Ilu 31
1 Ndị a bụ okwu si nʼọnụ Lemuel, eze Masa. Ha bụ okwu ndị ahụ nne eze Lemuel kuziri ya.
The words of Lemuel, king of Massa: the teaching which he had from his mother.
2 Gee ntị, nwa m, gee ntị, nwa nke afọ m. Gee ntị, nwa m, nwa nke ọziza ekpere m niile.
What am I to say to you, O Lemuel, my oldest son? and what, O son of my body? and what, O son of my oaths?
3 Enyela ụmụ nwanyị ike gị, enyekwela ịdị ike gị nʼaka ndị nʼala ndị eze nʼiyi.
Do not give your strength to women, or your ways to that which is the destruction of kings.
4 Lemuel nwa m, ọ bụghị ihe kwesiri ekwesi na ndị eze ga-aṅụ mmanya. O kwesikwaghị ka agụụ ịṅụ mmanya bụrụ ihe ga na-agụ ndị eze.
It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to take wine, or for rulers to say, Where is strong drink?
5 Ka ha ghara ịṅụbiga mmanya oke si otu a chefuo ikpe ikpe ziri ezi dịka iwu kwuru. Ka ha gharakwa isite nʼịṅụbiga mmanya oke napụ ndị a na-emegbu emegbu ikpe ziri ezi ha kwesiri inweta.
For fear that through drinking they may come to have no respect for the law, wrongly judging the cause of those who are in trouble.
6 Ndị e kwesiri inye mmanya bụ ndị ahụ na-ala nʼiyi, ndị ahụ nọ nʼọnọdụ oke ihe mgbu nke obi.
Give strong drink to him who is near to destruction, and wine to him whose soul is bitter:
7 Ka ha ṅụọ chefuo ọnọdụ ọjọọ ha, ka ha gharakwa icheta ọnọdụ nhụju anya ha.
Let him have drink, and his need will go from his mind, and the memory of his trouble will be gone.
8 Jisie ike kwuchite ọnụ ndị ahụ na-enweghị ike ikwuru ọnụ onwe ha; kwuchitekwa ọnụ ndị niile ọnọdụ ha dị ala.
Let your mouth be open for those who have no voice, in the cause of those who are ready for death.
9 Kwusie okwu ike, kpeekwa ikpe ziri ezi. Gbooro ndị ogbenye na ndị mkpa na-akpa ọgụ site nʼaka ndị na-emegbu ha.
Let your mouth be open, judging rightly, and give right decisions in the cause of the poor and those in need.
10 Nwanyị nwere ugwu onye ga-achọtali ya? Ọ dị oke ọnụ karịa nkume rubi.
Who may make discovery of a woman of virtue? For her price is much higher than jewels.
11 Di nwanyị dị otu a na-atụkwasị obi ya niile nʼime ya, ọ dịghị ihe dị mkpa nke na-akọ ya.
The heart of her husband has faith in her, and he will have profit in full measure.
12 Ihe nwanyị dị otu a na-ewetara di ya bụ naanị ihe ọma. Ihe ọjọọ ọbụla adịghị esi nʼaka ya abịakwasị di ya ụbọchị niile nke ndụ ya.
She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.
13 Ọ na-ahọrọ ajị anụ na flakisi jiri ya na-arụ ọrụ na-atọ aka ya ụtọ.
She gets wool and linen, working at the business of her hands.
14 Ọ na-esite nʼebe dị anya na-ebubata ihe oriri nʼụlọ ya dịka a ga-asị na ọ bụ ụgbọ mmiri.
She is like the trading-ships, getting food from far away.
15 Tupu chi abọzie, nwanyị a esitelarị nʼihe ndina bilie kwadooro ezinaụlọ ya ihe oriri, ma debekwara odibo ndị inyom na-ejere ya ozi oke ihe oriri nke ha.
She gets up while it is still night, and gives meat to her family, and their food to her servant-girls.
