Ilu 3
1 Nwa m echezọla ihe niile m ziri gị. Ma debe iwu m nʼobi gị.
My son, do not forget what I have taught you. Keep my commands in your inner being,
2 Nʼihi na ha ga-eme ka ndụ gị dị ogologo ruo ọtụtụ afọ, wetakwara gị udo na ọganihu.
because [if you obey them] you will live a long time and things will go well for you
3 Ekwela ka ịhụnanya na ikwesi ntụkwasị obi hapụ gị, kekwasị ha nʼolu gị, deekwa ha nʼelu mbadamba nkume, bụ obi gị.
Always faithfully love others and (be faithful/do what you say that you will do); doing those things [will cause others to be pleased with you]; it will be as though you are wearing a beautiful necklace. Keep those things in your mind/inner being.
4 Mgbe ahụ, ị ga-enwe ihuọma na ezi aha nʼanya Chineke na nʼihu mmadụ.
If you do, God and people will approve of you and think highly of you [MTY].
5 Tụkwasị Onyenwe anyị obi gị niile, adaberekwala na nghọta gị.
Trust in Yahweh completely, and do not rely on what you yourself understand.
6 Nʼihe ọbụla ị na-eme, ka Chineke bute ụzọ, ọ ga-eduzi gị, meekwa ka okporoụzọ gị niile gazie.
Always allow him to lead you. If you do that, he will (show you the right path/direct your life).
7 A bụla onye maara ihe nʼanya nke onwe gị. Tụọ Onyenwe anyị egwu, kpọọkwa ihe ọjọọ asị.
Do not be proud of being wise. [Instead], revere Yahweh and turn away from doing evil.
8 Nke a ga-eme ka i nwee ahụ ike gbaakwa ọkpụkpụ gị ume.
If you do that, your body will be healthy/strong; it will be [like] medicine for you.
9 Sọpụrụ Onyenwe anyị site nʼinye ya mkpụrụ mbụ nke akụnụba gị, na mkpụrụ mbụ nke ihe ubi gị.
Honor Yahweh by [what you do with] your money; and [by giving him] the first part of your harvest.
10 Mgbe ahụ ka ọ ga-eme ka ọba gị niile jubigakwa oke, ebe ịnara mmanya gị ga-ejupụta na mmanya ọhụrụ.
If you do that, [you will have a good harvest]. Yahweh will fill your barns [with grain], and your vats/containers will be overflowing with [grape juice for making] wine.
11 Nwa m nwoke ajụla ịdọ aka na ntị nke Onyenwe anyị, ike agwụla gị ịnagide ịba mba ya.
My son, when Yahweh disciplines/corrects you, do not despise it, and if he rebukes you, do not resent it.
12 Nʼihi na ọ bụ ndị Onyenwe anyị hụrụ nʼanya ka ọ na-abara mba, dịka nna si abara nwa ya nke ihe ya na-atọ ya ụtọ mba.
[I say that] because it is the people whom Yahweh loves that he corrects/reproves, [just] like parents correct/reprove their sons whom they love.
13 Onye a gọziri agọzi ka mmadụ ahụ bụ onye chọtara amamihe, onye nwetara nghọta.
[Yahweh] is pleased with those who become wise and have good understanding.
14 Nʼihi na amamihe dị mma karịa ọlaọcha, ọ bakwara uru karịa ọlaedo.
Being wise and having good understanding is worth more than silver, better than gold.
15 Ọ dị oke ọnụahịa karịa ọla rubi, ọ dịghị ihe na-amasị gị e ji atụnyere ya.
Being wise is more precious than (jewels/precious stones); there is nothing that you could desire [that would be as valuable] as wisdom.
16 Ndụ ogologo dị nʼaka nri ya; nʼaka ekpe ya ka akụnụba na nsọpụrụ dịkwa.
On the one hand, wisdom [PRS] enables [you] to live a long life, and on the other hand, wisdom enables [you] to become rich and to be honored.
17 Ụzọ ya bụ ụzọ dị mma bụrụkwa ụzọ udo.
If [you] are wise, [your] life will be pleasant, and things will go well [for you].
