Proverbs 24
1 Be not thou envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them.
Mègabiã ŋu ame vɔ̃ɖiwo o, mègadi woƒe hamenɔnɔ o
2 For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.
elabena woƒe dzi ɖoa nu tovo eye woƒe nuyiwo ƒoa nu tso nu gbegblẽ wɔwɔ ŋuti.
3 Through wisdom is a house builded; and by understanding it is established;
Nunya wotsɔna tua xɔe eye gɔmesese wotsɔna ɖoa egɔme anyie,
4 And by knowledge are the chambers filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
to sidzedze me wotsɔa nu nyui tɔxɛ siwo mebɔ o kple kesinɔnu nyuiwo yɔa woƒe xɔwo mee.
5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.
Ŋusẽ gã aɖe le nunyala si eye ame si si gɔmesese le la dzia eƒe ŋusẽ ɖe edzi.
6 For with wise advice thou shalt make thy war; and in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
Èhiã nufiame hafi adze aʋa eye hafi dziɖuɖu nava la, èhiã aɖaŋuɖola geɖewo.
7 Wisdom is as unattainable to a fool as corals; he openeth not his mouth in the gate.
Nunya kɔ boo na bometsila akpa; le amehawo dome, le agbo nu la, nya aɖeke mele esi wòagblɔ o.
8 He that deviseth to do evil, men shall call him a mischievous person.
Ame si ɖo vɔ̃ be yeawɔ lae woyɔna be ame vɔ̃ɖi.
9 The thought of foolishness is sin; and the scorner is an abomination to men.
Bometsinuwo ɖoɖo nye nu vɔ̃ eye amewo tsria fewuɖula.
10 If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small indeed.
Ne èʋuʋu le xaxaɣi la, aleke wò ŋusẽ mehele sue o?
11 Deliver them that are drawn unto death; and those that are ready to be slain wilt thou forbear to rescue?
Ɖe ame siwo wokplɔ yina wuwu ge eye xɔ na ame siwo le yiyim sɔgɔsɔgɔ yina ɖe ku me.
12 If thou sayest: 'Behold, we knew not this', doth not He that weigheth the hearts consider it? And He that keepeth thy soul, doth not He know it? And shall not He render to every man according to his works?
Ne ègblɔ be, “Míenya naneke tso nu sia ŋuti o” la, ɖe ame si daa dziwo kpɔ la menyae oa? Ɖe wòle nyanya na ame si kpɔa wò agbe ta? Ɖe maɖo eteƒe na ame sia ame ɖe nu si wòwɔ la nu oa?
13 My son, eat thou honey, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to thy taste;
Vinye, no anyitsi elabena enyo; anyitsi tso anyito me avivi le wò nu me.
14 So know thou wisdom to be unto thy soul; if thou hast found it, then shall there be a future, and thy hope shall not be cut off.
Nyae hã be, nunya avivi wò luʋɔ nu; ne èke ɖe eŋu la, mɔkpɔkpɔ li na wò hena etsɔ si gbɔna eye wò mɔkpɔkpɔ mazu dzodzro o.
15 Lie not in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous, spoil not his resting-place;
Mègade xa ɖe ame dzɔdzɔe ƒe aƒe ŋu o, mègava ha enɔƒe o
16 For a righteous man falleth seven times, and riseth up again, but the wicked stumble under adversity.
elabena togbɔ be ame dzɔdzɔe adze anyi zi adre hã la, agafɔ gake ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ya la, dzɔgbevɔ̃e ahe wo aƒu anyi.
17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth;
Mègakpɔ dziɖuɖu ƒe dzidzɔ ne wò futɔ dze anyi o, eye ne ekli nu la, dzi megadzɔ wò o,
18 Lest the LORD see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him.
elabena Yehowa akpɔe, eye madze eŋu o, eye wòaɖe eƒe dziku ɖa le edzi.
19 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious at the wicked;
Mègadzo nyanyanya le ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ta alo aʋã ŋu ŋutasẽla o,
20 For there will be no future to the evil man, the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
elabena mɔkpɔkpɔ aɖeke meli na ame vɔ̃ɖi ɖe etsɔ si gbɔna ŋuti o eye woatsi ŋutasẽlawo ƒe akaɖi.
21 My son, fear thou the LORD and the king, and meddle not with them that are given to change;
Vinye, vɔ̃ Yehowa kple fia la eye mègade aglãdzelawo dzi o
22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin from them both?
elabena ame eve mawo ana gbegblẽ naƒo ɖe wo dzi kpoyi eye ame kae nya dzɔgbevɔ̃e si woate ŋu ahe vɛ?
23 These also are sayings of the wise. To have respect of persons in judgment is not good.
Esiawo hã nye nunyalawo ƒe nyagbɔgblɔwo: Akpa ɖeka dzi dede le ʋɔnudɔdrɔ̃ me menyo o.
24 He that saith unto the wicked: 'Thou art righteous', peoples shall curse him, nations shall execrate him;
Ame si agblɔ na fɔɖila be, “Mèdze agɔ o” la, amewo ado ɖiŋu nɛ eye dukɔwo anyɔ ŋui.
25 But to them that decide justly shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.
Ke eme anyo na ame siwo abu fɔ agɔdzela eye yayra gãwo ava wo ameawo dzi.
26 He kisseth the lips that giveth a right answer.
Nyaŋuɖoɖo ɖe ɖoɖo nu le abe nugbugbɔ ene.
27 Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thy house.
Wu wò gotadɔwo nu eye nàdzra wò agble me ɖo, ema megbe la, tu wò xɔ.
28 Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips.
Mègaɖu ɖasefo ɖe hawòvi ŋu dzodzro alo atsɔ wò nuyiwo aka aʋatsoe o.
29 Say not: 'I will do so to him as he hath done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.'
Mègagblɔ be, “Mele ewɔ ge nɛ abe ale si wòwɔe ɖe ŋutinye ene, mele eteƒe ɖo ge na ŋutsu sia ɖe nu si wòwɔ la ta” o.
30 I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
Meto kuviatɔ kple ame manyanu ƒe waingble ŋu yi;
31 And, lo, it was all grown over with thistles, the face thereof was covered with nettles, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.
ŋu vu tsyɔ afi sia afi, gbe to ɖe eme katã eye kpekpɔ la kaka le eŋu.
32 Then I beheld, and considered well; I saw, and received instruction.
Metsɔ nye dzi ɖo nu si mekpɔ la ŋu eye mesrɔ̃ nu tso nu si mekpɔ la me.
33 'Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep' —
Dɔ alɔ̃ vie, dɔ akɔlɔ̃e sẽe, ŋlɔ wò abɔwo nàdzudzɔ vie,
34 So shall thy poverty come as a runner, and thy want as an armed man.
tete ahedada aƒo ɖe dziwò abe adzodala ene, eye hiã abe aʋakalẽtɔ si bla akpa ene.