16 Ọ na-apụ nyochapụta ịdị mma ala ubi, ma zụpụta ya. Ọ bụ ego ọ rụpụtara nʼonwe ya ka o ji arụ ọrụ ubi vaịnị.
After looking at a field with care, she gets it for a price, planting a vine-garden with the profit of her work.
17 Ike ịrụ ọrụ adịghị agwụ ya. Ọ dị nnọọ ike, bụrụkwa onye na-arụpụta ihe dị iche iche.
She puts a band of strength round her, and makes her arms strong.
18 Ọ na-elezi anya hụ na ihe ahịa o mepụtara dị ezi oke ọnụahịa; ọ bụ nke a mere o ji na-arụ ọrụ ruo nʼime ime abalị.
She sees that her marketing is of profit to her: her light does not go out by night.
19 Nʼọbụaka ya ka o jidere osisi ịtụ ogho akwa; mkpịsịaka ya na-ejidesikwa ozele e ji na-ekwe akwa ike.
She puts her hands to the cloth-working rod, and her fingers take the wheel.
20 Ọ na-agbasapụ aka inyere ndị ogbenye na ndị mkpa na-akpa aka.
Her hands are stretched out to the poor; yes, she is open-handed to those who are in need.
21 Udu mmiri maọbụ oge oke oyi adịghị eche ya uche nʼihi na ndị niile nọ nʼezinaụlọ ya nwere uwe ha ga-eji chụọ oyi.
She has no fear of the snow for her family, for all those in her house are clothed in red.
22 Ọ na-akpa akwa a na-agbasa nʼelu ihe ndina, ma ya onwe ya na-eyikwa uwe e ji ezi akwa ọcha na akwa odo odo dụọ.
She makes for herself cushions of needlework; her clothing is fair linen and purple.
23 Di ya bụ onye a na-asọpụrụ nʼọnụ ụzọ ama obodo ebe ọ na-ewere ọnọdụ nʼetiti ndị okenye nke ala ahụ.
Her husband is a man of note in the public place, when he takes his seat among the responsible men of the land.
24 Ọ na-akpa ma na-adụkwa akwa dị iche iche, ya na ihe ike nʼukwu, ndị ọ na-eresi ndị ahịa ndị ọzọ.
She makes linen robes and gets a price for them, and traders take her cloth bands for a price.
25 Ọ bụ nwanyị dị ike, onye a na-asọpụrụ asọpụrụ. Ụjọ adịghị atụkwa ya maka ihe ga-eme nʼoge dị nʼihu.
Strength and self-respect are her clothing; she is facing the future with a smile.
26 Ọ na-eji amamihe na-ekwu okwu ntụziaka kwesiri dịkwa nʼire ya.
Her mouth is open to give out wisdom, and the law of mercy is on her tongue.
27 Ọ na-etinye uche nʼihe niile banyere ezinaụlọ ya, ọ naghị arụ ọrụ umengwụ.
She gives attention to the ways of her family, she does not take her food without working for it.
28 Ụmụ ya na-ebili gọzie ya; otu a kwa di ya ga-eto ya ezi otuto.
Her children get up and give her honour, and her husband gives her praise, saying,
29 Ọ ga-asị; “E nwere ọtụtụ ndị inyom ndị bụ ezi nwunye nye di ha, ma gị onwe gị kachasị ha niile mma.”
Unnumbered women have done well, but you are better than all of them.
30 Ịma mma nke elu ahụ adịghị egosi ihe mmadụ bụ, nʼihi na ịma mma adịghị adịgide ogologo oge. Ma nwanyị ọbụla nke na-atụ egwu Onyenwe anyị bụ onye e kwesiri ito.
Fair looks are a deceit, and a beautiful form is of no value; but a woman who has the fear of the Lord is to be praised.
31 E kwesiri ito ya nʼihi ọrụ ọma niile nke aka ya rụpụtara. Ka ọrụ ya niile wetara ya otuto nʼọnụ ụzọ ama nke obodo.
Give her credit for what her hands have made: let her be praised by her works in the public place.
