Ilu 24
1 Ekwosola ndị ajọ omume ekworo, ka ihe banyere ha ghara ịtọ gị ụtọ.
Be not thou envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them;
2 Nʼihi na-atụmatụ obi ha niile bụ otu ha ga-esi mee ihe ike, egbugbere ọnụ ha na-ekwu naanị maka ọgbaaghara.
for their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.
3 Ọ bụ amamihe ka e ji ewu ụlọ, ọ bụkwa nghọta ka e ji eme ka o guzosie ike.
Through wisdom is a house built, and by understanding it is established;
4 Sitekwa nʼihe ọmụma ka akụ niile ji ejupụta nʼime ya, bụ akụ ndị pụrụ iche ma dịkwa oke ọnụahịa.
and by knowledge are the chambers filled with all precious and pleasant substance.
5 Onye maara ihe na-emeri site nʼịdị ike, ndị nwere ọmụma ihe na-akpali ike ha.
A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge increaseth strength.
6 Ejela ọgụ ma ọ bụghị na i nwetara ezi ndụmọdụ, nʼihi na nzọpụta dị nʼige ọtụtụ ndị ndụmọdụ ntị.
For with good advice shalt thou make thy war; and in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
7 Amamihe dị elu nke ukwuu nye ndị nzuzu, ha gaghị asaghe ọnụ ha nʼọgbakọ ọnụ ụzọ ama.
Wisdom is too high for a fool: he will not open his mouth in the gate.
8 Onye na-eche echiche ime ihe ọjọọ ka a ga-agụ dịka onye nzube ihe ọjọọ
He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a master of intrigues.
9 Nzube niile nke onye na-enweghị uche bụ mmehie, ndị mmadụ na-akpọ onye na-akwa emo asị.
The purpose of folly is sin, and the scorner is an abomination to men.
10 Ọ bụrụ na ị pụghị iguzosi ike nʼoge nsogbu, ị bụ nnọọ onye ike ya dị ntakịrị.
[If] thou losest courage in the day of trouble, thy strength is small.
11 Napụta ndị a na-eduba nʼọnwụ. Napụtakwa ndị ahụ a mara ikpe ọnwụ nʼụzọ na-ezighị ezi.
Deliver them that are taken forth unto death, and withdraw not from them that stagger to slaughter.
12 Ọ bụrụ na ị sị, “Anyị amaghị banyere ihe ndị a,” ọ bụ na onye na-enyocha obi aghọtaghị ya? Ọ bụ na onye na-eche ndụ gị amaghị ya? Ọ bụ na ọ gaghị akwụghachi onye ọbụla ụgwọ dịka akaọrụ ya siri dị?
If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not, will not he that weigheth the hearts consider it? And he that preserveth thy soul, he knoweth it; and he rendereth to man according to his work.
13 Nwa m nwoke, rachaa mmanụ aṅụ nʼihi na ọ dị mma. Mmanụ aṅụ nke si nʼugbugbo mmanụ aṅụ na-adị gị ụtọ nʼọnụ.
Eat honey, my son, for it is good; and a honeycomb is sweet to thy taste:
14 Marakwa na otu a ka amamihe kwesiri isi tọọ obi gị ụtọ. Ọ bụrụ na i chọta ya i nwere olileanya nke ga-adịgide.
so consider wisdom for thy soul; if thou hast found it, there shall be a result, and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
15 Adịla ka onye na-emebi iwu, onye echiche ya niile bụ imegide ụlọ onye ezi omume. A gakwala ga kwakọrọ ihe dị nʼụlọ ya.
Lay not wait, O wicked [man], against the dwelling of the righteous; lay not waste his resting-place.
16 Nʼihi na onye ezi omume nwere ike daa ugboro asaa ma o ga-ebilikwa ọzọ. Ma ndị na-emebi iwu na-asọ ngọngọ mgbe nsogbu bịakwasịrị ha.
For the righteous falleth seven times, and riseth up again; but the wicked stumble into disaster.
17 Aṅụrịla ọṅụ mgbe onye iro gị dabara na nsogbu. Ka obi gharakwa ịtọ gị ụtọ mgbe ọ dara.
Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth;
18 Nʼihi na Onyenwe anyị pụrụ iwe iwe nʼihi ya megide gị ma kwụsị ịta ya ahụhụ.
lest Jehovah see it, and it be evil in his sight, and he turn away his anger from him.
19 Ekwosola onye na-emebi iwu ekworo, maọbụ nwe anya ukwu nʼebe onye ajọ omume nọọ.
Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, [and] be not envious of the wicked:
20 Nʼihi na onye na-emebi iwu enweghị ọdịnihu; a ga-afụnyụkwa ọkụ onye ajọ omume.
for there shall be no future to the evil [man]; the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
21 Nwa m, tụọ egwu Onyenwe anyị na onye bụ eze, esonyerela ndị ozi na-enupu isi megide nna ha ukwu.
My son, fear Jehovah and the king: meddle not with them that are given to change.
22 Nʼihi na ọ bụ na mberede ka ị ga-eso ha daba na nhụju anya. Onye maara ihe ga-abụ ọgwụgwụ ya?
For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?
23 Ndị a bụkwa okwu ọzọ ndị amamihe kwuru, iji gosi na ikpe ikpe na-akwụghị ọtọ adịghị mma.
These things also come from the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
24 Onye ọbụla nke na-asị onye ikpe mara, “Onye ezi omume ka ị bụ,” ga-anata ọbụbụ ọnụ site nʼọnụ ọtụtụ mmadụ, mba niile ga-eweso ya iwe.
He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous, peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him;
25 Ma ọ ga-adịrị ndị ahụ na-abara onye ikpe mara mba na mma, ha ga-anatakwa ezi ngọzị.
but to them that rebuke [him] shall be delight, and a good blessing cometh upon them.
26 Ọsịsa ziri ezi bụ ihe na-egosi ikwesi ntụkwasị obi.
He kisseth the lips who giveth a right answer.
27 Rụchaa ọrụ gị dị nʼezi. Dozie ala ubi gị. Emesịa wuoro onwe gị ụlọ.
Prepare thy work without, and put thy field in order, and afterwards build thy house.
28 Agbala ama ụgha megide onye agbataobi gị nʼefu. Ọ bụ egbugbere ọnụ gị abụọ ka ị ga-eji ghọọ aghụghọ?
Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and wouldest thou deceive with thy lips?
29 Asịla, “Aga m emeso ha dịka ha siri meso m. Aga m akwụghachi ha ụgwọ ihe ha mere.”
Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me, I will render to the man according to his work.
30 Esitere m nʼubi otu onye umengwụ gafee, bụ ubi vaịnị nke onye na-enweghị uche,
I went by the field of a sluggard, and by the vineyard of a man void of understanding;
31 hụ na ogwu etochiela ya, ahịhịa etochiekwala ya; mgbidi dị ya gburugburu adaakwala.
and lo, it was all grown over with thistles, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and its stone wall was broken down.
32 Elegharịrị m ya anya site na ya mụta otu ihe a:
Then I looked, I took it to heart; I saw, I received instruction:
33 Nwa ụra nta, nwa iru ụra nta, nwa ịchịkọba aka nta zuo ike
— A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest!
34 ụbịam ga-abịakwasị gị dịka onye ohi, ụkọ abịakwasịkwa gị dịka onye na-apụnara mmadụ ihe.
So shall thy poverty come [as] a roving plunderer, and thy penury as an armed man.
