Proverbs 23
1 Nígbà tí ìwọ bá jókòó láti bá ìjòyè jẹun, kíyèsi ohun tí ó wà níwájú rẹ gidigidi.
When you sit down to eat with a leader, pay close attention to what has been set before your face,
2 Ìwọ a sì fi ọ̀bẹ lé ara rẹ ní ọ̀fun, bí ìwọ bá jẹ́ òkúndùn ènìyàn.
and put a knife to your throat, if, in such a way, you could hold your soul in your own power.
3 Má ṣe fẹ́ oúnjẹ dídùn rẹ̀: nítorí pé oúnjẹ ẹ̀tàn ni.
Do not desire his foods, in which is the bread of deceit.
4 Má ṣe ṣe làálàá láti lọ́rọ̀: ṣíwọ́ kúrò nínú ọgbọ́n ara rẹ.
Do not be willing to labor so that you may be enriched. But set limits by your prudence.
5 Ìwọ ó ha fi ojú rẹ lépa ohun tí kò sí? Nítorí tí ọ̀rọ̀ hu ìyẹ́ apá fún ara rẹ̀, ó sì ń fò bí idì ní ojú ọ̀run.
Do not raise your eyes toward wealth that you are not able to have. For they will make themselves wings, like those of an eagle, and they will fly in the sky.
6 Má ṣe jẹ oúnjẹ ẹni tí ó háwọ́, bẹ́ẹ̀ ni kí o má sì ṣe fẹ́ oúnjẹ dídùn rẹ̀.
Do not eat with an envious man, and do not desire his foods.
7 Nítorí pé bí ẹni tí ń ṣírò ní ọkàn rẹ̀, bẹ́ẹ̀ ni ó rí: “Máa jẹ, kí o sì máa mu,” ni ó ń wí fún ọ; ṣùgbọ́n ọkàn rẹ̀ kò pẹ̀lú rẹ.
For, like a seer and an interpreter of dreams, he presumes what he does not know. “Eat and drink,” he will say to you; and his mind is not with you.
8 Òkèlè tí ìwọ jẹ ni ìwọ ó pọ̀ jáde, ìwọ a sì sọ ọ̀rọ̀ dídùn rẹ̀ nù.
The foods that you had eaten, you will vomit up. And you will lose the beauty in your words.
9 Má ṣe sọ̀rọ̀ ní etí aṣiwèrè; nítorí tí yóò gan ọgbọ́n ọ̀rọ̀ rẹ.
Do not speak into the ears of the unwise. They will despise the doctrine of your eloquence.
10 Má ṣe ṣí ààlà àtijọ́ kúrò; má sì ṣe bọ́ sínú oko aláìní baba.
Do not touch the boundaries of little ones, and do not enter into the field of the fatherless.
11 Nítorí pé Olùràpadà wọn lágbára; yóò gba ìjà wọn jà sí ọ.
For their close relative is strong, and he will judge their case against you.
12 Fi àyà sí ẹ̀kọ́, àti etí rẹ sí ọ̀rọ̀-ìmọ̀.
Let your heart enter into doctrine, and let your ears enter into words of knowledge.
13 Má ṣe fa ọwọ́ ìbáwí sẹ́yìn kúrò lára ọmọdé, nítorí pé bí ìwọ bá fi pàṣán nà án, òun kì yóò kú.
Do not be willing to take away discipline from a child. For if you strike him with the rod, he will not die.
You will strike him with the rod, and so shall you deliver his soul from Hell. (Sheol h7585)
15 Ọmọ mi, bí ọkàn rẹ bá gbọ́n, ọkàn mi yóò yọ̀, àní èmi pẹ̀lú.
My son, if your soul will become wise, my heart will be glad with you.
16 Inú mi yóò sì dùn nígbà tí ètè rẹ̀ bá ń sọ̀rọ̀ títọ́.
And my temperament will exult, when your lips will have spoken what is upright.
17 Má ṣe jẹ́ kí àyà rẹ ó ṣe ìlara sí àwọn ẹlẹ́ṣẹ̀, ṣùgbọ́n kí ìwọ ó wà ní ìbẹ̀rù Olúwa, ní ọjọ́ gbogbo.
Let not your heart compete with sinners. But be in the fear of the Lord all day long.
18 Nítorí pé ìgbẹ̀yìn ń bẹ nítòótọ́; ìrètí rẹ̀ kì yóò sì gé kúrò.
For you will have hope in the end, and your expectation will not be taken away.
