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 lay up my commands with you.
2 Debe iwu m ka ị dị ndụ, chee ozizi m nche dịka ọ bụ mkpụrụ anya gị.
Keep my commands, and live, And my law as the pupil of your eye.
3 Kee ha na mkpịsịaka gị, deekwa ha nʼelu mbadamba nkume, bụ obi gị.
Bind them on your fingers, Write them on the tablet of 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.” And cry to understanding, “Relative!”
5 Kwee ka ha debe gị, ka ị ghara ijekwuru nwanyị na-akwa iko, ka ị gharakwa ịṅa ntị nʼokwu ire ụtọ ya.
To preserve you from a strange woman, From a stranger who has made her sayings smooth.
6 Nʼihi na otu ụbọchị, esi m na oghereikuku dị nʼụlọ m lepụ anya,
For at a window of my house, I have looked out through my casement,
7 hụ nʼetiti ndị na-enweghị uche, ahụtara m otu nwokorobịa nʼetiti ha, onye amamihe kọrọ,
And I see among the simple ones, I discern among the sons, A young man lacking understanding,
8 ka ọ na-aga nʼụzọ dị nso ebe nkuku ụlọ nʼakụkụ ụlọ nwanyị ihere na-adịghị eme,
Passing on in the street, near her corner, And the way [to] her house he steps,
9 nʼoge anyasị, dịka chi na-eji, mgbe ọchịchịrị na-agbachi.
In the twilight—in the evening of day, In the darkness of night and blackness.
10 Mgbe ahụ, nwanyị ahụ pụtara zute ya. O yi uwe dịka nwanyị akwụna, jiri aghụghọ na-abịakwute ya.
And behold, a woman to meet him—(A harlot’s dress, and watchful of heart,
11 (Ọ na-eme ụzụ na-aṅaghị ntị ịnụ ihe ọbụla. Ụkwụ ya anaghị anọgide nʼụlọ ya.
She [is] noisy, and stubborn, her feet do not rest in her house.
12 Ọ na-akwụgharị ma nʼokporoụzọ ma nʼama; na-amịgharị nʼebe nzuzo niile.)
Now in an out-place, now in broad places, And she lies in wait near every corner)—
13 O weere aka ya abụọ jikụọ nwokorobịa ahụ nʼolu, sutu ya ọnụ, were ihu nke ihere na-adịghị, sị:
And she laid hold on him and kissed him, She has hardened her face and says to 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] by me, Today I have completed my vows.
15 Ọ bụ gị ka m na-achọkwute, lee gị ka ị na-abịa.
Therefore I have come forth to meet you, To earnestly seek your face, and I find 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.
I decked my bed [with] ornamental coverings, Carved works—cotton of Egypt.
17 Efesakwala m mmanụ isi ọma nke máá, aloos na sinamọn nʼelu nʼihe ndina m.
I sprinkled 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, we are filled [with] love until the morning, We delight ourselves in loves.
19 Nʼihi na di m anọghị nʼụlọ o jeela njem dị anya.
For the man is not in his house, He has gone 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 in his hand, At the day of the new moon he comes to his house.”
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.
She turns him aside with the abundance of her speech, She forces him with the flattery of her lips.
22 O sooro nwanyị ahụ dịka ehi a na-adọkpụ na-aga ebe a ga-egbu ya, dịka ele nke na-aba nʼọnya,
He is going after her straight away, he comes as an ox to the slaughter, And as a chain to the discipline of a 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.
Until an arrow splits his liver, As a bird has hurried to a snare, And has not known that it [is] for its life.
24 Geenụ ntị, ụmụ m, ma ọ bụghị naanị ige ntị, kama meekwanụ ihe m na-ekwu.
And now, you sons, listen to me, And give attention to 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.
Do not let your heart turn to her ways, Do not wander in her paths,
26 Nʼihi na o mebiela ndụ ọtụtụ mmadụ, ọtụtụ mmadụ amaala nʼọnya ya.
For many [are] the wounded she caused to fall, And mighty [are] all her slain ones.
