Proverbs 23
1 When thou sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently him who is before thee,
Ne ènɔ kplɔ̃ ŋu be yeaɖu nu kple fia la, lé ŋku ɖe nu si wotsɔ ɖo akɔwò me la ŋu nyuie
2 and put a knife to thy throat if thou be a man given to appetite.
eye tsɔ hɛ ɖo wò ve dzi ne ènye nutsuɖula.
3 Be not desirous of his dainties, since they are deceitful food.
Mègadzro eƒe nuɖuɖu kpeɖiwo o elabena nuɖuɖu ma nye beble.
4 Weary not thyself to be rich. Out of thine own wisdom, cease.
Mègaku kutri vivivo, agbɔdzɔ ɖokuiwò be yeakpɔ hotsui o, dze nunya nàlé avu ɖokuiwò.
5 Will thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For it certainly makes itself wings, like an eagle that flies toward heaven.
Kasia wò ŋku nabe yeato kesinɔnuwo dzi la, wo nu va yi xoxo elabena woato aʋala godoo eye woadzo adzo ayi ɖe dziƒo ʋĩi abe hɔ̃ ene.
6 Eat thou not the bread of an evil eye, nor desire thou his dainties.
Mègaɖu ŋutsu nuvela ƒe nuɖuɖu o, eye eƒe nuɖuɖu kpeɖiwo megadzro wò o,
7 For as he thinks within himself, so is he. Eat and drink, he says to thee, but his heart is not with thee.
elabena enye ame si le ga si wòagblẽ ɖe nua ɖaɖa ŋuti la ŋu bum. Egblɔ na wò be, “Ɖu nu, nàno nu” gake megblɔe tso eƒe dzi me o.
8 The morsel which thou have eaten thou shall vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
Àdzɔ nu sue si nèɖu la hã eye àtsɔ wò kafukafunya siwo nègblɔ la hã ada ahee.
9 Speak not in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Mègaƒo nu ɖe bometsila ƒe to me o, elabena ado vlo wò nunyanyawo.
10 Remove not the ancient landmark. And enter not into the fields of the fatherless,
Mègaɖe blemaliƒokpewo ɖa alo age ɖe tsyɔ̃eviwo ƒe agble me o
11 for their Redeemer is strong. He will plead their cause against thee.
elabena ŋusẽtɔe nye wo ta ʋlila; eye awɔ avu kpli wò ɖe wo nu.
12 Apply thy heart to instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
Tsɔ wò dzi ku ɖe nufiame ŋu eye wò towo natrɔ ɖe gɔmesese ŋu.
13 Withhold not correction from the child, for if thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Mègagbe tohehe na ɖevi o, ne èƒoe kple ati la, mele kuku ge o.
Tsɔ ameƒoti he to nɛ eye àɖe eƒe luʋɔ tso ku me. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart will be glad, even mine.
Vinye, ne wò dzi dze nunya la, ekema nye hã nye dzi akpɔ dzidzɔ
16 Yea, my heart will rejoice when thy lips speak right things.
eye nye ememe ke atso aseye ne wò nuyiwo gblɔ nu si le dzɔdzɔe.
17 Let not thy heart envy sinners, but be thou in the fear of Jehovah all the day long.
Mègana wò dzi naʋã ŋu nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo o, ke boŋ tsɔ dzo ɖe Yehowavɔvɔ̃ ŋu.
18 For surely there is a reward, and thy hope shall not be cut off.
Vavã, mɔkpɔkpɔ le asiwò hena etsɔ si gbɔna eye wò mɔkpɔkpɔ mazu dzodzro o.
19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the way.
Vinye, ɖo tom ne nàdze nunya eye na wò dzi nanɔ mɔ dzɔdzɔetɔ dzi.
20 Be not among winebibbers, among gluttonous eaters of flesh.
Mègade ha kple ame siwo nye waintsunolawo alo lã geɖe ɖulawo o.
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.
Elabena ahatsunolawo kple nutsuɖulawo la, ahee wodana eye alɔ̃ tsu dɔdɔ nana wonɔa awu vuvuwo me.
22 Hearken to thy father who begot thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
Ɖo to fofowò, ame si dzi wò eye mègado vlo dawò ne eku nyagã o.
23 Buy the truth, and do not sell it, yea, wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Ƒle nyateƒe la eye mègadzrae o; ƒle nunya, amehehe kple gɔmesese.
24 The father of a righteous man will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise son will have joy of him.
Ame dzɔdzɔe fofo atso aseye geɖe eye ame si si vi nyanu le la akpɔ dzidzɔ le eŋu.
25 Let thy father and thy mother be glad, and let her who bore thee rejoice.
Dawò kple fofowò nekpɔ dzidzɔ eye nyɔnu si dzi wò la netso aseye!
26 My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes delight in my ways.
Vinye, tsɔ wò dzi nam eye wò ŋkuwo nenɔ nye mɔwo ŋu
27 For a harlot is a deep ditch, and an interloping woman is a narrow pit.
elabena gbolo la, ʋe globoe wònye eye srɔ̃nyɔnu ahasitɔ la, vudo xaxɛ wònye.
28 Yea, she lies in wait as a robber, and increases the treacherous among men.
Ede xa ɖi abe adzodala ene eye wòdzia ŋutsu ahasitɔwo ƒe xexlẽme ɖe edzi.
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?
Ame kae le hũu ɖem? Ame kae le veve sem? Ame kae le nu xam? Ame kae le eƒe nuteɖeamedziwo gblɔm? Ame kae xɔ abi yakatsyɔ? Ame ka ƒe ŋkue biã abe ʋu ene?
30 Those who tarry long at the wine. Those who go to seek out mixed wine.
Ame siwo tsia wainze te la tɔe, ame siwo yina ɖaɖɔa wain si wotɔtɔ kpɔ la tɔe.
31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.
Mègaɖɔ wain kpɔ ne ebiã dzẽe, ne ele fu tsɔm le kplu me, ne eto vetome heɖiɖi ɖe dɔ me o!
32 At the end it bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder.
Le nuwuwu la, eɖua ame abe da ene eye wònyɔa aɖi abe ƒli ene.
33 Thine eyes shall behold strange things, and thy heart shall utter perverse things.
Wò ŋkuwo akpɔ nu tutɔ manyatalenuwo eye wò susu anɔ nu baɖabaɖawo susum.
34 Yea, thou shall be as he who lies down in the midst of the sea, or as he who lies upon the top of a mast.
Ànɔ abe ame si mlɔ atsiaƒu gbana dzi alo ame si mlɔ abala dzi ene.
35 They have stricken me, thou shall say, and I was not hurt. They have beaten me, and I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
Àgblɔ be, “Woxlã nu ɖem gake nyemexɔ abi o! Woƒom gake mevem o! Ɣe ka ɣi gɔ̃ manyɔ ne magadi ahayomemɔ?”
