Ilu 1
1 Ndị a bụ ilu Solomọn nwa Devid, eze Izrel.
Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 Ọ bụ maka amamihe na ntụziaka, maka ịghọta okwu niile kwesiri ịghọta nke ọma,
For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,
3 nʼihi inweta ntụziaka nʼinwe uche, ime ezi omume na ikpe ziri ezi nke aghụghọ na-adịghị.
For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,
4 Nʼihi ime ka ndị na-enweghị uche nwee ezi uche, ka ndị na-eto eto nweta ihe ọmụma na izuzu ọma.
For giving to simple ones — prudence, To a youth — knowledge and discretion.
5 Ka onye maara ihe gee ntị, tụkwasịkwa ihe nʼihe ọ maara, ka ndị nwere nghọta nwetakwa ezi ndụmọdụ.
(The wise doth hear and increaseth learning, And the intelligent doth obtain counsels.)
6 Ka ha ghọta ilu niile na okwu niile na-esi nʼọnụ ndị maara ihe.
For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute 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.
Fear of Jehovah [is] a beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and instruction fools have despised!
8 Nwa m, na-aṅa ntị na ntụziaka nke nna gị ahapụkwala ndụmọdụ nne gị.
Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother,
9 Nʼihi na okpu amara ka ha ga-abụrụ isi gị, bụrụkwa ihe ịnya nʼolu nye gị.
For a graceful wreath [are] they to thy head, And chains to thy neck.
10 Nwa m, ọ bụrụ na ndị mmehie ara gị ụra, ekwenyerela ha, Ekwela!
My son, if sinners entice thee be not willing.
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, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly for the innocent without cause,
We swallow them as Sheol — alive, And whole — as those going down [to] the pit, (Sheol h7585)
13 Anyị ga-enwetakwa ọtụtụ ihe dị oke ọnụahịa, nke anyị ga-akwaju nʼụlọ anyị.
Every precious substance we find, We fill our houses [with] spoil,
14 Soro anyị fee nza gị ka anyị nwaa ike anyị, ihe ọbụla kwa anyị nwetara, anyị na gị ga-ekekọta ya ọnụ.”
Thy lot thou dost cast among us, One purse is — to all of us.'
15 Nwa m, ejela ije nʼụzọ ndị dị otu a, a zọọkwala ụkwụ nʼokporoụzọ ha;
My son! go not in the way with them, Withhold thy foot from their path,
16 nʼihi na ụkwụ ha na-agba ọsọ ime ihe ọjọọ, na-emekwa ngwangwa iwufu ọbara.
For their feet to evil do run, And they haste to shed blood.
17 Ọ bụ ihe abaghị uru ịgbasa ụgbụ, nʼebe nnụnụ ọbụla na-ahụ ya anya.
Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.
18 Ma ndị a na-esi ọnya nke na-ama ha. Ha onwe ha ka ọnya ahụ ga-ejide.
And they for their own blood lay wait, They watch secretly for their own lives.
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.
So [are] the paths of every gainer of dishonest gain, The life of its owners it taketh.
20 Amamihe na-eti mkpu nʼezi ka mmadụ nụ. Olu ya na-ada ụda nʼama.
Wisdom in an out-place crieth aloud, In broad places she giveth forth her voice,
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.
At the head of the multitudes she calleth, In the openings of the gates, In the city her sayings she saith:
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?
'Till when, ye simple, do ye love simplicity? And have scorners their scorning desired? And do fools hate 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.
Turn back at my reproof, lo, I pour forth to you my spirit, I make known my words with 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 I have called, and ye refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,
25 ebe ọ bụ na unu akpọla ndụmọdụ m asị, jụkwa ịnabata ịba mba m nye unu,
And ye slight all my counsel, And my reproof ye have not desired.
26 ụbọchị unu ga-adaba na mmekpa ahụ, aga m achị ọchị. Mgbe ihe egwu bịakwasịrị unu, aga m akwa unu emo.
I also in your calamity do laugh, I deride when your fear cometh,
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 cometh as destruction, And your calamity as a hurricane doth come, When on you come adversity and distress.
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 they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and find me not.
29 Nʼihi na unu mechiri anya unu nʼebe ihe ọmụma dị, unu atụghị egwu Onyenwe anyị.
Because that they have hated knowledge, And the fear of Jehovah have not chosen.
30 Unu aṅaghị ntị na ndụmọdụ m. Unu lelịrị ịba mba m anya.
They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,
31 Ihe niile unu kụrụ ka unu ga-aghọta. Ọ bụkwa ụzọ unu na ndụmọdụ unu ga-eju unu afọ.
And they eat of the fruit of their way, And from their own counsels they are filled.
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 of the simple slayeth them, And the security of the foolish destroyeth them.
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.”
And whoso is hearkening to me dwelleth confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!'
