Ilu 7
1 Na-agbaso okwu m nwa m, nọgide na ya, dokwaa iwu m niile nʼime obi gị.
My son, keep my sayings, and let my rules be stored up with you.
2 Debe iwu m ka ị dị ndụ, chee ozizi m nche dịka ọ bụ mkpụrụ anya gị.
Keep my rules and you will have life; let my teaching be to you as the light of your eyes;
3 Kee ha na mkpịsịaka gị, deekwa ha nʼelu mbadamba nkume, bụ obi gị.
Let them be fixed to your fingers, and recorded in your heart.
4 Hụ amamihe nʼanya dịka nwaagbọghọ ị hụrụ nʼanya; hụkwa inwe nghọta nʼanya dịka a ga-asị na ọ bụ nwanne gị.
Say to wisdom, You are my sister; let knowledge be named your special friend:
5 Kwee ka ha debe gị, ka ị ghara ijekwuru nwanyị na-akwa iko, ka ị gharakwa ịṅa ntị nʼokwu ire ụtọ ya.
So that they may keep you from the strange woman, even from her whose words are smooth.
6 Nʼihi na otu ụbọchị, esi m na oghereikuku dị nʼụlọ m lepụ anya,
Looking out from my house, and watching through the window,
7 hụ nʼetiti ndị na-enweghị uche, ahụtara m otu nwokorobịa nʼetiti ha, onye amamihe kọrọ,
I saw among the young men one without sense,
8 ka ọ na-aga nʼụzọ dị nso ebe nkuku ụlọ nʼakụkụ ụlọ nwanyị ihere na-adịghị eme,
Walking in the street near the turn of her road, going on the way to her house,
9 nʼoge anyasị, dịka chi na-eji, mgbe ọchịchịrị na-agbachi.
At nightfall, in the evening of the day, in the black dark of the night.
10 Mgbe ahụ, nwanyị ahụ pụtara zute ya. O yi uwe dịka nwanyị akwụna, jiri aghụghọ na-abịakwute ya.
And the woman came out to him, in the dress of a loose woman, with a designing heart;
11 (Ọ na-eme ụzụ na-aṅaghị ntị ịnụ ihe ọbụla. Ụkwụ ya anaghị anọgide nʼụlọ ya.
She is full of noise and uncontrolled; her feet keep not in her house.
12 Ọ na-akwụgharị ma nʼokporoụzọ ma nʼama; na-amịgharị nʼebe nzuzo niile.)
Now she is in the street, now in the open spaces, waiting at every turning of the road.
13 O weere aka ya abụọ jikụọ nwokorobịa ahụ nʼolu, sutu ya ọnụ, were ihu nke ihere na-adịghị, sị:
So she took him by his hand, kissing him, and without a sign of shame she said to him:
14 “Emezuru m nkwa niile m kwere taa, enwekwara m nri nke sitere nʼihe aja udo m chụrụ nʼụlọ m,
I have a feast of peace-offerings, for today my oaths have been effected.
15 Ọ bụ gị ka m na-achọkwute, lee gị ka ị na-abịa.
So I came out in the hope of meeting you, looking for you with care, and now I have you.
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.
My bed is covered with cushions of needlework, with coloured cloths of the cotton thread of Egypt;
17 Efesakwala m mmanụ isi ọma nke máá, aloos na sinamọn nʼelu nʼihe ndina m.
I have made my bed sweet with perfumes and spices.
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 pleasure in love till the morning, having joy in love's delights.
19 Nʼihi na di m anọghị nʼụlọ o jeela njem dị anya.
For the master of the house is away on a long journey:
20 O ji akpa ego juru gaa njem, abalị ole na ole ga-agafekwa tupu ọ lọta.”
He has taken a bag of money with him; he is coming back 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 fair words she overcame him, forcing him with her smooth lips.
22 O sooro nwanyị ahụ dịka ehi a na-adọkpụ na-aga ebe a ga-egbu ya, dịka ele nke na-aba nʼọnya,
The simple man goes after her, like an ox going to its death, like a roe pulled by a cord;
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.
Like a bird falling into a net; with no thought that his life is in danger, till an arrow goes into his side.
24 Geenụ ntị, ụmụ m, ma ọ bụghị naanị ige ntị, kama meekwanụ ihe m na-ekwu.
So now, my sons, give ear to me; give attention to the sayings 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 your heart be turned to her ways, do not go wandering in her footsteps.
26 Nʼihi na o mebiela ndụ ọtụtụ mmadụ, ọtụtụ mmadụ amaala nʼọnya ya.
For those wounded and made low by her are great in number; and all those who have come to their death through her are a great army.
