Ilu 1
1 Ndị a bụ ilu Solomọn nwa Devid, eze Izrel.
The wise sayings of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.
2 Ọ bụ maka amamihe na ntụziaka, maka ịghọta okwu niile kwesiri ịghọta nke ọma,
To have knowledge of wise teaching; to be clear about the words of reason:
3 nʼihi inweta ntụziaka nʼinwe uche, ime ezi omume na ikpe ziri ezi nke aghụghọ na-adịghị.
To be trained in the ways of wisdom, in righteousness and judging truly and straight behaviour:
4 Nʼihi ime ka ndị na-enweghị uche nwee ezi uche, ka ndị na-eto eto nweta ihe ọmụma na izuzu ọma.
To make the simple-minded sharp, and to give the young man knowledge, and serious purpose:
5 Ka onye maara ihe gee ntị, tụkwasịkwa ihe nʼihe ọ maara, ka ndị nwere nghọta nwetakwa ezi ndụmọdụ.
(The wise man, hearing, will get greater learning, and the acts of the man of good sense will be wisely guided: )
6 Ka ha ghọta ilu niile na okwu niile na-esi nʼọnụ ndị maara ihe.
To get the sense of wise sayings and secrets, and of the words of the wise and their dark sayings.
7 Ịtụ egwu Onyenwe anyị bụ mmalite ihe ọmụma. Ọ bụkwa naanị ndị nzuzu bụ ndị na-adịghị anabata amamihe na ịdọ aka na ntị.
The fear of the Lord is the start of knowledge: but the foolish have no use for wisdom and teaching.
8 Nwa m, na-aṅa ntị na ntụziaka nke nna gị ahapụkwala ndụmọdụ nne gị.
My son, give ear to the training of your father, and do not give up the teaching of your mother:
9 Nʼihi na okpu amara ka ha ga-abụrụ isi gị, bụrụkwa ihe ịnya nʼolu nye gị.
For they will be a crown of grace for your head, and chain-ornaments about your neck.
10 Nwa m, ọ bụrụ na ndị mmehie ara gị ụra, ekwenyerela ha, Ekwela!
My son, if sinners would take you out of the right way, do not go with them.
11 Ọ bụrụ na ha asị gị, “Bịa soro anyị; ka anyị zoo onwe anyị, tigbuo onye ọbụla anyị hụrụ, bụ onye na-emeghị ihe ọjọọ ọbụla.
If they say, Come with us; let us make designs against the good, waiting secretly for the upright, without cause;
Let us overcome them living, like the underworld, and in their strength, as those who go down to death; (Sheol h7585)
13 Anyị ga-enwetakwa ọtụtụ ihe dị oke ọnụahịa, nke anyị ga-akwaju nʼụlọ anyị.
Goods of great price will be ours, our houses will be full of wealth;
14 Soro anyị fee nza gị ka anyị nwaa ike anyị, ihe ọbụla kwa anyị nwetara, anyị na gị ga-ekekọta ya ọnụ.”
Take your chance with us, and we will all have one money-bag:
15 Nwa m, ejela ije nʼụzọ ndị dị otu a, a zọọkwala ụkwụ nʼokporoụzọ ha;
My son, do not go with them; keep your feet from their ways:
16 nʼihi na ụkwụ ha na-agba ọsọ ime ihe ọjọọ, na-emekwa ngwangwa iwufu ọbara.
For their feet are running after evil, and they are quick to take a man's life.
17 Ọ bụ ihe abaghị uru ịgbasa ụgbụ, nʼebe nnụnụ ọbụla na-ahụ ya anya.
Truly, to no purpose is the net stretched out before the eyes of the bird:
18 Ma ndị a na-esi ọnya nke na-ama ha. Ha onwe ha ka ọnya ahụ ga-ejide.
And they are secretly waiting for their blood and making ready destruction for themselves.
19 Otu a ka ọ na-adịkwara ndị ọ na-agụsị agụụ ike inweta akụnụba nʼụzọ na-ezighị ezi. Nʼihi na ịgbaso ụzọ dị otu a na-ewetara ndị na-eso ya ọnwụ.
