Ilu 7
1 Na-agbaso okwu m nwa m, nọgide na ya, dokwaa iwu m niile nʼime obi gị.
My son, keep my words. Lay up my commandments within you.
2 Debe iwu m ka ị dị ndụ, chee ozizi m nche dịka ọ bụ mkpụrụ anya gị.
Keep my commandments and live! Guard my teaching as the apple 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.
Tell wisdom, “You are my sister.” Call understanding your relative,
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 you from the strange woman, from the foreigner who flatters 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 out through my lattice.
7 hụ nʼetiti ndị na-enweghị uche, ahụtara m otu nwokorobịa nʼetiti ha, onye amamihe kọrọ,
I saw 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, 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.
Behold, there a woman met him with the attire of a prostitute, and with crafty intent.
11 (Ọ na-eme ụzụ na-aṅaghị ntị ịnụ ihe ọbụla. Ụkwụ ya anaghị anọgide nʼụlọ ya.
She is loud and defiant. Her feet don’t stay 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 squares, and lurking 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. With an impudent face she said 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 with me. Today I have paid my vows.
15 Ọ bụ gị ka m na-achọkwute, lee gị ka ị na-abịa.
Therefore I came out to meet you, to diligently seek your face, and I have found 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 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’s take our fill of loving until the morning. Let’s solace ourselves with loving.
19 Nʼihi na di m anọghị nʼụlọ o jeela njem dị anya.
For my husband isn’t at home. 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 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 persuasive words, she led him astray. With the flattering of her lips, she seduced him.
22 O sooro nwanyị ahụ dịka ehi a na-adọkpụ na-aga ebe a ga-egbu ya, dịka ele nke na-aba nʼọnya,
He followed her immediately, as an ox goes to the slaughter, as a fool stepping into a noose.
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 strikes through his liver, as a bird hurries to the snare, and doesn’t know that it will cost his life.
24 Geenụ ntị, ụmụ m, ma ọ bụghị naanị ige ntị, kama meekwanụ ihe m na-ekwu.
Now therefore, sons, listen to me. Pay attention 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.
Don’t let your heart turn to her ways. Don’t go astray in her paths,
26 Nʼihi na o mebiela ndụ ọtụtụ mmadụ, ọtụtụ mmadụ amaala nʼọnya ya.
for she has thrown down many wounded. Yes, all her slain are a mighty army.
