Proverbs 23
1 When thou shalt sit to eat with a prince, consider diligently what is set before thy face.
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 it be so that thou have thy soul in thy own power.
eye tsɔ hɛ ɖo wò ve dzi ne ènye nutsuɖula.
3 Be not desirous of his meats, in which is the bread of deceit.
Mègadzro eƒe nuɖuɖu kpeɖiwo o elabena nuɖuɖu ma nye beble.
4 Labour not to be rich: but set bounds to thy prudence.
Mègaku kutri vivivo, agbɔdzɔ ɖokuiwò be yeakpɔ hotsui o, dze nunya nàlé avu ɖokuiwò.
5 Lift not up thy eyes to riches which thou canst not have: because they shall make themselves wings like those of an eagle, and shall fly towards 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 not with an envious man, and desire not his meats:
Mègaɖu ŋutsu nuvela ƒe nuɖuɖu o, eye eƒe nuɖuɖu kpeɖiwo megadzro wò o,
7 Because like a soothsayer, and diviner, he thinketh that which he knoweth not. Eat and drink, will he say to thee: and his mind 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 meats which thou hadst eaten, thou shalt vomit up: and shalt loose thy beautiful words.
Àdzɔ nu sue si nèɖu la hã eye àtsɔ wò kafukafunya siwo nègblɔ la hã ada ahee.
9 Speak not in the ears of fools: because they will despise the instruction of thy speech.
Mègaƒo nu ɖe bometsila ƒe to me o, elabena ado vlo wò nunyanyawo.
10 Touch not the bounds of little ones: and enter not into the field of the fatherless:
Mègaɖe blemaliƒokpewo ɖa alo age ɖe tsyɔ̃eviwo ƒe agble me o
11 For their near kinsman is strong: and he will judge their cause against thee.
elabena ŋusẽtɔe nye wo ta ʋlila; eye awɔ avu kpli wò ɖe wo nu.
12 Let thy heart apply itself to instruction: and thy ears to words of knowledge.
Tsɔ wò dzi ku ɖe nufiame ŋu eye wò towo natrɔ ɖe gɔmesese ŋu.
13 Withhold not correction from a child: for if thou strike him with the rod, he shall 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 mind be wise, my heart shall rejoice with thee:
Vinye, ne wò dzi dze nunya la, ekema nye hã nye dzi akpɔ dzidzɔ
16 And my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips shall speak what is right.
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 the Lord all the day long:
Mègana wò dzi naʋã ŋu nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo o, ke boŋ tsɔ dzo ɖe Yehowavɔvɔ̃ ŋu.
18 Because thou shalt have hope in the latter end, and thy expectation shall not be taken away.
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 mind in the way.
Vinye, ɖo tom ne nàdze nunya eye na wò dzi nanɔ mɔ dzɔdzɔetɔ dzi.
20 Be not in the feasts of great drinkers, nor in their revellings, who contribute flesh to eat:
Mègade ha kple ame siwo nye waintsunolawo alo lã geɖe ɖulawo o.
21 Because they that give themselves to drinking, and that club together shall be consumed; and drowsiness shall be clothed with rags.
Elabena ahatsunolawo kple nutsuɖulawo la, ahee wodana eye alɔ̃ tsu dɔdɔ nana wonɔa awu vuvuwo me.
22 Hearken to thy father, that beget 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 truth, and do not sell wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Ƒle nyateƒe la eye mègadzrae o; ƒle nunya, amehehe kple gɔmesese.
24 The father of the just rejoiceth greatly: he that hath begotten a wise son, shall have joy in 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 joyful, and let her rejoice that bore thee.
Dawò kple fofowò nekpɔ dzidzɔ eye nyɔnu si dzi wò la netso aseye!
26 My son, give me thy heart: and let thy eyes keep my ways.
Vinye, tsɔ wò dzi nam eye wò ŋkuwo nenɔ nye mɔwo ŋu
27 For a harlot is a deep ditch: and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
elabena gbolo la, ʋe globoe wònye eye srɔ̃nyɔnu ahasitɔ la, vudo xaxɛ wònye.
28 She lieth in wait in the way as a robber, and him whom she shall see unwary, she will kill.
Ede xa ɖi abe adzodala ene eye wòdzia ŋutsu ahasitɔwo ƒe xexlẽme ɖe edzi.
29 Who hath woe? whose father hath woe? who hath contentions? who falls into pits? who hath wounds without cause? who hath 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 Surely they that pass their time in wine, and study to drink of their cups.
Ame siwo tsia wainze te la tɔe, ame siwo yina ɖaɖɔa wain si wotɔtɔ kpɔ la tɔe.
31 Look not upon the wine when it is yellow, when the colour thereof shineth in the glass: it goeth in pleasantly,
Mègaɖɔ wain kpɔ ne ebiã dzẽe, ne ele fu tsɔm le kplu me, ne eto vetome heɖiɖi ɖe dɔ me o!
32 But in the end, it will bite like a snake, and will spread abroad poison like a basilisk.
Le nuwuwu la, eɖua ame abe da ene eye wònyɔa aɖi abe ƒli ene.
33 Thy eyes shall behold strange women, and thy heart shall utter perverse things.
Wò ŋkuwo akpɔ nu tutɔ manyatalenuwo eye wò susu anɔ nu baɖabaɖawo susum.
34 And thou shalt be as one sleeping in the midst of the sea, and as a pilot fast asleep, when the stern is lost.
Ànɔ abe ame si mlɔ atsiaƒu gbana dzi alo ame si mlɔ abala dzi ene.
35 And thou shalt say: They have beaten me, but I was not sensible of pain: they drew me, and I felt not: when shall I awake, and find wine again?
Àgblɔ be, “Woxlã nu ɖem gake nyemexɔ abi o! Woƒom gake mevem o! Ɣe ka ɣi gɔ̃ manyɔ ne magadi ahayomemɔ?”
