Ilu 5
1 Nwa m, ṅaa ntị nʼokwu amamihe m, gee ntị nʼokwu nghọta m ndị a.
[My] son, attend to my wisdom, and apply your ear to my words;
2 Lezie anya, ka i debe izuzu dị iche iche, ka egbugbere ọnụ gị na-echebekwa ihe ọmụma.
that you may keep good understanding, and the discretion of my lips gives you a charge. Give no heed to a worthless woman;
3 Nʼihi na egbugbere ọnụ nwanyị na-akwa iko na-atọ ka mmanụ aṅụ, okwu ọnụ ya na-akwọ mụrụmụrụ karịa mmanụ.
for honey drops from the lips of a harlot, who for a season pleases your palate:
4 Ma nʼikpeazụ, ọ na-elu ilu dịka oluilu dịkwa nkọ ka mma agha ihu abụọ.
but afterwards you will find her more bitter than gall, and sharper than a two-edged sword.
For the feet of folly lead those who deal with her down to the grave with death; and her steps are not established. (Sheol h7585)
6 Nʼihi na ọ dịghị agbaso ụzọ kwesiri ndụ; ụzọ ya gbagọrọ agbagọ, ma ọ maghị nke a.
For she goes not upon the paths of life; but her ways are slippery, and not easily known.
7 Ugbu a ụmụ m, geenụ m ntị, unu esikwala nʼokwu niile nke ọnụ m wezuga onwe unu.
Now then, [my] son, hear me, and make not my words of none effect.
8 Gbaara nwanyị dị otu a ọsọ! Ejekwala ọnụ ụzọ ụlọ ya nso,
Remove your way far from her; draw not near to the doors 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 give away your life to others, and your substance to the merciless:
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 be filled with your strength, and your labors come into the houses of strangers;
11 Ka ị gharakwa ịsụ ude nʼikpeazụ mgbe ọrịa ga-eripịa ọkpụkpụ gị na anụ ahụ gị.
And you repent at last, when the flesh of your body is consumed,
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 shall say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart avoided reproofs!
13 Egeghị m ntị nʼozizi nke ndị nkuzi m maọbụ nabata ndụmọdụ nke ndị ndụmọdụ m.
I heard not the voice of him that instructed me, and taught me, neither did I apply mine ear.
14 Nʼihi na ugbu a, abịaruola m na mbibi nʼihu ọha mmadụ niile.”
I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.
15 Ṅụọ naanị mmiri nke si nʼite mmiri gị; mmiri dị mma nke si nʼolulu mmiri gị.
Drink waters out of your own vessels, and out of your own springing wells.
16 Gịnị mere ị ga-eji kwe ka isi mmiri gị sọọ nʼokporoụzọ, ka mmiri nke aka gị sọọ nʼama?
Let not waters out of your fountain be spilt by you, but let your waters go into your streets.
17 Kwee ka ha bụrụ nke naanị gị, nke onye ọbịa na-agaghị enwe oke nʼime ya.
Let them be only your own, and let no stranger partake with you.
18 Kwere ka ịbụ nwoke gị bụrụ ngọzị nye gị; ṅụrịakwa ọṅụ nʼihi nwunye nke ị lụtara nʼokorobịa gị.
Let your fountain of water be [truly] your own; and rejoice with 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.
Let [your] loving hart and your graceful colt company with you, and let her be considered your own, and be with you at all times; for ravished with her love you shall be greatly increased.
20 Gịnị ka ị na-achọ nʼahụ nwanyị na-akwa iko? Gịnị mere i ji na-amaku nwunye onye ọzọ obi?
Be not intimate with a strange woman, neither fold yourself in the arms of a woman not your own.
21 Nʼihi na Onyenwe anyị na-ele gị anya, ihe niile ị na-eme ka ọ na-ahụ.
For the ways of a man are before the eyes of God, and he looks on 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.
Iniquities ensnare a man, and every one is bound in the chains of his own sins.
23 Ọ ga-anwụ nʼihi na ọ nabataghị ịdọ aka na ntị; ọ bụkwa nzuzu ya dufuru ya.
Such a man dies with the uninstructed; and he is cast forth from the abundance of his own substance, and has perished through folly.
