Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dead flies make the oil of the perfumer give out an evil smell; more valued is a little wisdom than the great glory of the foolish.
Nudzodzoe kukuwo ana amiʋeʋĩ si ʋẽna lĩlĩlĩ la ƒe atukpa blibo ɖeka gɔ̃ hã naʋẽ kũu! Ɛ̃, vodada sue aɖe ate ŋu agblẽ nunya geɖe kple bubu gã me.
2 The heart of the wise man goes in the right direction; but the heart of a foolish man in the wrong.
Nunyala ƒe dzi nana wòwɔa nyui ke bometsila ƒe dzi nana wòwɔa nu vɔ̃.
3 And when the foolish man is walking in the way, he has no sense and lets everyone see that he is foolish.
Àte ŋu adze si bometsila le ale si wòle zɔzɔm le ablɔ dzi la me!
4 If the wrath of the ruler is against you, keep in your place; in him who keeps quiet even great sins may be overlooked.
Ne wò amegã do dɔmedzoe ɖe ŋuwò la, mègadzo le egbɔ o, elabena blewu tsia dɔmedzoe helĩhelĩ nu.
5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, like an error which comes by chance from a ruler:
Megade dzesi nu vɔ̃ɖi aɖe tso fiawo kple dziɖulawo ŋu esi melé ŋku ɖe nuwo ƒe yiyi me le xexea me ŋu.
6 The foolish are placed in high positions, but men of wealth are kept low.
Mekpɔe be wona ŋusẽ gã bometsilawo hetsɔ wo ɖo amewo nu eye wometsɔ bubuteƒe na kesinɔtɔwo abe ale si dze ene o.
7 I have seen servants on horses, and rulers walking on the earth as servants.
Gawu la, mekpɔ subɔlawo wonɔ sɔ dom le esime fiaviŋutsuwo nɔ afɔ zɔm abe subɔlawo ene!
8 He who makes a hole for others will himself go into it, and for him who makes a hole through a wall the bite of a snake will be a punishment.
Ame si ɖea vudo la, eyae gena ɖe eme. Ame si gbãa gli toa eme la, eyae da ɖuna.
9 He who gets out stones from the earth will be damaged by them, and in the cutting of wood there is danger.
Ame si gbãa kpe la, eyae kpe wɔa nuvevii! Ame si dzea nake la, eyae fia sina!
10 If the iron has no edge, and he does not make it sharp, then he has to put out more strength; but wisdom makes things go well.
Ame si le fia maɖamaɖa ŋu dɔ wɔm la, wɔa eƒe ŋusẽ geɖe ŋu dɔ. Dze nunya eye nànyre fia la nyuie.
11 If a snake gives a bite before the word of power is said, then there is no longer any use in the word of power.
Ne da ɖu ame hafi wosa gbe de daa la, ekema gbesala mewɔ dɔ nyui aɖeke o.
12 The words of a wise man's mouth are sweet to all, but the lips of a foolish man are his destruction.
Nya si tso nunyala ƒe nu me nyea amenuvenya, ke bometsila ƒe nuyiwo gblẽa nu le eya ŋutɔ ŋu.
13 The first words of his mouth are foolish, and the end of his talk is evil crime.
Eƒe nyawo ƒe gɔmedzedze nyea numanyamanya eye eƒe nyawo ƒe nuwuwu nyea tsukuku vɔ̃ɖi.
14 The foolish are full of words; man has no knowledge of what will be; and who is able to say what will be after him?
Bometsila nyaa nu sia nu tso etsɔ si gbɔna la ŋu eye wòƒoa nu tso nu si wònya la ŋu tsitotsito! Ke ame ka tututu ate ŋu anya nu si le dzɔdzɔ ge?
15 The work of the foolish will be a weariness to him, because he has no knowledge of the way to the town.
Dɔ sue aɖe ko wɔwɔ nana ɖeɖi tea eŋu ale gbegbe be ŋusẽ meganɔa eŋu hena dua me yiyi o.
16 Unhappy is the land whose king is a boy, and whose rulers are feasting in the morning.
Babaa na dukɔ si ƒe fia nye ɖevi eye eƒe kplɔlawo mua aha ŋdi kanya gbe sia gbe.
17 Happy is the land whose ruler is of noble birth, and whose chiefs take food at the right time, for strength and not for feasting.
Woayra dukɔ si ƒe fia nye bubume, eƒe kplɔlawo wɔa dɔ sesĩe hafi ɖua nu eye wonoa nu bena woatsɔ ado ŋusẽ wo ɖokuiwo hena dɔ si le wo ŋgɔ la wɔwɔ.
18 When no work is done the roof goes in, and when the hands do nothing water comes into the house.
Kuviawɔwɔ nana xɔ ƒe daɖedziwo nyena ɖe eme, eye alɔgblɔlɔwɔwɔ nana xɔ ɖuɖuna.
19 A feast is for laughing, and wine makes glad the heart; but by the one and the other money is wasted.
Nuɖuɖu hea nukoko vanɛ, wain hea dzidzɔ vanɛ, eye gae dia nu sia nu kpɔna.
20 Say not a curse against the king, even in your thoughts; and even secretly say not a curse against the man of wealth; because a bird of the air will take the voice, and that which has wings will give news of it.
Mègado ɖiŋu na fia la le wò susu me ke gɔ̃ hã o; mègaƒo fi de kesinɔtɔ le wò xɔ gã me ke gɔ̃ hã o, elabena xevi sue aɖe agblɔ nu si nègblɔ tso wo ŋu la na wo.
