< 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, [even] the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,
2 Nʼezie, abụ m onye nzuzu karịa mmadụ ọbụla; Enweghị m ụdị nghọta ahụ mmadụ na-enwe.
Surely I [am] more brutish than [any] man, and have not the understanding of a man.
3 Amụtabeghị m amamihe, maọbụ ruo ịmata maka Onye Nsọ ahụ.
I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.
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 hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what [is] his name, and what [is] his son’s name, if thou canst tell?
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] pure: he [is] a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
6 Atụkwasịla ihe ọbụla nʼokwu ya, ka ọ ghara ịbara gị mba, ka ị gharakwa ịghọ onye ụgha.
Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
7 “O Onyenwe anyị, naanị ihe abụọ ka m na-arịọ gị tupu m nwụọ; ajụkwala imere m ha:
Two [things] have I required of thee; deny me [them] not before I die:
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.
Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
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.
Lest I be full, and deny [thee], and say, Who [is] the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God [in vain].
10 “Ekwujọla ohu nʼihu nna ya ukwu, ka ọ ghara ịbụ gị ọnụ, ikpe amaa gị.
Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.
11 “Ọ dị ndị na-akọcha nna ha, ha adịghị agọzikwa nne ha;
[There is] a generation [that] curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.
12 Ọgbọ ndị dị ọcha nʼanya nke onwe ha ma asapụbeghị isisi nʼunyi ha ruru.
[There is] a generation [that are] pure in their own eyes, and [yet] is not washed from their filthiness.
13 Ọ dị ndị anya ha dị nʼelu, ndị ile anya ha jupụtara na nlelị.
[There is] a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids 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 as] swords, and their jaw teeth [as] knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy 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 horseleach hath two daughters, [crying], Give, give. There are three [things that] are never satisfied, [yea], four [things] say not, [It is] 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 )
The grave; and the barren womb; the earth [that] is not filled with water; and the fire [that] saith not, [It is] enough. (Sheol )
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 [that] mocketh at [his] father, and despiseth to obey [his] mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.
18 “Ọ dị ihe atọ na-agbagwoju m anya, apụghị m ịghọta ha; mbaa, ha dị anọ!
There be three [things which] are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:
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 serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.
20 “Nke bụ ụzọ nwanyị na-akwa iko, Ọ na-eri ma hichaa ọnụ ya, na-asị, ‘E meghị m ajọ ihe ọbụla.’
Such [is] the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.
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 disquieted, and for four [which] it cannot bear:
22 Ohu ghọrọ eze, onye nzuzu ihe na-agara nke ọma,
For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;
23 nwanyị obi ilu mesịrị lụta dị, na odibo nwanyị ghọrọ nwunye nna ya ukwu.
For an odious [woman] when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.
24 “Ihe anọ dị nke dị nta nʼelu ụwa, ma ha maa ihe nke ukwuu.
There be four [things which are] little upon the earth, but they [are] exceeding 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, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;
26 Ewi nkume bụ ndị na-adịghị ike, ma ha na-echebe onwe ha site nʼibi nʼọgba nkume.
The conies [are but] a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;
27 Igurube enweghị eze, ma ha na-aga nʼigwe nʼahịrị nʼahịrị.
The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;
28 Ngwere dị mfe iji aka jide ya, ma ị ga-achọta ha ọ bụladị nʼụlọ ndị eze.
The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.
29 “Ha dị ihe atọ na-ejegharị nʼụwa nʼọnọdụ ịdị oke ebube, mbaa, ha dị anọ:
There be three [things] which go well, yea, four are comely in going:
30 Ọdụm, eze ụmụ anụmanụ. Ọ naghị atụ onye ọbụla egwu,
A lion [which is] strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;
31 na oke ọkụkọ na-ejegharị ejegharị, na mkpi, na eze ndị agha ya gbara gburugburu.
A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom [there is] no rising up.
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 thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, [lay] thine hand upon thy 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.”
Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.