Proverbs 24
1 Be not thou envious against evil men, nor desire to be with them.
Mègabiã ŋu ame vɔ̃ɖiwo o, mègadi woƒe hamenɔnɔ o
2 For their heart meditates oppression, and their lips talk of mischief.
elabena woƒe dzi ɖoa nu tovo eye woƒe nuyiwo ƒoa nu tso nu gbegblẽ wɔwɔ ŋuti.
3 Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established,
Nunya wotsɔna tua xɔe eye gɔmesese wotsɔna ɖoa egɔme anyie,
4 and by knowledge the chambers are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
to sidzedze me wotsɔa nu nyui tɔxɛ siwo mebɔ o kple kesinɔnu nyuiwo yɔa woƒe xɔwo mee.
5 A wise man is strong, yea, a man of knowledge increases might.
Ŋusẽ gã aɖe le nunyala si eye ame si si gɔmesese le la dzia eƒe ŋusẽ ɖe edzi.
6 For by wise guidance thou shall make thy war, and in the multitude of counselors there is safety.
Èhiã nufiame hafi adze aʋa eye hafi dziɖuɖu nava la, èhiã aɖaŋuɖola geɖewo.
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool. He opens not his mouth in the gate.
Nunya kɔ boo na bometsila akpa; le amehawo dome, le agbo nu la, nya aɖeke mele esi wòagblɔ o.
8 He who devises to do evil, men shall call him a mischief-maker.
Ame si ɖo vɔ̃ be yeawɔ lae woyɔna be ame vɔ̃ɖi.
9 The thought of folly is sin. And the scoffer is an abomination to men.
Bometsinuwo ɖoɖo nye nu vɔ̃ eye amewo tsria fewuɖula.
10 If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.
Ne èʋuʋu le xaxaɣi la, aleke wò ŋusẽ mehele sue o?
11 Deliver those who are carried away to death, and hold thou back those who are ready to be slain.
Ɖe ame siwo wokplɔ yina wuwu ge eye xɔ na ame siwo le yiyim sɔgɔsɔgɔ yina ɖe ku me.
12 If thou say, Behold, we did not know this, Does not he who weighs the hearts consider it? And he who keeps thy soul, does he not know it? And shall not he render to every man according to his work?
Ne ègblɔ be, “Míenya naneke tso nu sia ŋuti o” la, ɖe ame si daa dziwo kpɔ la menyae oa? Ɖe wòle nyanya na ame si kpɔa wò agbe ta? Ɖe maɖo eteƒe na ame sia ame ɖe nu si wòwɔ la nu oa?
13 My son, eat thou honey, for it is good, and the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to thy taste,
Vinye, no anyitsi elabena enyo; anyitsi tso anyito me avivi le wò nu me.
14 so the knowledge of wisdom is to thy soul. If thou have found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy hope shall not be cut off.
Nyae hã be, nunya avivi wò luʋɔ nu; ne èke ɖe eŋu la, mɔkpɔkpɔ li na wò hena etsɔ si gbɔna eye wò mɔkpɔkpɔ mazu dzodzro o.
15 Lay not in wait, O wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous. Do not destroy his resting place.
Mègade xa ɖe ame dzɔdzɔe ƒe aƒe ŋu o, mègava ha enɔƒe o
16 For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises up again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.
elabena togbɔ be ame dzɔdzɔe adze anyi zi adre hã la, agafɔ gake ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ya la, dzɔgbevɔ̃e ahe wo aƒu anyi.
17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falls, and let not thy heart be glad when he is overthrown,
Mègakpɔ dziɖuɖu ƒe dzidzɔ ne wò futɔ dze anyi o, eye ne ekli nu la, dzi megadzɔ wò o,
18 lest Jehovah see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
elabena Yehowa akpɔe, eye madze eŋu o, eye wòaɖe eƒe dziku ɖa le edzi.
19 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, nor be thou envious at the wicked.
Mègadzo nyanyanya le ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ta alo aʋã ŋu ŋutasẽla o,
20 For there shall be no reward to the evil man. The lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
elabena mɔkpɔkpɔ aɖeke meli na ame vɔ̃ɖi ɖe etsɔ si gbɔna ŋuti o eye woatsi ŋutasẽlawo ƒe akaɖi.
21 My son, fear thou Jehovah and the king, and do not associate with those who are given to change.
Vinye, vɔ̃ Yehowa kple fia la eye mègade aglãdzelawo dzi o
22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly, and the destruction from them both, who knows it?
elabena ame eve mawo ana gbegblẽ naƒo ɖe wo dzi kpoyi eye ame kae nya dzɔgbevɔ̃e si woate ŋu ahe vɛ?
23 These also are from the wise: To have respect of persons in judgment is not good.
Esiawo hã nye nunyalawo ƒe nyagbɔgblɔwo: Akpa ɖeka dzi dede le ʋɔnudɔdrɔ̃ me menyo o.
24 He who says to a wicked man, Thou are righteous, peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him.
Ame si agblɔ na fɔɖila be, “Mèdze agɔ o” la, amewo ado ɖiŋu nɛ eye dukɔwo anyɔ ŋui.
25 But to those who rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.
Ke eme anyo na ame siwo abu fɔ agɔdzela eye yayra gãwo ava wo ameawo dzi.
26 He who gives a right answer kisses the lips.
Nyaŋuɖoɖo ɖe ɖoɖo nu le abe nugbugbɔ ene.
27 Prepare thy work outside, and make it ready for thee in the field, and afterwards build thy house.
Wu wò gotadɔwo nu eye nàdzra wò agble me ɖo, ema megbe la, tu wò xɔ.
28 Be not a witness against thy neighbor without cause, and deceive not with thy lips.
Mègaɖu ɖasefo ɖe hawòvi ŋu dzodzro alo atsɔ wò nuyiwo aka aʋatsoe o.
29 Say not, I will do so to him as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.
Mègagblɔ be, “Mele ewɔ ge nɛ abe ale si wòwɔe ɖe ŋutinye ene, mele eteƒe ɖo ge na ŋutsu sia ɖe nu si wòwɔ la ta” o.
30 I went by the field of the sluggard, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding.
Meto kuviatɔ kple ame manyanu ƒe waingble ŋu yi;
31 And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns. The face of it was covered with nettles, and the stone wall of it was broken down.
ŋu vu tsyɔ afi sia afi, gbe to ɖe eme katã eye kpekpɔ la kaka le eŋu.
32 Then I beheld, and considered well. I saw, and received instruction:
Metsɔ nye dzi ɖo nu si mekpɔ la ŋu eye mesrɔ̃ nu tso nu si mekpɔ la me.
33 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep,
Dɔ alɔ̃ vie, dɔ akɔlɔ̃e sẽe, ŋlɔ wò abɔwo nàdzudzɔ vie,
34 so thy poverty shall come as a robber, and thy want as an armed man.
tete ahedada aƒo ɖe dziwò abe adzodala ene, eye hiã abe aʋakalẽtɔ si bla akpa ene.
