Ilu 31
1 Ndị a bụ okwu si nʼọnụ Lemuel, eze Masa. Ha bụ okwu ndị ahụ nne eze Lemuel kuziri ya.
These are sayings/messages that [God gave to] King Lemuel’s mother, and which his mother taught him:
2 Gee ntị, nwa m, gee ntị, nwa nke afọ m. Gee ntị, nwa m, nwa nke ọziza ekpere m niile.
You are my son; I gave birth to you [RHQ]; you are the son that [God gave me] in answer to my prayers.
3 Enyela ụmụ nwanyị ike gị, enyekwela ịdị ike gị nʼaka ndị nʼala ndị eze nʼiyi.
Do not exhaust your energy [having sex] [EUP] with women [to whom you are not married], with women who ruin kings [by having sex with them].
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.
Lemuel, kings should not be [constantly] drinking wine or [greatly] desire [to drink other] strong/alcoholic drinks.
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.
If they do that, they forget the laws [that they have made], and they do not do what is right for poor/afflicted [people].
6 Ndị e kwesiri inye mmanya bụ ndị ahụ na-ala nʼiyi, ndị ahụ nọ nʼọnọdụ oke ihe mgbu nke obi.
Give strong/alcoholic drinks to those who are dying and to those who are (greatly distressed/suffering very much).
7 Ka ha ṅụọ chefuo ọnọdụ ọjọọ ha, ka ha gharakwa icheta ọnọdụ nhụju anya ha.
If they drink, they will forget that they are poor, and they will not think about their distress/troubles any more.
8 Jisie ike kwuchite ọnụ ndị ahụ na-enweghị ike ikwuru ọnụ onwe ha; kwuchitekwa ọnụ ndị niile ọnọdụ ha dị ala.
Speak [MTY] to defend people who are unable to defend themselves; speak to encourage others to do what is right for those who are helpless.
9 Kwusie okwu ike, kpeekwa ikpe ziri ezi. Gbooro ndị ogbenye na ndị mkpa na-akpa ọgụ site nʼaka ndị na-emegbu ha.
Speak [MTY] (on their behalf/to help them) and try to cause judges to decide matters fairly/justly; try to cause others to do for poor and needy [people] what should be done for them.
10 Nwanyị nwere ugwu onye ga-achọtali ya? Ọ dị oke ọnụ karịa nkume rubi.
It is very difficult [for a man] to [RHQ] find a wife who is good and who is capable [of doing many things]. [Any woman who is like that] is worth more than jewels.
11 Di nwanyị dị otu a na-atụkwasị obi ya niile nʼime ya, ọ dịghị ihe dị mkpa nke na-akọ ya.
Her husband completely trusts her, and [because of her], he has everything that he needs [LIT].
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 never does anything that would harm him; she does good things for him 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 finds wool and flax [in the market], and she enjoys spinning it [to make yarn].
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 [SIM] a ship that brings from far away goods/merchandise to sell, [because] she buys food that comes 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 before dawn to prepare food for her family. [Then] she plans the work that her servant girls will do on that day.
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.
She [goes out and] looks at a field [that someone wants to sell]; and [if it is a good field], she buys it. She [buys] grapevines [MTY] with the money that she has earned, [and then] she plants them.
17 Ike ịrụ ọrụ adịghị agwụ ya. Ọ dị nnọọ ike, bụrụkwa onye na-arụpụta ihe dị iche iche.
She works very hard [IDM]; she makes her arms strong [by the work she does].
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 knows when she is getting a good profit from her business. [When it is necessary], she works [MTY] until it is late at night.
19 Nʼọbụaka ya ka o jidere osisi ịtụ ogho akwa; mkpịsịaka ya na-ejidesikwa ozele e ji na-ekwe akwa ike.
She holds the (spindle/rod which twists the thread that she is making), and [then] she spins the thread [MTY] [that she will use].
20 Ọ na-agbasapụ aka inyere ndị ogbenye na ndị mkpa na-akpa aka.
She generously helps [MTY] those who are poor and needy [DOU].
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 is not worried that [the people in her house will be cold in] the winter, because [she has made] warm clothes for all of them.
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 bedspreads/quilts for the beds. She wears fine linen clothes that are dyed purple, [like queens wear].
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 [well] known by the important people of the town; he sits with the [other] town leaders in the meetings of the town council.
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 clothes from linen cloth and sells them. She sells sashes to shop owners.
25 Ọ bụ nwanyị dị ike, onye a na-asọpụrụ asọpụrụ. Ụjọ adịghị atụkwa ya maka ihe ga-eme nʼoge dị nʼihu.
She is strong in her character and respected/dignified, and she (laughs at/is not afraid of) [what will happen in] the future.
26 Ọ na-eji amamihe na-ekwu okwu ntụziaka kwesiri dịkwa nʼire ya.
When she speaks, she says what is wise. When she gives instructions, she speaks [MTY] kindly (OR, faithfully).
27 Ọ na-etinye uche nʼihe niile banyere ezinaụlọ ya, ọ naghị arụ ọrụ umengwụ.
She watches over everything that is done in her household, and she [IDM] is never lazy.
28 Ụmụ ya na-ebili gọzie ya; otu a kwa di ya ga-eto ya ezi otuto.
Her children all together speak highly of her, and her husband also praises her.
29 Ọ ga-asị; “E nwere ọtụtụ ndị inyom ndị bụ ezi nwunye nye di ha, ma gị onwe gị kachasị ha niile mma.”
[He says to her], “There are many women who do admirable things, but you surpass them all!”
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.
Some women who are attractive [are not really good women], [but] they can deceive us [regarding what they are really like]. Furthermore, women’s beauty does not last; but women who revere Yahweh should be honored.
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.
Reward women who are like that, and praise them in public [MTY] for what they have done.
