Ilu 7
1 Na-agbaso okwu m nwa m, nọgide na ya, dokwaa iwu m niile nʼime obi gị.
My son, keep my words, And lay up my commandments with thee.
2 Debe iwu m ka ị dị ndụ, chee ozizi m nche dịka ọ bụ mkpụrụ anya gị.
Keep my commandments and live; And my law as the apple of thine eye.
3 Kee ha na mkpịsịaka gị, deekwa ha nʼelu mbadamba nkume, bụ obi gị.
Bind them upon thy fingers; Write them upon the tablet of thy heart.
4 Hụ amamihe nʼanya dịka nwaagbọghọ ị hụrụ nʼanya; hụkwa inwe nghọta nʼanya dịka a ga-asị na ọ bụ nwanne gị.
Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; And call understanding [thy] kinswoman:
5 Kwee ka ha debe gị, ka ị ghara ijekwuru nwanyị na-akwa iko, ka ị gharakwa ịṅa ntị nʼokwu ire ụtọ ya.
That they may keep thee from the strange woman, From the foreigner that flattereth with her words.
6 Nʼihi na otu ụbọchị, esi m na oghereikuku dị nʼụlọ m lepụ anya,
For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;
7 hụ nʼetiti ndị na-enweghị uche, ahụtara m otu nwokorobịa nʼetiti ha, onye amamihe kọrọ,
And I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, A young man void of understanding,
8 ka ọ na-aga nʼụzọ dị nso ebe nkuku ụlọ nʼakụkụ ụlọ nwanyị ihere na-adịghị eme,
Passing through the street near her corner; And he went the way to her house,
9 nʼoge anyasị, dịka chi na-eji, mgbe ọchịchịrị na-agbachi.
In the twilight, in the evening of the day, In the middle of the night and in the darkness.
10 Mgbe ahụ, nwanyị ahụ pụtara zute ya. O yi uwe dịka nwanyị akwụna, jiri aghụghọ na-abịakwute ya.
And, behold, there met him a woman With the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.
11 (Ọ na-eme ụzụ na-aṅaghị ntị ịnụ ihe ọbụla. Ụkwụ ya anaghị anọgide nʼụlọ ya.
(She is clamorous and wilful; Her feet abide not in her house:
12 Ọ na-akwụgharị ma nʼokporoụzọ ma nʼama; na-amịgharị nʼebe nzuzo niile.)
Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, And lieth in wait at every corner.)
13 O weere aka ya abụọ jikụọ nwokorobịa ahụ nʼolu, sutu ya ọnụ, were ihu nke ihere na-adịghị, sị:
So she caught him, and kissed him, [And] with an impudent face she said unto him:
14 “Emezuru m nkwa niile m kwere taa, enwekwara m nri nke sitere nʼihe aja udo m chụrụ nʼụlọ m,
Sacrifices of peace-offerings are with me; This day have I paid my vows.
15 Ọ bụ gị ka m na-achọkwute, lee gị ka ị na-abịa.
Therefore came I forth to meet thee, Diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16 Agbasaala m akwa mara mma nʼelu ihe ndina m, bụ akwa ọcha mara mma tụrụ ọtụtụ agwa nke e ji ogho ndị Ijipt kpaa.
I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, With striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
17 Efesakwala m mmanụ isi ọma nke máá, aloos na sinamọn nʼelu nʼihe ndina m.
I have perfumed my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Bịa, ka anyị were ịhụnanya ṅụjụbiga afọ anyị; ka anyị mee onwe anyị obi ụtọ site ugbu a ruo ụtụtụ echi.
Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; Let us solace ourselves with loves.
19 Nʼihi na di m anọghị nʼụlọ o jeela njem dị anya.
For the man is not at home; He is gone a long journey:
20 O ji akpa ego juru gaa njem, abalị ole na ole ga-agafekwa tupu ọ lọta.”
He hath taken a bag of money with him; He will come home at the full moon.
21 Otu a ka o si jiri okwu ire ụtọ ya megharịa nwokorobịa ahụ isi tutu o kwenyere ya. O nwekwaghị ike ịnapụta onwe ya site nʼokwu nrafu nke nwanyị ahụ.
With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield; With the flattering of her lips she forceth him along.
22 O sooro nwanyị ahụ dịka ehi a na-adọkpụ na-aga ebe a ga-egbu ya, dịka ele nke na-aba nʼọnya,
He goeth after her straightway, As an ox goeth to the slaughter, Or as [one in] fetters to the correction of the fool;
23 nke na-eche ka e were àkụ gbata ya nʼobi. Nwoke ahụ dịka nnụnụ nke na-efeba nʼọnya na-amaghị ihe na-eche ya pụrụ iwepụ ndu ya.
Till an arrow strike through his liver; As a bird hasteth to the snare, And knoweth not that it is for his life.
24 Geenụ ntị, ụmụ m, ma ọ bụghị naanị ige ntị, kama meekwanụ ihe m na-ekwu.
Now therefore, [my] sons, hearken unto me, And attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Ekwela ka agụụ nke obi gị chịa gị; ejela nwanyị dị otu a nso; gbaara ya ọsọ, ka ọ ghara ịnwa gị nwetakwa gị.
Let not thy heart decline to her ways; Go not astray in her paths.
26 Nʼihi na o mebiela ndụ ọtụtụ mmadụ, ọtụtụ mmadụ amaala nʼọnya ya.
For she hath cast down many wounded: Yea, all her slain are a mighty host.
