Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider well him that is before thee;
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 thou be a man given to appetite.
eye tsɔ hɛ ɖo wò ve dzi ne ènye nutsuɖula.
3 Be not desirous of his dainties; seeing they are deceitful food.
Mègadzro eƒe nuɖuɖu kpeɖiwo o elabena nuɖuɖu ma nye beble.
4 Weary not thyself to be rich; cease from thine own wisdom.
Mègaku kutri vivivo, agbɔdzɔ ɖokuiwò be yeakpɔ hotsui o, dze nunya nàlé avu ɖokuiwò.
5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon it? it is gone; for riches certainly make themselves wings, like an eagle that flieth toward 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 thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties;
Mègaɖu ŋutsu nuvela ƒe nuɖuɖu o, eye eƒe nuɖuɖu kpeɖiwo megadzro wò o,
7 For as one that hath reckoned within himself, so is he: 'Eat and drink', saith he to thee; but his heart 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 morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet 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 a fool; for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Mègaƒo nu ɖe bometsila ƒe to me o, elabena ado vlo wò nunyanyawo.
10 Remove not the ancient landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless;
Mègaɖe blemaliƒokpewo ɖa alo age ɖe tsyɔ̃eviwo ƒe agble me o
11 For their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their cause with thee.
elabena ŋusẽtɔe nye wo ta ʋlila; eye awɔ avu kpli wò ɖe wo nu.
12 Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
Tsɔ wò dzi ku ɖe nufiame ŋu eye wò towo natrɔ ɖe gɔmesese ŋu.
13 Withhold not correction from the child; for though thou beat him with the rod, he will 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 heart be wise, my heart will be glad, even mine;
Vinye, ne wò dzi dze nunya la, ekema nye hã nye dzi akpɔ dzidzɔ
16 Yea, my reins will rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
eye nye ememe ke atso aseye ne wò nuyiwo gblɔ nu si le dzɔdzɔe.
17 Let not thy heart envy sinners, but be in the fear of the LORD all the day;
Mègana wò dzi naʋã ŋu nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo o, ke boŋ tsɔ dzo ɖe Yehowavɔvɔ̃ ŋu.
18 For surely there is a future; and thy hope shall not be cut off.
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 heart in the way.
Vinye, ɖo tom ne nàdze nunya eye na wò dzi nanɔ mɔ dzɔdzɔetɔ dzi.
20 Be not among winebibbers; among gluttonous eaters of flesh;
Mègade ha kple ame siwo nye waintsunolawo alo lã geɖe ɖulawo o.
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
Elabena ahatsunolawo kple nutsuɖulawo la, ahee wodana eye alɔ̃ tsu dɔdɔ nana wonɔa awu vuvuwo me.
22 Hearken unto thy father that begot 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 the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Ƒle nyateƒe la eye mègadzrae o; ƒle nunya, amehehe kple gɔmesese.
24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; and he that begetteth a wise child will have joy of 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 glad, and let her that bore thee rejoice.
Dawò kple fofowò nekpɔ dzidzɔ eye nyɔnu si dzi wò la netso aseye!
26 My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
Vinye, tsɔ wò dzi nam eye wò ŋkuwo nenɔ nye mɔwo ŋu
27 For a harlot is a deep ditch; and an alien woman is a narrow pit.
elabena gbolo la, ʋe globoe wònye eye srɔ̃nyɔnu ahasitɔ la, vudo xaxɛ wònye.
28 She also lieth in wait as a robber, and increaseth the faithless among men.
Ede xa ɖi abe adzodala ene eye wòdzia ŋutsu ahasitɔwo ƒe xexlẽme ɖe edzi.
29 Who crieth: 'Woe'? who: 'Alas'? who hath contentions? who hath raving? 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 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to try mixed wine.
Ame siwo tsia wainze te la tɔe, ame siwo yina ɖaɖɔa wain si wotɔtɔ kpɔ la tɔe.
31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth its colour in the cup, when it glideth down smoothly;
Mègaɖɔ wain kpɔ ne ebiã dzẽe, ne ele fu tsɔm le kplu me, ne eto vetome heɖiɖi ɖe dɔ me o!
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like a basilisk.
Le nuwuwu la, eɖua ame abe da ene eye wònyɔa aɖi abe ƒli ene.
33 Thine eyes shall behold strange things, and thy heart shall utter confused things.
Wò ŋkuwo akpɔ nu tutɔ manyatalenuwo eye wò susu anɔ nu baɖabaɖawo susum.
34 Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
Ànɔ abe ame si mlɔ atsiaƒu gbana dzi alo ame si mlɔ abala dzi ene.
35 'They have struck me, and I felt it not, they have beaten me, and I knew it not; when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.'
Àgblɔ be, “Woxlã nu ɖem gake nyemexɔ abi o! Woƒom gake mevem o! Ɣe ka ɣi gɔ̃ manyɔ ne magadi ahayomemɔ?”
