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 table of thine 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 stranger which 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 blackness of night and 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 an 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 goodman 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 away.
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 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 thine 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.
