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.
These are sayings/messages that God gave to Agur, the son of Jakeh. [Agur wrote them] for Ithiel and Ucal.
2 Nʼezie, abụ m onye nzuzu karịa mmadụ ọbụla; Enweghị m ụdị nghọta ahụ mmadụ na-enwe.
It seems that I am very stupid; I do not deserve to be considered to be a human; I do not have the good sense that humans should have.
3 Amụtabeghị m amamihe, maọbụ ruo ịmata maka Onye Nsọ ahụ.
I have not learned [how to become] wise and I do not know [much] about God.
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?
[But let me say this]: No one [RHQ] has ascended to heaven [to find out what God is like] and returned [to tell us]. No one [RHQ] has gathered/held the wind in his hand. No one [RHQ] has wrapped the water [in the ocean] in [a piece of] cloth, and no one [RHQ] has established the boundaries of the earth. [If you know who has done those things, tell me] [RHQ] his name, and the names of his children [SAR]! [But you do not know who has done those things, so you cannot speak with authority about what God is like].
5 “Okwu ọnụ Chineke niile bụ ihe anụchara anụcha, Ọ bụ ọta nye ndị na-agbaba nʼime ya izere ndụ.
Everything that God has said is true; he is [like] a shield [MET] for all those who request him to protect them.
6 Atụkwasịla ihe ọbụla nʼokwu ya, ka ọ ghara ịbara gị mba, ka ị gharakwa ịghọ onye ụgha.
Do not add to (OR, change) what God has said; if you do that, he will rebuke you and show that you are lying.
7 “O Onyenwe anyị, naanị ihe abụọ ka m na-arịọ gị tupu m nwụọ; ajụkwala imere m ha:
[God], I ask you to do two things for me; [please] do them 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.
Help me never to lie or deceive [people] and do not cause me to become poor or to become rich. [Just] give me the food that I need;
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.
because if I become rich, I might say that I do not [RHQ] know you and that I do not need you; and if I become poor, I might dishonor you by stealing things.
10 “Ekwujọla ohu nʼihu nna ya ukwu, ka ọ ghara ịbụ gị ọnụ, ikpe amaa gị.
Do not (slander/say bad things about) a worker to his boss; if you do that, the worker will curse you, and cause you to have trouble.
11 “Ọ dị ndị na-akọcha nna ha, ha adịghị agọzikwa nne ha;
[I will list four kinds of evil things that people do]: Some people curse their fathers and do not [ask God to] bless their mothers.
12 Ọgbọ ndị dị ọcha nʼanya nke onwe ha ma asapụbeghị isisi nʼunyi ha ruru.
Some people think that they are perfect, but [really] they have never been cleansed from their guilt for committing disgusting sins.
13 Ọ dị ndị anya ha dị nʼelu, ndị ile anya ha jupụtara na nlelị.
Some people are very proud; they think that they are very good and they despise others.
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.
Some people [act very cruelly toward others]; [it is as though] [MET] they have teeth that are [like] sharp knives; they severely oppress poor [people] and try to cause them to disappear from the land.
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.’
Leeches [are always wanting more blood to suck]; [similarly, greedy people are always] saying “Give [me some]!” or “Give [me more]!” [MET] There are four things that are never (satisfied/content with what they have); they always want more [LIT]:
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 place where the dead people are; women who do not have any children; ground that needs water/rain; and a fire that always needs more wood. (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.
Those who [SYN] make fun of their fathers or refuse to obey their mothers (OR, despise their aged mothers) should [die and] have their eyes pecked out by crows, and the [rest of their corpses should be] fed to the vultures.
18 “Ọ dị ihe atọ na-agbagwoju m anya, apụghị m ịghọta ha; mbaa, ha dị anọ!
There are four things that are wonderful to me, [but] I do not understand any of them:
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.
How eagles fly in the sky, how snakes [are able to] move/crawl across a big rock, how ships sail on the seas, and how a man falls in love with a woman.
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 what a woman who (is not faithful to/does not have sex only with) her husband does: She commits adultery [EUP], and [then] bathes and says, “I have not done anything that is wrong!”
21 “Ọ dị ihe atọ na-eme ka ụwa maa jijiji, nʼokpuru ihe anọ nke ọ na-apụghị ịnagide,
There are four things that no [one in] the world can tolerate:
22 Ohu ghọrọ eze, onye nzuzu ihe na-agara nke ọma,
[What] a slave [does who] becomes a king, a foolish person eating [too much] food,
23 nwanyị obi ilu mesịrị lụta dị, na odibo nwanyị ghọrọ nwunye nna ya ukwu.
[what] a woman who is hated [does when she] gets married, and [what] a female servant [does when she] becomes the boss instead of her mistress.
24 “Ihe anọ dị nke dị nta nʼelu ụwa, ma ha maa ihe nke ukwuu.
[There are] four animals on the earth that are small, 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.
Ants are not strong, but they store up food during the summer [in order to have it during the winter].
26 Ewi nkume bụ ndị na-adịghị ike, ma ha na-echebe onwe ha site nʼibi nʼọgba nkume.
Rock badgers [also] are not strong, but they make their homes among the rocks [where they will be safe].
27 Igurube enweghị eze, ma ha na-aga nʼigwe nʼahịrị nʼahịrị.
Locusts do not have a king, but they march like [the soldiers in] an army.
28 Ngwere dị mfe iji aka jide ya, ma ị ga-achọta ha ọ bụladị nʼụlọ ndị eze.
Lizards/Geckos [are very small and] you can hold them in your hand, but they are [cleverly able to get] inside kings’ palaces.
29 “Ha dị ihe atọ na-ejegharị nʼụwa nʼọnọdụ ịdị oke ebube, mbaa, ha dị anọ:
[There are] four animals that strut around and look very impressive while they walk [DOU]:
30 Ọdụm, eze ụmụ anụmanụ. Ọ naghị atụ onye ọbụla egwu,
Lions, which are stronger than all other animals and are not afraid of any of them;
31 na oke ọkụkọ na-ejegharị ejegharị, na mkpi, na eze ndị agha ya gbara gburugburu.
male goats, strutting roosters, and kings who (parade/walk proudly back and forth) in front of the people whom they rule.
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 acted foolishly, exalting yourself, or if you been planning [to do something] evil, stop it immediately [IDM]!
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.”
If you churn milk, it produces butter/curds, and if you hit [someone hard on his] nose, [his nose] bleeds; similarly, if you do something to cause [people to become] angry, strife [usually] results.