Such is the fate of everyone who goes in search of profit; it takes away the life of its owners.
20 Amamihe na-eti mkpu nʼezi ka mmadụ nụ. Olu ya na-ada ụda nʼama.
Wisdom is crying out in the street; her voice is loud in the open places;
21 Ọ bụ nʼisi akụkụ ụzọ nke mkpọtụ dịkarịsịrị ka ọ na-akpọ oku, nʼọnụ ụzọ ama obodo ka ọ na-anọ ekwupụta okwu ọnụ ya niile.
Her words are sounding in the meeting-places, and in the doorways of the town:
22 “Unu ndị na-enweghị uche ruo ole mgbe ka unu ga-anọgide bụrụ ndị ga-ahụ enweghị uche nʼanya? Ruo ole mgbe ka ndị na-akwa emo ga-anọgide na mmasị ịkwa emo? Ruo ole mgbe ka ndị nzuzu ga-anọgide na-akpọ ihe ọmụma asị?
How long, you simple ones, will foolish things be dear to you? and pride a delight to the haters of authority? how long will the foolish go on hating knowledge?
23 Ọ bụrụ na unu gere ntị na mba m na-abara unu, aga m awụpụ echiche niile nke obi m nye unu, aga m emekwa ka unu mara okwu m.
Be turned again by my sharp words: see, I will send the flow of my spirit on you, and make my words clear to you.
24 Ma ebe ọ bụ na unu egeghị ntị mgbe m kpọrọ oku, setịpụkwa aka m nye unu ma ọ dịghị onye ṅara ntị,
Because your ears were shut to my voice; no one gave attention to my out-stretched hand;
25 ebe ọ bụ na unu akpọla ndụmọdụ m asị, jụkwa ịnabata ịba mba m nye unu,
You were not controlled by my guiding, and would have nothing to do with my sharp words:
26 ụbọchị unu ga-adaba na mmekpa ahụ, aga m achị ọchị. Mgbe ihe egwu bịakwasịrị unu, aga m akwa unu emo.
So in the day of your trouble I will be laughing; I will make sport of your fear;
27 Mgbe oke ihe egwu ga-abịakwasị unu dịka ikuku dị ike, mgbe nhụju anya ga-erubiga nʼelu unu dịka oke ifufe, mgbe ịta ahụhụ na nsogbu ga-agbagwoju unu anya.
When your fear comes on you like a storm, and your trouble like a rushing wind; when pain and sorrow come on you.
28 “Agaghị m ege ntị nʼakwa unu, ọ bụ ezie na unu ga na-akpọ m. Unu ga-achọkwa m ma unu agaghị achọta m.
Then I will give no answer to their cries; searching for me early, they will not see me:
29 Nʼihi na unu mechiri anya unu nʼebe ihe ọmụma dị, unu atụghị egwu Onyenwe anyị.
For they were haters of knowledge, and did not give their hearts to the fear of the Lord:
30 Unu aṅaghị ntị na ndụmọdụ m. Unu lelịrị ịba mba m anya.
They had no desire for my teaching, and my words of protest were as nothing to them.
31 Ihe niile unu kụrụ ka unu ga-aghọta. Ọ bụkwa ụzọ unu na ndụmọdụ unu ga-eju unu afọ.
So the fruit of their way will be their food, and with the designs of their hearts they will be made full.
32 Nʼihi na ejezighị ije nke ndị na-enweghị uche na-egbu ha, ọ bụkwa ọnọdụ afọ ojuju ndị nzuzu ga-alakwa ha nʼiyi.
For the turning back of the simple from teaching will be the cause of their death, and the peace of the foolish will be their destruction.
33 Ma onye na-ege ntị nʼokwu m ga-ebi obi ntụkwasị obi. Ọ ga-anọ jụụ na-enweghị ihe ọbụla ga-atụ ya egwu.”
But whoever gives ear to me will take his rest safely, living in peace without fear of evil.
