Ilu 24
1 Ekwosola ndị ajọ omume ekworo, ka ihe banyere ha ghara ịtọ gị ụtọ.
Be not envious of evil men, And desire not 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 destruction doth their heart meditate, And perverseness do their lips speak.
3 Ọ bụ amamihe ka e ji ewu ụlọ, ọ bụkwa nghọta ka e ji eme ka o guzosie ike.
By wisdom is a house builded, And by understanding it establisheth itself.
4 Sitekwa nʼihe ọmụma ka akụ niile ji ejupụta nʼime ya, bụ akụ ndị pụrụ iche ma dịkwa oke ọnụahịa.
And by knowledge the inner parts are filled, [With] all precious and pleasant wealth.
5 Onye maara ihe na-emeri site nʼịdị ike, ndị nwere ọmụma ihe na-akpali ike ha.
Mighty [is] the wise in strength, And a man of knowledge is strengthening power,
6 Ejela ọgụ ma ọ bụghị na i nwetara ezi ndụmọdụ, nʼihi na nzọpụta dị nʼige ọtụtụ ndị ndụmọdụ ntị.
For by plans thou makest for thyself war, And deliverance [is] in a multitude of counsellors.
7 Amamihe dị elu nke ukwuu nye ndị nzuzu, ha gaghị asaghe ọnụ ha nʼọgbakọ ọnụ ụzọ ama.
Wisdom [is] high for a fool, In the gate he openeth not his mouth.
8 Onye na-eche echiche ime ihe ọjọọ ka a ga-agụ dịka onye nzube ihe ọjọọ
Whoso is devising to do evil, Him they call a master of wicked thoughts.
9 Nzube niile nke onye na-enweghị uche bụ mmehie, ndị mmadụ na-akpọ onye na-akwa emo asị.
The thought of folly [is] sin, And an abomination to man [is] a scorner.
10 Ọ bụrụ na ị pụghị iguzosi ike nʼoge nsogbu, ị bụ nnọọ onye ike ya dị ntakịrị.
Thou hast shewed thyself weak in a day of adversity, Straitened is thy power,
11 Napụta ndị a na-eduba nʼọnwụ. Napụtakwa ndị ahụ a mara ikpe ọnwụ nʼụzọ na-ezighị ezi.
If [from] delivering those taken to death, And those slipping to the slaughter — thou keepest back.
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?
When thou sayest, 'Lo, we knew not this.' Is not the Ponderer of hearts He who understandeth? And the Keeper of thy soul He who knoweth? And He hath rendered 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 my son, honey that [is] good, And the honeycomb — sweet to thy palate.
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 [is] the knowledge of wisdom to thy soul, If thou hast found that there is a posterity And thy hope is not 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 one, At the habitation of the righteous. Do not spoil 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 seven [times] doth the righteous fall and rise, And the wicked stumble in evil.
17 Aṅụrịla ọṅụ mgbe onye iro gị dabara na nsogbu. Ka obi gharakwa ịtọ gị ụtọ mgbe ọ dara.
In the falling of thine enemy rejoice not, And in his stumbling let not thy heart be joyful,
18 Nʼihi na Onyenwe anyị pụrụ iwe iwe nʼihi ya megide gị ma kwụsị ịta ya ahụhụ.
Lest Jehovah see, and [it be] evil in His eyes, And He hath turned from off him His anger.
19 Ekwosola onye na-emebi iwu ekworo, maọbụ nwe anya ukwu nʼebe onye ajọ omume nọọ.
Fret not thyself at evil doers, Be not envious at the wicked,
20 Nʼihi na onye na-emebi iwu enweghị ọdịnihu; a ga-afụnyụkwa ọkụ onye ajọ omume.
For there is not a posterity to the evil, The lamp of the wicked is extinguished.
21 Nwa m, tụọ egwu Onyenwe anyị na onye bụ eze, esonyerela ndị ozi na-enupu isi megide nna ha ukwu.
Fear Jehovah, my son, and the king, With changers mix not up thyself,
22 Nʼihi na ọ bụ na mberede ka ị ga-eso ha daba na nhụju anya. Onye maara ihe ga-abụ ọgwụgwụ ya?
For suddenly doth their calamity rise, And the ruin of them both — who knoweth!
23 Ndị a bụkwa okwu ọzọ ndị amamihe kwuru, iji gosi na ikpe ikpe na-akwụghị ọtọ adịghị mma.
These also are for the wise: — To discern faces in judgment is not good.
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.
Whoso is saying to the wicked, 'Thou [art] righteous,' Peoples execrate him — nations abhor him.
25 Ma ọ ga-adịrị ndị ahụ na-abara onye ikpe mara mba na mma, ha ga-anatakwa ezi ngọzị.
And to those reproving it is pleasant, And on them cometh a good blessing.
26 Ọsịsa ziri ezi bụ ihe na-egosi ikwesi ntụkwasị obi.
Lips he kisseth who is returning straightforward words.
27 Rụchaa ọrụ gị dị nʼezi. Dozie ala ubi gị. Emesịa wuoro onwe gị ụlọ.
Prepare in an out-place thy work, And make it ready in the field — go afterwards, Then thou hast built 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 for nought against thy neighbour, Or thou hast enticed with thy lips.
29 Asịla, “Aga m emeso ha dịka ha siri meso m. Aga m akwụghachi ha ụgwọ ihe ha mere.”
Say not, 'As he did to me, so I do to him, I render to each according to his work.'
30 Esitere m nʼubi otu onye umengwụ gafee, bụ ubi vaịnị nke onye na-enweghị uche,
Near the field of a slothful man I passed by, And near the vineyard of a man lacking heart.
31 hụ na ogwu etochiela ya, ahịhịa etochiekwala ya; mgbidi dị ya gburugburu adaakwala.
And lo, it hath gone up — all of it — thorns! Covered its face have nettles, And its stone wall hath been broken down.
32 Elegharịrị m ya anya site na ya mụta otu ihe a:
And I see — I — I do set my heart, I have seen — I have 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 lie down.
34 ụbịam ga-abịakwasị gị dịka onye ohi, ụkọ abịakwasịkwa gị dịka onye na-apụnara mmadụ ihe.
And thy poverty hath come [as] a traveller, And thy want as an armed man!
