Proverbs 4
1 Heare, O ye children, the instruction of a father, and giue eare to learne vnderstanding.
Vinyewo, mise mia fofo ƒe nufiame; miɖo to ne miaxɔ gɔmesese.
2 For I doe giue you a good doctrine: therefore forsake yee not my lawe.
Nusɔsrɔ̃ deto mele mia nam eya ta migagbe nye nufiafia o.
3 For I was my fathers sonne, tender and deare in the sight of my mother,
Esi menye ɖevi sue kple vi fɛ̃ le fofonye ƒe aƒe me kple vi ɖekɛ na danye la,
4 When he taught me, and sayde vnto me, Let thine heart holde fast my woordes: keepe my commandements, and thou shalt liue.
efia num hegblɔ be, “Ku ɖe nye nyawo ŋu kple wò dzi katã, lé nye sededewo me ɖe asi ekema ànɔ agbe.
5 Get wisedom: get vnderstading: forget not, neither decline from the woordes of my mouth.
Dze nunya, di gɔmesese, mègaŋlɔ nye nyawo be alo aƒo asa na wo o.
6 Forsake her not, and shee shall keepe thee: loue her and shee shall preserue thee.
Mègagbe nu le nunya gbɔ o ekema adzɔ ŋuwò, lɔ̃e ekema akpɔ tawò.
7 Wisedome is the beginning: get wisedome therefore: and aboue all thy possession get vnderstanding.
Nunya ƒo nuwo katã ta eya ta dze nunya. Togbɔ be wò nunɔamesiwo katã nàtsɔ aƒlee hã la, di gɔmesese.
8 Exalt her, and she shall exalt thee: she shall bring thee to honour, if thou embrace her.
De asixɔxɔ eŋu ekema ado wò ɖe dzi, xɔe atuu ekema ade bubu ŋuwò.
9 She shall giue a comely ornamet vnto thine head, yea, she shall giue thee a crowne of glorie.
Atsɔ amenuveve aɖɔ na wò ta abe seƒoƒotsihe ene eye wòatsɔ atsyɔ̃fiakuku aɖɔ na wò.”
10 Heare, my sonne, and receiue my wordes, and the yeeres of thy life shalbe many.
Ɖo to afii, vinye, ne nàxɔ nye nyawo, ekema wò agbenɔƒewo asɔ gbɔ fũu.
11 I haue taught thee in ye way of wisedom, and led thee in the pathes of righteousnesse.
Mele nunya ƒe mɔ fiam wò eye mekplɔ wò to toƒe dzɔdzɔewo.
12 Whe thou goest, thy gate shall not be strait, and when thou runnest, thou shalt not fall.
Ne èle zɔzɔm la, naneke maxe mɔ na wò afɔɖeɖewo o eye ne èsi du la, màkli nu o.
13 Take holde of instruction, and leaue not: keepe her, for shee is thy life.
Lé nufiame ɖe asi, mègana wòado le asiwò o; dzɔ eŋuti nyuie elabena eyae nye agbe na wò.
14 Enter not into the way of the wicked, and walke not in the way of euill men.
Mègaka afɔ ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ƒe toƒewo alo nàzɔ ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ƒe mɔ dzi o.
15 Auoide it, and goe not by it: turne from it, and passe by.
Ƒo asa na woƒe mɔwo, mègazɔ wo dzi o, lé wò mɔ tsɔ nàyi afi si yim nèle
16 For they can not sleepe, except they haue done euill, and their sleepe departeth except they cause some to fall.
elabena ne womewɔ nu vɔ̃ɖi o kpaa, womedɔa alɔ̃ o eye womedɔa akɔlɔ̃e teti hã o va se ɖe esime woana ame aɖe nadze anyi.
17 For they eate the breade of wickednesse, and drinke the wine of violence.
Woɖua vɔ̃ɖinyenye ƒe abolo eye wonoa nu sesẽ wɔwɔ ƒe wain.
18 But the way of the righteous shineth as the light, that shineth more and more vnto the perfite day.
Ke ame dzɔdzɔewo ƒe toƒe le abe ŋdi kanya ƒe ɣetotoe ene, eklẽna, gaklẽna ɖe edzi ne ŋu ɖe le eme nyuie.
19 The way of the wicked is as the darkenes: they knowe not wherein they shall fall.
Ke ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ƒe mɔ le abe viviti tsiɖitsiɖi ene eye womenya nu si na wole nu klim o.
20 My sonne, hearken vnto my wordes, incline thine eare vnto my sayings.
Vinye, lé to ɖe nye nyawo ŋu eye nàƒu to anyi ɖe nya si gblɔm mele la ŋu.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes, but keepe them in the middes of thine heart.
Mègana woadzo le wò ŋkume o, ke boŋ dzra wo ɖo ɖe wò dzi me,
22 For they are life vnto those that find them, and health vnto all their flesh.
elabena wonye agbe na ame siwo ke ɖe wo ŋu kple dɔyɔyɔ na ame ƒe ŋutilã blibo la.
23 Keepe thine heart with all diligence: for thereout commeth life.
Dzɔ wò dzi ŋu wu nuwo katã, elabena eyae nye agbe ƒe vudo.
24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and put wicked lippes farre from thee.
Ɖe nya dzodzrowo ɖa le wò nu me, eye te aʋatsonyawo ɖa xaa tso wò nuyiwo gbɔ.
25 Let thine eyes beholde the right, and let thine eyelids direct thy way before thee.
Wò ŋkuwo nekpɔ ŋgɔ tẽe eye wò mo nelé mɔ ɖeka tsɔ le ŋgɔwò.
26 Ponder the path of thy feete, and let all thy waies be ordred aright.
Ɖe toƒe sɔsɔewo na wò afɔwo eye nàlé mɔ siwo dzi sẽ nyuie la ko atsɔ.
27 Turne not to the right hande, nor to the left, but remooue thy foote from euill.
Mègadze ɖe ɖusime alo miame o, eye ɖe wò afɔ ɖa le vɔ̃ me.
