Proverbs 1
1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:
Israel fia Solomo, David ƒe vi ƒe lododowo nye esiawo:
2 To know wisdom and instruction; To discern the words of understanding;
na nunya kple amehehe, na nya goglowo gɔmesese,
3 To receive instruction in wise dealing, In righteousness and justice and equity;
hena agbe dzɔdzɔe kple agbe ɖevi nɔnɔ, be woawɔ nu si dzɔ, nu si le eteƒe kple nu si nyo,
4 To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion:
be ame gblɔewo nadze aɖaŋu eye woana nunya kple sidzedze sɔhɛwo,
5 That the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; And that the man of understanding may attain unto sound counsels:
nunyalawo neɖo to, ne woasrɔ̃ nu akpe ɖe esi wonya xoxo la ŋu eye ame siwo si sidzedze le xoxo la naxɔ aɖaŋu,
6 To understand a proverb, and a figure, The words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
be woase nunyalawo ƒe lododowo abebubuwo kple adzowo gɔme.
7 The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge; [But] the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.
Yehowa vɔvɔ̃e nye nunya ƒe gɔmedzedze, ke bometsilawo doa vlo nunya kple amehehe.
8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother:
Vinye, ɖo to fofowò ƒe nuxɔxlɔ̃ eye mègagbe nu le dawò ƒe nufiame gbɔ o.
9 For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, And chains about thy neck.
Anye seƒoƒokuku aɖo atsyɔ̃ na wò ta kple kɔga anɔ kɔwò.
10 My son, if sinners entice thee, Consent thou not.
Vinye, ne nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo le nuwò blem la, mègalɔ̃ na wo o.
11 If they say, Come with us, Let us lay wait for blood; Let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause;
Ne wogblɔ na wò be, “Va kplɔ mí ɖo, na míade xa ɖe ame aɖe ƒe ʋu ŋuti, na míanɔ xame na luʋɔ maɖifɔ aɖe,
12 Let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, And whole, as those that go down into the pit; (Sheol h7585)
ne míamii agbagbee abe tsiẽƒe ene, eye míamii blibo abe ame siwo ge dze ʋe globo me ene (Sheol h7585)
13 We shall find all precious substance; We shall fill our houses with spoil;
ekema nu xɔasi vovovowo asu mía si eye míatsɔ afunyinuwo ayɔ míaƒe xɔwo mee
14 Thou shalt cast thy lot among us; We will all have one purse:
eya ta de mía dzi ale be míana gakotoku ɖeka wò” la,
15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; Refrain thy foot from their path:
vinye, mègakplɔ wo ɖo o, mègaka afɔ woƒe toƒewo o
16 For their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood.
elabena woƒe afɔ ɖea abla ɖe nu vɔ̃ ŋu eye wogona ɖe ʋukɔkɔɖi ŋu.
17 For in vain is the net spread In the sight of any bird:
Enye movidzɔdzɔ be woaɖo ɖɔ ɖi na xeviwo le wo katã ƒe ŋkume!
18 And these lay wait for their own blood; They lurk privily for their own lives.
Ame siawo de xa ɖi na woawo ŋutɔ ƒe ʋu eye wole adeklo dzi ɖe woawo ŋutɔ ɖokuiwo ŋu!
19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; It taketh away the life of the owners thereof.
Aleae ame siwo tia viɖe ƒoɖi yome la ƒe nuwuwu anɔ, elabena eɖea ame siwo ƒe asi su edzi la ƒe agbe ɖa.
20 Wisdom crieth aloud in the street; She uttereth her voice in the broad places;
Nunya le ɣli dom le mɔtata dzi eye wòkɔ gbe dzi le ƒuƒoƒewo.
21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse; At the entrance of the gates, In the city, she uttereth her words:
Ele ɣli dom le mɔtata siwo dzi zinyenye le la ƒe dzogoewo dzi eye wòle eƒe nyawo gblɔm le dua ƒe agbowo me be,
22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? And scoffers delight them in scoffing, And fools hate knowledge?
“Va se ɖe ɣe ka ɣi mi gegemewo mialɔ̃ bometsinuwɔwɔ? Va se ɖe ɣe ka yi fewuɖulawo akpɔ dzidzɔ le fewuɖuɖu ŋu, bometsilawo alé fu sidzedze?
23 Turn you at my reproof: Behold, I will pour out my spirit upon you; I will make known my words unto you.
Ne ɖe mietrɔ ɖe nye mokaname ŋu la, anye ne metrɔ nye dzi kɔ ɖe anyi na mi eye mena mienya nye susuwo.
24 Because I have called, and ye have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man hath regarded;
Ke esi miegbe tɔtɔ nam esi meyɔ mi, esi meke nye abɔwo me, mietsɔ ɖeke le eme o
25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, And would none of my reproof:
eye miedo toku nye aɖaŋuɖoɖowo, hegbe nye mokaname ta la,
26 I also will laugh in [the day of] your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
nye hã mako mi le miaƒe gbegblẽ ta eye maɖe alɔme le mia ŋu ne dzɔgbevɔ̃e ƒo ɖe mia dzi,
27 When your fear cometh as a storm, And your calamity cometh on as a whirlwind; When distress and anguish come upon you.
ɛ̃, ne eƒo ɖe mia dzi abe ahom sesẽ ene, gbegblẽ hã zɔ to mia dzi abe yali ene, eye xaxa kple hiã va mia dzi kpoyi!
28 Then will they call upon me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me:
“Ekema woayɔm gake nyematɔ o, woadim gake womakpɔm o.
29 For that they hated knowledge, And did not choose the fear of Jehovah,
Le esi wolé fu sidzedze eye wometia Yehowavɔvɔ̃ o,
30 They would none of my counsel, They despised all my reproof.
le esi wogbe nye aɖaŋuɖoɖo hedo vlo nye mokaname ta.
31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, And be filled with their own devices.
Azɔ la woaɖu woƒe mɔwo ƒe kutsetse eye woƒe ɖoɖowo ƒe kutsetse aɖi ƒo na wo
32 For the backsliding of the simple shall slay them, And the careless ease of fools shall destroy them.
elabena gegemewo ƒe afɔɖeɖe baɖawo awu wo eye bometsilawo ƒe ɖekematsɔleme atsrɔ̃ wo.
33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell securely, And shall be quiet without fear of evil.
Ke ame sia ame si ɖoa tom la, anɔ agbe le dedinɔnɔ me eye aɖe dzi ɖi bɔkɔɔ, mavɔ̃ na dzɔgbevɔ̃e o.”