18 Amamihe bụ osisi nke ndụ nye ndị na-ejide ya aka, e, onye ahụ nke na-ejidesi ya aka ike ka ihe na-agara nke ọma.
Wisdom is [like] a tree that gives long life to those who [eagerly] take hold of it, and [Yahweh] is pleased with those who hold onto it tightly.
19 Ọ bụ site nʼamamihe ka Onyenwe anyị ji tọọ ntọala ụwa; ọ bụkwa nghọta ya mere ka eluigwe dịrị ebe ọ dị.
By his wisdom Yahweh created the earth, and by his understanding he put everything in the skies.
20 Esitere nʼihe ọmụma ya kewaa ogbu mmiri niile, igwe ojii na-atụdakwa igirigi.
By his knowledge [he caused] the water that was beneath the earth to burst forth, and he caused rain to fall from the clouds.
21 Nwa m nwoke, ekwela ka ihe abụọ ndị a site nʼihu gị wezuga onwe ha: amamihe na nghọta nke ime ihe dị mma nʼizuzu zuruoke,
My son, [always] keep doing things that are right and things that are smart. If you do that,
22 nʼihi na ha na-enye gị ndụ ọhụrụ, ha bụkwaara gị ihe ịchọ mma amara nʼolu gị.
you will live [many years] and be honored and respected {people will honor and respect you}.
23 Ha na-eme ka ị na-aga ije nʼụzọ gị na-enweghị ihe egwu maọbụ ihe mkpọbi ụkwụ.
If you do what is right and wise, you will [be able to] walk safely, and you will not (stumble/do things that are wrong) [MET].
24 Mgbe ị ga-edina ala, ị gaghị atụ egwu, ị ga-edina ala ụra gị ga-adị ụtọ.
You will [be able to] lie down [at night] and not be afraid [of anything], and you will sleep peacefully.
25 Ị gaghị atụ egwu ihe mbibi mberede ọbụla maọbụ tụọ egwu ịla nʼiyi nke na-abịakwasị ndị ajọ omume.
You will not be afraid that something disastrous will happen to you or that storms that strike the wicked will strike you,
26 Nʼihi na Onyenwe anyị bụ ebe ndabere gị, ọ ga-echebekwa gị.
because you will be confident that Yahweh [will take care of you]. He will not let your foot be caught in a trap/snare.
27 Ejigidele ihe ọma ị pụrụ imere onye ọzọ mgbe ọ dị gị nʼaka ime ya.
If you are able to help people who deserve it, do not refuse to help them.
28 A sịkwala onye agbataobi gị laa, bịaghachi azụ echi mgbe i nwere ike ime ya taa.
If you are able to help someone you interact with, do not say, “Come back later; [perhaps] I can help you tomorrow.”
29 Agbala izu ọjọọ megide onye agbataobi gị, nʼihi na o nwere ntụkwasị obi nʼebe ị nọ.
Do not make plans to harm those you interact with regularly, [because] they live near you, and they trust you.
30 Ebola mmadụ ebubo na-enweghị isi, mgbe onye ahụ na-emeghị gị ihe ọjọọ ọbụla.
If someone has not harmed you, do not accuse him [by saying that he has harmed you].
31 Ekwosola onye na-eme ihe ike ekworo maọbụ họrọ ụzọ ya ọbụla.
Do not envy people who [obtain things by] violent actions, and do not imitate/do what they do.
32 Nʼihi na ndị dị otu a bụ ihe arụ nʼanya Onyenwe anyị, ma ọ na-emeso ndị na-eme ihe ziri ezi mmeso ọma.
[I say that] because Yahweh considers such people to be abominable/detestable; but he is a friend to [all] those who do what is right.
33 Ọbụbụ ọnụ Onyenwe anyị dị nʼụlọ ndị na-eme ajọ omume, ma ọ na-agọzi ụlọ ndị ezi omume.
Yahweh curses the families [MTY] of those who are wicked, but he blesses the families of those who are good/righteous.
34 Ndị mpako na-akwa emo ka ya onwe ya na-akwakwa emo, ma ndị dị umeala nʼobi ka ọ na-enye amara.
Yahweh makes fun of those who make fun [of others], but he kindly helps those who are humble.
35 Ndị maara ihe na-enweta nsọpụrụ, ma ndị nzuzu na-enweta ihere.
Wise [people] will be honored {people will honor wise people}, but foolish people will be dishonored/disgraced.
