Ilu 6
1 Nwa m, ọ bụrụ na ị nara onye agbataobi gị nʼibe, ọ bụrụ na ị nara aka ị bụrụ onye ọbịa onye akaebe,
[My] son, if you become surety for your friend, you shall deliver your hand to an enemy.
2 ị bụrụla onye mara nʼọnya site nʼihe ị kwuru, onye enwudere site nʼokwu ọnụ ya.
For a man's own lips become a strong snare to him, and he is caught with the lips of his own mouth.
3 Mee nke a, nwa m, si nʼime ya wepụ onwe gị; nʼihi na ịdabala nʼaka onye agbataobi gị: Jee ọsịịsọ weda onwe gị nʼala rịọọ ya enyekwala ya izuike ọbụla.
[My] son, do what I command you, and deliver yourself; for on your friend's account you are come into the power of evil [men]: faint not, but stir up even your friend for whom you are become surety.
4 Ekwekwala ka ụra baa gị anya abụọ, ekwekwala ka mbụbara anya gị ruo ụra.
Give not sleep to your eyes, nor slumber with your eyelids;
5 Napụta onwe gị, dịka mgbada site nʼaka dinta, maọbụ dịka nnụnụ site nʼọnya osi ọnya.
that you may deliver yourself as a doe out of the toils, and as a bird out of a snare.
6 Gaa mụta ihe site nʼaka ndanda, gị onye umengwụ. Mụta ihe site nʼụzọ ya niile.
Go to the ant, O sluggard; and see, and emulate his ways, and become wiser than he.
7 Ọ bụ ezie na o nweghị eze na-achịkọta ha, maọbụ onyendu, maọbụ ọchịagha,
For whereas he has no husbandry, nor any one to compel him, and is under no master,
8 ma ọ na-akpakọta nri ya nʼoge ọkọchị ma na-ewebata nri ya nʼoge owuwe ihe ubi.
he prepares food for himself in the summer, and lays by abundant store in harvest. Or go to the bee, and learn how diligent she is, and how earnestly she is engaged in her work; whose labors kings and private men use for health, and she is desired and respected by all: though weak in body, she is advanced by honouring wisdom.
9 Ọ bụ ruo ole mgbe ka ị ga-edina ala nʼebe ahụ, gị onye umengwụ? Olee mgbe ka ị ga-esi nʼụra bilie?
How long will you lie, O sluggard? and when will you awake out of sleep?
10 Nwa ụra nta, nwa iru ụra nta, nwa ịchịkọba aka nta zuo ike,
You sleep a little, and you rest a little, and you slumber a short [time], and you fold your arms over your breast a little.
11 ụbịam ga-abịakwasị gị dịka onye ohi, ụkọ abịakwasịkwa gị dịka onye na-apụnara mmadụ ihe.
Then poverty comes upon you as an evil traveller, and lack as a swift courier: but if you be diligent, your harvest shall arrive as a fountain, and poverty shall flee away as a bad courier.
12 Onye okwu na ụka na onye omume ya jọgburu onwe ya, onye na-ejegharị na-ekwu okwu aghụghọ,
A foolish man and a transgressor goes in ways that are not good.
13 onye ji iro na-egbu ikuanya ya, jiri ụkwụ ya na-ekwu okwu na mkpịsịaka ya na-egosi ihe.
And the same winks with the eye, and makes a sign with his foot, and teaches with the beckonings of his fingers.
14 Onye obi ya na-echepụta ihe ọjọọ na aghụghọ, onye na-akpalikwa esemokwu mgbe niile.
[His] perverse heart devises evils: at all times such a one causes troubles to a city.
15 Nʼihi ya, mbibi ga-abịakwasị ya na mberede; nʼotu ntabi anya ka a ga-ebibi ya, apụghịkwa ịgwọta ya.
Therefore his destruction shall come suddenly; overthrow and irretrievable ruin.
16 Ọ dị ụzọ ihe isii Onyenwe anyị kpọrọ asị, e, ha dị asaa bụ ihe arụ nʼebe ọ nọ.
For he rejoices in all things which God hates, and he is ruined by reason of impurity of soul.
17 Anya dị nganga, ire na-ekwu okwu ụgha, aka na-awụfu ọbara ndị na-emeghị ihe ọjọọ.
The eye of the haughty, a tongue unjust, hands shedding the blood of the just;
18 Obi na-echepụta nzube ọjọọ; ụkwụ na-eme ngwangwa ịgbaba nʼajọ ihe,
and a heart devising evil thoughts, and feet hastening to do evil, —[are hateful to God].
