire to his delicacies,
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 has thought in his soul, so he [is]. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, And 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.
You vomit up your morsel you have eaten, And have marred your words that [are] sweet.
9 Atụfula ume gị ịgwa onye nzuzu okwu, nʼihi na ọ ga-eleda okwu i sitere nʼezi uche kwuo anya.
Do not speak in the ears of a fool, For he treads 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 remove a border of ancient times, And do not enter into 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 pleads their cause with you.
12 Tinye uche gị nʼịdọ aka na ntị; gekwaa ntị nụrụ okwu ihe ọmụma niile.
Bring your heart to instruction, And your ear to sayings of knowledge.
13 Ahapụla ịdọ ụmụ gị aka na ntị. Ha agaghị anwụ nʼihi na ị tiri ha ihe.
Do not withhold discipline from a youth, When you strike him with a rod he does not die.
You strike him with a rod, And you 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 your heart has been wise, My heart rejoices, even mine,
16 Mkpụrụobi m ga-aṅụrị ọṅụ mgbe egbugbere ọnụ gị abụọ kwuru ihe ziri ezi.
And my reins exult when your lips speak uprightly.
17 Ekwela ka obi gị kwosa ndị mmehie ekworo, kama nọgide nʼịnụ ọkụ nʼobi nʼịtụ egwu Onyenwe anyị mgbe niile,
Do not let your heart be envious at sinners, But—in the fear of YHWH all the day.
18 nʼihi na i nwere ọtụtụ ihe ọma nʼihu gị. Olileanya dị ukwuu dịrị gị.
For is there a posterity? Then your hope is not cut off.
19 Nwa m, nwee uche, gbasookwa ụzọ Chineke.
Hear, my son, and be wise, And make your heart blessed in the way,
20 Anọla nʼetiti ndị na-aṅụbiga mmanya oke, na ndị iri oke oriri na-atọ ụtọ,
Do not become drunk with wine, Among gluttonous ones 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 glutton become poor, And drowsiness clothes with rags.
22 Ṅaa ntị nʼịdọ aka na ntị nna gị, akpọkwala ịdọ aka na ntị nne gị bụ agadi nwanyị asị.
Listen to your father, who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she has become 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 righteous rejoices greatly, The begetter of the wise rejoices in him.
25 Ka nne na nna gị nwee obi ụtọ. Ka onye mụrụ gị ṅụrịa.
Your father and your mother rejoice, Indeed, she bearing you is joyful.
26 Nwa m, nye m obi gị ka ụzọ m niile nyekwa anya gị ọṅụ.
Give, my son, your heart to me, And let your eyes watch 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 also, as catching prey, lies in wait, And she 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 complaint? 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 lingering by the wine, Those going in to search 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.
Do not see wine when it shows itself red, When it gives its color in the cup, It goes up and down through the upright.
32 Nʼikpeazụ, ọ na-ata dịka agwọ na-atụkwa dịka ajụala.
Its latter end—it bites as a serpent, And it stings as a viper.
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 see strange women, And your heart speaks perverse things.
34 Ị ga-adị ka onye na-edina nʼetiti oke osimiri, nke na-edinakwa nʼelu ụdọ nʼejide ụgbọ.
And you have been as one lying down in the heart of the sea, And as one lying down on 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 struck me, I have not been sick, They beat me, I have not known. When I awake—I seek it yet again!”
