Ilu 8
1 Ọ bụ na amamihe adịghị eti mkpu? Ọ bụ na nghọta anaghị eme ka olu ya daa ụda?
It is as if wisdom, with great understanding [of many things], is calling [PRS] out [to people].
2 Ọ na-eguzo nʼelu ebe niile dị elu nʼokporoụzọ, nʼagbata ụzọ niile.
Wisdom stands on hilltops and at crossroads.
3 Nʼọnụ ụzọ nke obodo niile na nʼọnụ ụzọ ụlọ niile ka ọ nọ na-eti mkpu,
[Wisdom also stands] at the city gates and shouts loudly,
4 ọ na-asị, “Ụmụ mmadụ geenụ m ntị; ọ bụ unu ndị dị ndụ ka m na-agwa okwu.
“I am calling to everyone! I am shouting loudly to all people!
5 Unu ndị na-enweghị uche, nweenụ uche zuruoke; unu ndị nzuzu, nweenụ nghọta.
You people who do not know how to do things that are smart to do, get sound judgment; you foolish people, get good understanding!
6 Geenụ m ntị, nʼihi na enwere m okwu dị mkpa m ga-agwa unu; Ihe ọbụla m kwuru bụ ihe ziri ezi,
Listen to me, because I have some excellent/important things to say. What I say is what is fair/right.
7 Ọnụ m na-ekwu eziokwu nʼihi na akpọrọ m okwu ụgha asị.
I speak what is true; I detest speaking [MTY] what is false/deceptive.
8 Ndụmọdụ m zuruoke, ọ dịkwa mma. Ihe ọjọọ ọbụla adịghị nʼime ya.
Everything that I say is honest; there is nothing that I say that deceives [people].
9 Nʼebe onye nwetara nghọta nọ, okwu m doro anya; nʼebe ndị chọtara ihe ọmụma nọ, okwu m ziri ezi.
My words are clear to those who have good sense; those who are wise know that what I say is right.
10 Họrọ ịdọ aka na ntị m karịa ọlaọcha họrọkwa ihe ọmụma karịa ọlaedo dị ezi mma.”
[If someone offers you the kind of teaching I give] or offers you silver, choose my teaching. [If he offers to show you how to be wise] or offers you gold, choose to know how to be wise,
11 Amamihe dị mkpa karịa nkume rubi dị oke ọnụahịa. Ọ dịkwaghị ihe a ga-eji tụnyere ya.
because wisdom is more valuable than jewels. Nothing that you desire [is as valuable] as being wise.
12 “Mụ onwe m bụ amamihe na ezi nghọta na-agakọta. Enwere m ọmụma ihe na ezi izuzu.
I, wisdom, and understanding of what is smart to do, cannot be separated. We are like two people who live in the same house. I know how to be wise and how to make smart decisions.
13 Ịtụ egwu Onyenwe anyị bụ ịkpọ ihe ọjọọ asị. Akpọrọ m nganga na mpako, omume ọjọọ nakwa okwu gbagọrọ agbagọ asị.
[All the people] who revere Yahweh hate evil. I, wisdom, hate [people who are] proud and [people] who think they are more important [than others]. I hate [people who] behave in an evil way and those who say things to deceive [others].
14 Ndụmọdụ na ezi nghọta bụ nke m; enwekwara m ọmụma ihe na ike.
I give [people] good advice and I enable them to do things that are wise. I understand how things really are, and I am strong.
15 Site na m ka ndị eze ji achị, ọ bụ m na-eme ka ndị na-achị achị mee iwu ziri ezi.
When kings are wise, they rule [well]; and when rulers are wise, they make laws that are just/fair.
16 Site na m ka ndị eze ji achị bụ ndịisi niile na-achị nʼụwa.
Rulers govern their people with the help of me, wisdom, and those who have authority decide things fairly/just with my help.
17 Ndị niile hụrụ m nʼanya ka m na-ahụ nʼanya. Ndị niile na-achọ m aghakwaghị ịchọta m.
I, [wisdom], love [all] those who love me, and [all] those who truly seek me [will] find me.
18 Ana m ekenye ụba na nsọpụrụ, na ikpe ziri ezi na ezi omume.
I enable [people] to become rich and to be honored; [I enable them to have] wealth that will last and to be successful.