19 onyeama ụgha na-awụpụ ụgha dịka mmiri na onye na-agbasa esemokwu nʼetiti ụmụnna.
An unjust witness kindles falsehoods, and brings on quarrels between brethren.
20 Nwa m, debe ihe nna gị nyere gị nʼiwu, ahapụkwala iwu nke nne gị.
[My] son, keep the laws of your father, and reject not the ordinances of your mother:
21 Ka ndụmọdụ ha dịrị gị nʼobi mgbe niile, ka ị ghara ichefu ha.
but bind them upon your soul continually, and hang them as a chain about your neck.
22 Mgbe ị na-ejegharị, ọ ga na-edu gị; mgbe ị na-arahụ ụra, ọ ga na-eche gị. Mgbe i tetakwara, ha ga-akpanyere gị ụka.
Whenever you walk, lead this along and let it be with you; that it may talk with you when you wake.
23 Nʼihi na iwu a bụ oriọna, Ihe ozizi a bụkwa ìhè, otu a kwa ịdọ aka na ntị na ịba mba bụ ụzọ ezi ndụ,
For the commandment of the law is a lamp and a light; a way of life; reproof also and correction:
24 idebe gị ka ị pụọ nʼebe nwunye onye agbataobi gị nọ, sitekwa nʼire ụtọ nke nwanyị ọjọọ.
to keep you continually from a married woman, and from the calumny of a strange tongue.
25 Ekwela ka agụ nʼezighị ezi gụọ gị nʼime obi nʼihi ịma mma ya, ma ọ bụkwanụ ka o jiri ile anya ya rata gị.
Let not the desire of beauty overcome you, neither be you caught by your eyes, neither be captivated with her eyelids.
26 Nʼihi na nwanyị akwụna ka enwere ike iji otu ogbe achịcha nweta, ma nwunye nwoke ọzọ na-achụ nta ndụ gị ịla ya nʼiyi.
For the value of a harlot is as much as of one loaf; and a woman hunts for the precious souls of men.
27 Mmadụ ọ pụrụ ịgụrụ ọkụ tụkwasị nʼahụ ya, ma uwe ya ereghị ọkụ?
Shall any one bind fire in his bosom, and not burn his garments?
28 Mmadụ ọ pụrụ ije ije nʼelu icheku ọkụ ma ụkwụ ya ahapụ igbuchapụ?
or will any one walk on coals of fire, and not burn his feet?
29 Otu a ka ọ na-adịrị nwoke na-abakwuru nwunye mmadụ ibe ya; o nweghị onye ọbụla na-emetụ ya aka nke a na-agaghị ata ahụhụ.
So is he that goes in to a married woman; he shall not be held guiltless, neither any one that touches her.
30 Ndị mmadụ adịghị eleda onye ohi anya ma ọ bụrụ na o zuo ohi ka o were gboo mkpa agụụ nke na-agụsị ya ike.
It is not to be wondered at if one should be taken stealing, for he steals that when hungry he may satisfy his soul:
31 Ma ọ bụrụ na ejide ya ọ ga-akwụghachi ụgwọ ihe niile ahụ o zuru okpukpu asaa. Nʼagbanyeghị na nke a ga-eme ka o ree ihe niile o ji biri nʼụlọ ya.
but if he should be taken, he shall repay sevenfold, and shall deliver himself by giving all his goods.
32 Ma nwoke ahụ na-akwa iko bụ onye nzuzu, amamihe kọrọ ya, nʼihi na ọ bụ onwe ya ka ọ na-ala nʼiyi.
But the adulterer through lack of sense procures destruction to his soul.
33 A ga-eti ya ezi ihe otiti, a ga-elelikwa ya anya, ihere ya agaghị ekwe ihichapụ.
He endures both pain and disgrace, and his reproach shall never be wiped off.
34 Nʼihi na di nwanyị ahụ ga-esite nʼekworo wee iwe dị ọkụ; ọ gakwaghị enwe obi ebere nʼebe ọ nọ nʼụbọchị ọ ga-abọ ọbọ.
For the soul of her husband is full of jealousy: he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35 Ọ gaghị anara ihe ọbụla nʼọnọdụ ihe nkwụghachi nʼihi ihe ọjọọ o mere ya. O nwekwaghị ihe a ga-enye ya pụrụ ime ka iwe ya dajụọ.
He will not forego [his] enmity for any ransom: neither will he be reconciled for many gifts.
