Ilu 5
1 Nwa m, ṅaa ntị nʼokwu amamihe m, gee ntị nʼokwu nghọta m ndị a.
My son, attend unto my wisdom; to my understanding incline thou thy ear:
2 Lezie anya, ka i debe izuzu dị iche iche, ka egbugbere ọnụ gị na-echebekwa ihe ọmụma.
That thou mayest observe discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.
3 Nʼihi na egbugbere ọnụ nwanyị na-akwa iko na-atọ ka mmanụ aṅụ, okwu ọnụ ya na-akwọ mụrụmụrụ karịa mmanụ.
For as of fine honey drop the lips of an adulterous woman, and smoother than oil is her palate;
4 Ma nʼikpeazụ, ọ na-elu ilu dịka oluilu dịkwa nkọ ka mma agha ihu abụọ.
But her end is bitter as wormwood, it is sharp as a two-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death, her steps take firm hold on the nether world: (Sheol h7585)
6 Nʼihi na ọ dịghị agbaso ụzọ kwesiri ndụ; ụzọ ya gbagọrọ agbagọ, ma ọ maghị nke a.
So that she cannot balance the path of life; her tracks are unsteady, and she knoweth it not.
7 Ugbu a ụmụ m, geenụ m ntị, unu esikwala nʼokwu niile nke ọnụ m wezuga onwe unu.
And now, O ye children, hearken unto me, and depart not from the sayings of my mouth.
8 Gbaara nwanyị dị otu a ọsọ! Ejekwala ọnụ ụzọ ụlọ ya nso,
Remove far from her thy way, and come not nigh to 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.
That thou mayest not give up unto others thy vigor, and thy years unto the 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.
That strangers may not satisfy themselves with thy strength, and with thy exertions, in the house of an alien:
11 Ka ị gharakwa ịsụ ude nʼikpeazụ mgbe ọrịa ga-eripịa ọkpụkpụ gị na anụ ahụ gị.
While thou moanest at thy end, when thy flesh and thy body are coming to their end,
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 thou sayest, How have I hated correction, and how hath my heart rejected reproof;
13 Egeghị m ntị nʼozizi nke ndị nkuzi m maọbụ nabata ndụmọdụ nke ndị ndụmọdụ m.
While I hearkened not to the voice of my instructors, and to my teachers I inclined not my ear;
14 Nʼihi na ugbu a, abịaruola m na mbibi nʼihu ọha mmadụ niile.”
But little more was wanting, and I had been in all [kinds of] unhappiness 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 water out of thy own cistern, and running waters out of thy own well.
16 Gịnị mere ị ga-eji kwe ka isi mmiri gị sọọ nʼokporoụzọ, ka mmiri nke aka gị sọọ nʼama?
So will thy springs overflow abroad; and in the open streets will be thy rivulets of water;
17 Kwee ka ha bụrụ nke naanị gị, nke onye ọbịa na-agaghị enwe oke nʼime ya.
They will be thy own only, and not those of strangers with thee.
18 Kwere ka ịbụ nwoke gị bụrụ ngọzị nye gị; ṅụrịakwa ọṅụ nʼihi nwunye nke ị lụtara nʼokorobịa gị.
Thy fountain will be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy 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.
The lovely gazelle and the graceful chamois: let her bosom satisfy thee abundantly at all times; with her love be thou ravished continually.
20 Gịnị ka ị na-achọ nʼahụ nwanyị na-akwa iko? Gịnị mere i ji na-amaku nwunye onye ọzọ obi?
And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with an adulteress, and embrace the bosom of an alien woman?
21 Nʼihi na Onyenwe anyị na-ele gị anya, ihe niile ị na-eme ka ọ na-ahụ.
For before the eyes of the Lord are the ways of man, and all his tracks doth he weigh in the balance.
22 Onye na-emebi iwu na-esite na mmehie ya laa onwe ya nʼiyi; mmehie ndị a bụ ụdọ nke na-ejide ya.
His own iniquities will truly catch the wicked, and with the cords of his sin will he be held firmly.
23 Ọ ga-anwụ nʼihi na ọ nabataghị ịdọ aka na ntị; ọ bụkwa nzuzu ya dufuru ya.
He will indeed die for want of correction; and through the abundance of his folly will he sink into error.
