Ilu 30
1 Ndị a bụ okwu Agọ, nwa Jake, onye Masa, Okwu si nʼọnụ nwoke a zigaara Itiel na Ukal: “Ike agwụla m, Chineke ma a pụrụ imeri.
The words of Agur, the son of Jakeh, from Massa. The man says: I am full of weariness, O God, I am full of weariness; O God, I have come to an end:
2 Nʼezie, abụ m onye nzuzu karịa mmadụ ọbụla; Enweghị m ụdị nghọta ahụ mmadụ na-enwe.
For I am more like a beast than any man, I have no power of reasoning like a man:
3 Amụtabeghị m amamihe, maọbụ ruo ịmata maka Onye Nsọ ahụ.
I have not got wisdom by teaching, so that I might have the knowledge of the Holy One.
4 Olee onye na-arịgo nʼeluigwe na-arịdatakwa? Onye ka ọ bụ, bụ onye jikọtara ifufe nʼaka ya? Onye kwa weere akwa kechikọtaa osimiri niile nʼaka ya? Onye hiwere oke nsọtụ ụwa niile? Onye ka ọ bụ? Ọ bụrụ na ị ma onye ọ bụ, gịnị bụ aha ya? Gịnịkwa bụ aha nwa ya?
Who has gone up to heaven and come down? who has taken the winds in his hands, prisoning the waters in his robe? by whom have all the ends of the earth been fixed? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if you are able to say?
5 “Okwu ọnụ Chineke niile bụ ihe anụchara anụcha, Ọ bụ ọta nye ndị na-agbaba nʼime ya izere ndụ.
Every word of God is tested: he is a breastplate to those who put their faith in him.
6 Atụkwasịla ihe ọbụla nʼokwu ya, ka ọ ghara ịbara gị mba, ka ị gharakwa ịghọ onye ụgha.
Make no addition to his words, or he will make clear your error, and you will be seen to be false.
7 “O Onyenwe anyị, naanị ihe abụọ ka m na-arịọ gị tupu m nwụọ; ajụkwala imere m ha:
I have made request to you for two things; do not keep them from me before my death:
8 Nke mbụ, mee ka okwu efu na okwu ụgha dị anya nʼebe m nọ. Nke abụọ, e nyela m ọnọdụ ogbenye maọbụ ọnọdụ ọgaranya, kama nye m naanị nri ga-ezuru m kwa ụbọchị niile.
Put far from me all false and foolish things: do not give me great wealth or let me be in need, but give me only enough food:
9 Nʼihi na, ọ bụrụ na m aghọọ ọgaranya, ma eleghị anya, afọ ga-eju m, jubiga m oke, ruo na m ga-asị na m achọkwaghị gị ma kwuokwa si, ‘Onye ka Onyenwe anyị bụ?’ Ọ bụrụkwa na m adaa ogbenye, ma eleghị anya, aga m ezu ohi, site nʼụzọ dị otu a, wetara aha nsọ gị Chineke, ihe ihere.
For fear that if I am full, I may be false to you and say, Who is the Lord? or if I am poor, I may become a thief, using the name of my God wrongly.
10 “Ekwujọla ohu nʼihu nna ya ukwu, ka ọ ghara ịbụ gị ọnụ, ikpe amaa gị.
Do not say evil of a servant to his master, or he will put a curse on you, and you will get into trouble.
11 “Ọ dị ndị na-akọcha nna ha, ha adịghị agọzikwa nne ha;
There is a generation who put a curse on their father, and do not give a blessing to their mother.
12 Ọgbọ ndị dị ọcha nʼanya nke onwe ha ma asapụbeghị isisi nʼunyi ha ruru.
There is a generation who seem to themselves to be free from sin, but are not washed from their unclean ways.
13 Ọ dị ndị anya ha dị nʼelu, ndị ile anya ha jupụtara na nlelị.
There is a generation, O how full of pride are their eyes! O how their brows are lifted up!
14 Ndị eze ha niile bụ mma agha ịkịrị eze ha bụkwa mma maka irichapụ ndị ogbenye site nʼụwa na ndị nọ nʼụkọ site nʼetiti mmadụ.
There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, their strong teeth like knives, for the destruction of the poor from the earth, and of those who are in need from among men.
15 “Etu nwere ụmụ nwanyị abụọ ndị na-eti, ‘Nye, nye.’ “Ọ dị ụzọ ihe atọ nke afọ na-adịghị eju. E, anọ dị na-adịghị asị, ‘O zuola.’
