Ilu 5
1 Nwa m, ṅaa ntị nʼokwu amamihe m, gee ntị nʼokwu nghọta m ndị a.
My son, pay attention to my wisdom; incline your ear to my insight,
2 Lezie anya, ka i debe izuzu dị iche iche, ka egbugbere ọnụ gị na-echebekwa ihe ọmụma.
that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge.
3 Nʼihi na egbugbere ọnụ nwanyị na-akwa iko na-atọ ka mmanụ aṅụ, okwu ọnụ ya na-akwọ mụrụmụrụ karịa mmanụ.
Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey and her speech is smoother than oil,
4 Ma nʼikpeazụ, ọ na-elu ilu dịka oluilu dịkwa nkọ ka mma agha ihu abụọ.
in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a double-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
6 Nʼihi na ọ dịghị agbaso ụzọ kwesiri ndụ; ụzọ ya gbagọrọ agbagọ, ma ọ maghị nke a.
She does not consider the path of life; she does not know that her ways are unstable.
7 Ugbu a ụmụ m, geenụ m ntị, unu esikwala nʼokwu niile nke ọnụ m wezuga onwe unu.
So now, my sons, listen to me, and do not turn aside from the words of my mouth.
8 Gbaara nwanyị dị otu a ọsọ! Ejekwala ọnụ ụzọ ụlọ ya nso,
Keep your path far from her; do not go near the door of her house,
9 ka ị ghara ire ugwu gị nʼebe ndị ọzọ nọ, maọbụ were ndụ gị tinye nʼaka ndị na-enweghị obi ebere.
lest you concede your vigor to others, and your years to one who is cruel;
10 Ka ndị ọbịa ghara inwe oke oriri nʼelu akụ gị, ka ihe niile ị dọgburu onwe gị nʼọrụ ịkpata gharakwa imejupụta ụlọ onye ọzọ.
lest strangers feast on your wealth, and your labors enrich the house of a foreigner.
11 Ka ị gharakwa ịsụ ude nʼikpeazụ mgbe ọrịa ga-eripịa ọkpụkpụ gị na anụ ahụ gị.
At the end of your life you will groan when your flesh and your body are spent,
12 Mgbe ị ga-asị, Lee ka m si kpọọ ịdọ aka na ntị asị! “Leekwa ka obi m si lelịa iba mba anya!
and you will say, “How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof!
13 Egeghị m ntị nʼozizi nke ndị nkuzi m maọbụ nabata ndụmọdụ nke ndị ndụmọdụ m.
I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my mentors.
14 Nʼihi na ugbu a, abịaruola m na mbibi nʼihu ọha mmadụ niile.”
I am on the brink of utter ruin in the midst of the whole assembly.”
15 Ṅụọ naanị mmiri nke si nʼite mmiri gị; mmiri dị mma nke si nʼolulu mmiri gị.
Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well.
16 Gịnị mere ị ga-eji kwe ka isi mmiri gị sọọ nʼokporoụzọ, ka mmiri nke aka gị sọọ nʼama?
Why should your springs flow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares?
17 Kwee ka ha bụrụ nke naanị gị, nke onye ọbịa na-agaghị enwe oke nʼime ya.
Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers.
18 Kwere ka ịbụ nwoke gị bụrụ ngọzị nye gị; ṅụrịakwa ọṅụ nʼihi nwunye nke ị lụtara nʼokorobịa gị.
May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth:
19 Nne anụ nke na-ahụ nʼanya, dịka ele mara mma, ka ara dị ya nʼobi zuore gị, ka ịhụnanya ya na-enye gị obi ụtọ mgbe ọbụla.
A loving doe, a graceful fawn— may her breasts satisfy you always; may you be captivated by her love forever.
20 Gịnị ka ị na-achọ nʼahụ nwanyị na-akwa iko? Gịnị mere i ji na-amaku nwunye onye ọzọ obi?
Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress, or embrace the bosom of a stranger?
21 Nʼihi na Onyenwe anyị na-ele gị anya, ihe niile ị na-eme ka ọ na-ahụ.
For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and the LORD examines all his paths.
22 Onye na-emebi iwu na-esite na mmehie ya laa onwe ya nʼiyi; mmehie ndị a bụ ụdọ nke na-ejide ya.
The iniquities of a wicked man entrap him; the cords of his sin entangle him.
23 Ọ ga-anwụ nʼihi na ọ nabataghị ịdọ aka na ntị; ọ bụkwa nzuzu ya dufuru ya.
He dies for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly.
