Ilu 26
1 Ịhụ onye nzuzu a na-enye nsọpụrụ dịka ịhụ mkpụrụ mmiri ka ọ na-ada nʼoge ọkọchị maọbụ mmiri na-ezo nʼoge owuwe ihe ubi.
Like snow in summer and rain when the grain is being cut, so honour is not natural for the foolish.
2 Dịka nnụnụ nta na-efegharị efegharị, maọbụ dịka eleke na-awụgharị otu a ka ọbụbụ ọnụ na-ekwesighị agaghị ere.
As the sparrow in her wandering and the swallow in her flight, so the curse does not come without a cause.
3 Ụtarị dịrị ịnyịnya, ịnyịnya ibu ka a na-ekenye mkpụmkpụ igwe nʼọnụ; otu a kwa ka apịpịa dị nye azụ ndị nzuzu.
A whip for the horse, a mouth-bit for the ass, and a rod for the back of the foolish.
4 A zaghachila onye nzuzu dịka enweghị uche ya si dị, ma ọ bụghị ya gị onwe gị ga-adị ka ya.
Do not give to the foolish man a foolish answer, or you will be like him.
5 Zaa onye nzuzu dịka enweghị uche ya si dị, ma ọ bụghị ya ọ ga-abụ onye maara ihe nʼanya onwe ya.
Give a foolish man a foolish answer, or he will seem wise to himself.
6 Iziga ozi site nʼaka onye nzuzu dịka mmadụ ibipụ ụkwụ ya maọbụ ịṅụ ihe ike dịka mmiri.
He who sends news by the hand of a foolish man is cutting off his feet and drinking in damage.
7 Dịka onye ngwụrọ si eji ụkwụ ya eje ije, otu a ka ilu si esite nʼọnụ onye nzuzu apụta.
The legs of one who has no power of walking are hanging loose; so is a wise saying in the mouth of the foolish.
8 Ọ baghị uru inye onye nzuzu nsọpụrụ, nʼihi na ọ gaghị anọgide. Ọ dị ka ịwụ ọkụkọ mmiri nʼazụ.
Giving honour to a foolish man is like attempting to keep a stone fixed in a cord.
9 Dịka ogwu manyere nʼaka onye na-aṅụbiga mmanya oke otu a ka ilu dị nʼọnụ onye nzuzu.
Like a thorn which goes up into the hand of a man overcome by drink, so is a wise saying in the mouth of a foolish man.
10 Dịka ọgba ụta si agba ụta ya na-enweghị onye o bụ nʼobi, otu a ka ọ dị bụ onye na-enye onye nzuzu maọbụ onye o bụla na-agafe nʼụzọ ọrụ ka o rụọra ya.
Like an archer wounding all who go by, is a foolish man overcome by drink.
11 Dịka nkịta laghachiri ọzọ nʼihe ọ gbọrọ, otu a ka ndị nzuzu dị mgbe ha na-emekwa omume enweghị uche ha.
Like a dog going back to the food which he has not been able to keep down, is the foolish man doing his foolish acts over again.
12 Ị hụrụ onye mara ihe nʼanya nke onwe ya? Olileanya dị nye onye nzuzu karịa ndị dị otu a.
Have you seen a man who seems to himself to be wise? There is more hope for the foolish than for him.
13 Onye umengwụ na-asị, “Ọdụm nọ nʼokporoụzọ, ọdụm ji oke iwe na-awagharị nọ nʼama niile!”
The hater of work says, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
14 Dịka ibo ọnụ ụzọ si emegharị nʼihe nkonye ya, otu a ka onye umengwụ si na-atụgharị onwe ya nʼelu ihe ndina ya.
A door is turned on its pillar, and the hater of work on his bed.
15 Onye umengwụ na-amanye aka nʼefere nri ma oke umengwụ a naghị ekwe ka o weghachi ya tinye nʼọnụ ya.
The hater of work puts his hand deep into the basin: lifting it again to his mouth is a weariness to him.
16 Nʼuche ya, onye umengwụ na-eche na ọ maara ihe karịa ndị ikom asaa na-eji ezi uche azaghachi okwu.
The hater of work seems to himself wiser than seven men who are able to give an answer with good sense.
17 Onye na-etinye onwe ya nʼesemokwu na-agbasaghị ya dị ka mmadụ na-apụ nʼokporoụzọ dọkpụrụ nkịta ọbụla ọ hụrụ na ntị.
He who gets mixed up in a fight which is not his business, is like one who takes a dog by the ears while it is going by.
18 Dịka onye ara na-agba àkụ na-ere ọkụ nke na-eweta ọnwụ,
As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death,
19 ka nwoke ahụ bụ nke na-aghọgbu onye agbataobi ya ma sị, “ọ bụ naanị egwuregwu ka m na-egwu.”
So is the man who gets the better of his neighbour by deceit, and says, Am I not doing so in sport?
20 Ọkụ na-anyụ mgbe nkụ gwụrụ, otu a kwa esemokwu na-akwụsị mgbe a kwụsịrị ikwu ndị ọzọ okwu nʼazụ.
Without wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no secret talk, argument is ended.
21 Dịka icheku si eme ka nkụ nwuru ọkụ, otu a ka onye na-ese okwu si eme ka ọgụ nwuru ọkụ.
Like breath on coals and wood on fire, so a man given to argument gets a fight started.
22 Okwu niile nke onye na-agba asịrị na-ekwu dịka iberibe nri nʼatọ ezi ụtọ, ha na-agbadakwa nʼime ime ala afọ.
The words of one who says evil of his neighbour secretly are like sweet food, they go down into the inner parts of the stomach.
23 Dịka ite aja ụrọ nke e ji ọlaọcha na-abaghị uru techie, ka egbugbere ọnụ dị nro nke obi jupụtara nʼihe ọjọọ bụ.
Smooth lips and an evil heart are like a vessel of earth plated with silver waste.
24 Ndị iro na-eji egbugbere ọnụ ha gbanwee onwe ha, ma nʼime obi ha ọ bụ naanị aghụghọ dị ya.
With his lips the hater makes things seem what they are not, but deceit is stored up inside him;
25 Okwu ọnụ ya nwere ike tọọ ụtọ na ntị ma ekwenyerela ha, nʼihi na ihe arụ asaa jupụtara nʼime obi ha.
When he says fair words, have no belief in him; for in his heart are seven evils:
26 Ọ bụ ezie na ọ ga na-eme ka ọ hụrụ gị nʼanya, ma iro ya ga-apụta ihe, mmadụ niile ga-ahụkwa ya.
Though his hate is covered with deceit, his sin will be seen openly before the meeting of the people.
27 Onye na-egwuru ibe ya olulu ga-adaba nʼime ya. Ọzọ, onye na-enuda nkume, ya ka nkume ahụ ga-adagbu.
He who makes a hole in the earth will himself go falling into it: and on him by whom a stone is rolled the stone will come back again.
28 Onye ị kpọrọ asị bụ onye ị ga-achọ iwetara ihe mgbu site nʼịgha ụgha. Okwu ọma na-esighị nʼobi mmadụ pụta na-eweta ịla nʼiyi.
A false tongue has hate for those who have clean hearts, and a smooth mouth is a cause of falling.