The night-spirit has two daughters, Give, give. There are three things which are never full, even four which never say, Enough:
16 Ala ili, akpanwa nwanyị na-adịghị atụ ime, ala nke mmiri na-adịghị eju afọ, na ọkụ nke na-adịghị asị, ‘O zuola.’ (Sheol h7585)
The underworld, and the woman without a child; the earth which never has enough water, and the fire which never says, Enough. (Sheol h7585)
17 “Onye ahụ na-akwa nna ya emo, nke na-akpọkwa irubere nne ya isi asị, ugolọma ga-atụrụ mkpụrụ anya ya, udele ga-erikwa anụ ahụ ya.
The eye which makes sport of a father, and sees no value in a mother when she is old will be rooted out by the ravens of the valley, and be food for the young eagles.
18 “Ọ dị ihe atọ na-agbagwoju m anya, apụghị m ịghọta ha; mbaa, ha dị anọ!
There are three things, the wonder of which overcomes me, even four things outside my knowledge:
19 Otu ugo si efegharị na mbara eluigwe; otu agwọ si akpụ nʼelu nkume, otu ụgbọ mmiri si achọta ụzọ ya nʼoke osimiri; na otu ịhụnanya si eto nʼetiti nwoke na nwaagbọghọ.
The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a snake on a rock; the way of a ship in the heart of the sea; and the way of a man with a girl.
20 “Nke bụ ụzọ nwanyị na-akwa iko, Ọ na-eri ma hichaa ọnụ ya, na-asị, ‘E meghị m ajọ ihe ọbụla.’
This is the way of a false wife; she takes food, and, cleaning her mouth, says, I have done no wrong.
21 “Ọ dị ihe atọ na-eme ka ụwa maa jijiji, nʼokpuru ihe anọ nke ọ na-apụghị ịnagide,
For three things the earth is moved, and there are four which it will not put up with:
22 Ohu ghọrọ eze, onye nzuzu ihe na-agara nke ọma,
A servant when he becomes a king; a man without sense when his wealth is increased;
23 nwanyị obi ilu mesịrị lụta dị, na odibo nwanyị ghọrọ nwunye nna ya ukwu.
A hated woman when she is married; and a servant-girl who takes the place of her master's wife.
24 “Ihe anọ dị nke dị nta nʼelu ụwa, ma ha maa ihe nke ukwuu.
There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are very wise:
25 Ndanda bụ ndị na-enweghị ume, ma ha na-akpakọta nri ha, dozie nke ha ga-eri nʼoge oyi.
The ants are a people not strong, but they put by a store of food in the summer;
26 Ewi nkume bụ ndị na-adịghị ike, ma ha na-echebe onwe ha site nʼibi nʼọgba nkume.
The conies are only a feeble people, but they make their houses in the rocks;
27 Igurube enweghị eze, ma ha na-aga nʼigwe nʼahịrị nʼahịrị.
The locusts have no king, but they all go out in bands;
28 Ngwere dị mfe iji aka jide ya, ma ị ga-achọta ha ọ bụladị nʼụlọ ndị eze.
You may take the lizard in your hands, but it is in kings' houses.
29 “Ha dị ihe atọ na-ejegharị nʼụwa nʼọnọdụ ịdị oke ebube, mbaa, ha dị anọ:
There are three things whose steps are good to see, even four whose goings are fair:
30 Ọdụm, eze ụmụ anụmanụ. Ọ naghị atụ onye ọbụla egwu,
The lion, which is strongest among beasts, not turning from his way for any;
31 na oke ọkụkọ na-ejegharị ejegharị, na mkpi, na eze ndị agha ya gbara gburugburu.
The war-horse, and the he-goat, and the king when his army is with him.
32 “Ọ bụrụ na i meela ihe nzuzu site nʼifuli onwe gị elu maọbụ zube nzube ọjọọ, anyala isi nʼihi ya, were aka gị kpuchie ọnụ gị nʼihere.
If you have done foolishly in lifting yourself up, or if you have had evil designs, put your hand over your mouth.
33 A pịaa mmiri ara ehi a na-ewepụta mmanụ ara ehi; iti mmadụ aka nʼimi na-akpata ịgba ọbara, otu a kwa ikpali iwe na-eweta ise okwu.”
The shaking of milk makes butter, and the twisting of the nose makes blood come: so the forcing of wrath is a cause of fighting.