19 Gbọ́, ìwọ ọmọ mi, kí o sì gbọ́n, kí o sì máa tọ́ àyà rẹ sí ọ̀nà títọ́.
Listen, my son, and be wise, and direct your soul along the way.
20 Má ṣe wà nínú àwọn ọ̀mùtí; àti àwọn wọ̀bìà alájẹkì ọ̀jẹun;
Do not be willing to be in the feasts of great drinkers, nor in the carousings of those who gather to feed on flesh.
21 nítorí pé ọ̀mùtí àti ọ̀jẹun ni yóò di tálákà; ìmúni-tòògbé ní sì ń fi àkísà wọ ọkùnrin láṣọ.
For those who waste time drinking, and who surrender themselves to symbols, will be consumed. And those who sleep will be clothed in rags.
22 Fetí sí ti baba rẹ tí ó bí ọ, má sì ṣe gan ìyá rẹ, nígbà tí o bá gbó.
Listen to your father, who conceived you. And do not despise your mother, when she is old.
23 Ra òtítọ́, kí o má sì ṣe tà á; ra ọgbọ́n pẹ̀lú àti ẹ̀kọ́ àti òye.
Purchase truth, and do not sell wisdom, or doctrine, or understanding.
24 Baba olódodo ni yóò yọ̀ gidigidi: ẹni tí ó sì bí ọmọ ọlọ́gbọ́n, yóò ní ayọ̀ nínú rẹ̀.
The father of the just exults in gladness; he who has conceived the wise will rejoice in him.
25 Jẹ́ kí baba rẹ àti ìyá rẹ ó yọ̀, sì jẹ́ kí inú ẹni tí ó bí ọ dùn.
Let your father and your mother be joyful, and may she who conceived you exult.
26 Ọmọ mi, fi àyà rẹ fún mi, kí o sì jẹ́ kí ojú rẹ ní inú dídùn sí ọ̀nà mi.
My son, offer me your heart, and let your eyes keep to my ways.
27 Nítorí pé panṣágà obìnrin ọ̀gbun jíjìn ni; àti àjèjì obìnrin kànga híhá ni.
For a loose woman is a deep pit, and a foreign woman is a constricted well.
28 Òun á sì ba ní bùba bí olè, a sì sọ àwọn olùrékọjá di púpọ̀ nínú àwọn ènìyàn.
She lies in wait along the way like a robber. And the incautious one whom she sees, she will put to death.
29 Ta ni ó ni òsì? Ta ni ó ni ìbànújẹ́? Ta ni ó ni ìjà? Ta ni ó ni asọ̀? Ta ni ó ni ọgbẹ́ láìnídìí?
Who has woe? Whose father has woe? Who has quarrels? Who falls into pits? Who has wounds without cause? Who has watery eyes?
30 Àwọn tí ó dúró pẹ́ níbi ọtí wáìnì; àwọn tí ń lọ láti dán ọtí wáìnì àdàlú wò.
Is it not those who linger over wine, and who strive to be drinking from their cups?
31 Ìwọ má ṣe wò ọtí wáìnì nígbà tí ó pọ́n, nígbà tí ó bá ń fi àwọ̀ rẹ̀ hàn nínú ago, tí a gbé e mì, tí ó ń dùn.
Do not gaze into the wine when it turns gold, when its color shines in the glass. It enters pleasantly,
32 Níkẹyìn òun á bu ni ṣán bí ejò, a sì bunijẹ bí i paramọ́lẹ̀.
but in the end, it will bite like a snake, and it will spread poison like a king of snakes.
33 Ojú rẹ yóò wò àwọn àjèjì obìnrin, àyà rẹ yóò sì sọ̀rọ̀ àyídáyidà.
Your eyes will see women who are outsiders, and your heart will utter perversities.
34 Nítòótọ́, ìwọ ó dàbí ẹni tí ó dùbúlẹ̀ ní àárín Òkun, tàbí ẹni tí ó dùbúlẹ̀ lókè-ọkọ̀.
And you will be like someone sleeping in the middle of the sea, and like a pilot, fast asleep, who has lost his hold on the helm.
35 Ìwọ ó sì wí pé, “Wọ́n lù mí; kò dùn mí; wọ́n lù mí, èmi kò sì mọ̀: nígbà wo ni èmi ó jí? Èmi ó tún máa wá òmíràn láti mu.”
And you will say: “They have beaten me, but I did not feel pain. They have dragged me, and I did not realize it. When will I awaken and find more wine?”
