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 my commands lay up with thee.
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 thine eye.
3 Kee ha na mkpịsịaka gị, deekwa ha nʼelu mbadamba nkume, bụ obi gị.
Bind them on thy fingers, Write them on 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 to wisdom, 'My sister Thou [art].' And cry to understanding, 'Kinswoman!'
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 thee from a strange woman, From a stranger who hath made smooth her sayings.
6 Nʼihi na otu ụbọchị, esi m na oghereikuku dị nʼụlọ m lepụ anya,
For, at a window of my house, Through my casement I have looked out,
7 hụ nʼetiti ndị na-enweghị uche, ahụtara m otu nwokorobịa nʼetiti ha, onye amamihe kọrọ,
And I do 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 doth step,
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, lo, 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.
Noisy she [is], and stubborn, In her house her feet rest not.
12 Ọ na-akwụgharị ma nʼokporoụzọ ma nʼama; na-amịgharị nʼebe nzuzo niile.)
Now in an out-place, now in broad places, And near every corner she lieth in wait) —
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 hath hardened her face, and saith 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, To-day 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 thee, To seek earnestly thy face, and I find 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.
[With] ornamental coverings I decked my couch, Carved works — cotton of Egypt.
17 Efesakwala m mmanụ isi ọma nke máá, aloos na sinamọn nʼelu nʼihe ndina m.
I sprinkled my bed — 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] loves till 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 hath gone on a long journey.
20 O ji akpa ego juru gaa njem, abalị ole na ole ga-agafekwa tupu ọ lọta.”
A bag of money he hath taken in his hand, At the day of the new moon he cometh 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 turneth him aside with the abundance of her speech, With the flattery of her lips she forceth 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 is going after her straightway, As an ox unto the slaughter he cometh, And as a fetter unto the chastisement 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.
Till an arrow doth split his liver, As a bird hath hastened unto a snare, And hath 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, ye sons, hearken 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.
Let not thy heart turn unto 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.