19 Onyinye m na-enye dị mma karịa ọlaọcha, ọ karịkwara ọlaedo.
What I can give people is more valuable than fine/pure gold and the best silver.
20 Ana m aga ije nʼụzọ ezi omume, nʼokporoụzọ ikpe ziri ezi.
I always do what is righteous and just/fair.
21 Ndị niile hụrụ m nʼanya, na-eketa akụnụba. Ana m emejupụtakwa ụlọakụ ha.
I give wealth to those who love me; I fill their houses with valuable things.
22 “Onyenwe anyị kpụrụ m dịka mmalite ụzọ ya, tupu o bido ike ihe ọbụla ọzọ.
Yahweh created me, [wisdom], when he began [to create the world]; he created me [to do my work] before he created anything else.
23 Site nʼebighị ebi gara aga ka m dị; adịkwa m adị tupu e kee ụwa.
He appointed me long ago, before he created the earth.
24 Anọ m na-adị tupu e kee ogbu mmiri, tupu isi iyi ọbụla agbapụta mmiri nʼelu ụwa,
I was born before the oceans were [created], when there were no springs from which water flowed.
25 tupu e kee ugwu ukwu na ugwu nta.
I was born before the hills and mountains were formed;
26 E, amụọla m rịị tupu Chineke ekee ụwa na osisi niile, na aja niile dị nʼime ya.
[I, wisdom], was born before Yahweh made the earth, before he made the fields and the soil on the earth.
27 Anọ m ya mgbe o doziri mbara eluigwe nʼọnọdụ ya, mgbe ọ tụsara ha nʼelu ogbu mmiri niile;
I was there when Yahweh put the sky in place, when he marked the place [in the distance] where the sky and the oceans [seem to] come together.
28 mgbe o hiwere mbara eluigwe, mgbe o mere ka isi iyi niile nke ogbu mmiri dị ike,
I was there when Yahweh put the clouds above [the earth] and when he caused the water that is inside the earth to be secure.
29 mgbe ọ kpara oke nye osimiri ebe ọ ga-akwụsị, ka mmiri ya ghara ịgafe iwu ya, mgbe ọ kara akara ebe a tọrọ ntọala nke ụwa.
I was there when he fixed a boundary for the seas, so that the water in the seas would not go past those boundaries, and when he put down the foundations which support the earth.
30 Oge ahụ niile ka m na-anọ nʼakụkụ ya dịka onye ǹka. Ihe banyere m na-atọkwa ya ụtọ; ana m egwuri egwu nʼihu ya.
I was at the side of Yahweh, the master worker (OR, as though I was his child). I caused him to be happy every day, and I was always rejoicing when I was with him.
31 Ihe niile o kere tọkwara m ụtọ, ụwa niile na ụmụ mmadụ!
I was delighted with the world that he created; I was happy with the people whom he created, too.
32 “Nʼihi ya, ụmụ m ndị ikom, geenụ m ntị; nʼihi na ndị niile na-eso ụzọ m na-enwe ọṅụ.
So, [you people who are like] my sons, listen to me. [I am] pleased with [all] those who obey my teachings.
33 Gee ntị na ndụmọdụ m ka ị bụrụ onye maara ihe, agbakụtakwala ndụmọdụ m azụ.
Listen [carefully] to what I teach you and become wise. Do not reject my teaching!
34 Ngọzị dịrị mmadụ ahụ na-aṅa ntị nʼokwu m, onye na-anọ na nche nʼọnụ ụzọ m ụbọchị niile, onye na-anọ na-echere m nʼọnụ ụzọ ụlọ m;
[I am] pleased with those who listen to me, those who are outside my house every day, waiting [for me to come out].
35 nʼihi na onye ọbụla chọtara m chọtara ndụ; ọ natakwala ihuọma nʼebe Onyenwe anyị nọ.
Those who find me will have [a long] life, and Yahweh [will] be pleased with them.
36 Ma onye na-enweghị ike chọta m na-emerụ onwe ya ahụ; ndị niile kpọrọ m asị hụrụ ọnwụ nʼanya.”
But those who stray away from me [just] harm themselves. All those who hate me, [it is as though] [IRO] they are loving death.”
