Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what 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: for they are deceitful meat.
Mègadzro eƒe nuɖuɖu kpeɖiwo o elabena nuɖuɖu ma nye beble.
4 Labour not 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 that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle 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 dainty meats:
Mègaɖu ŋutsu nuvela ƒe nuɖuɖu o, eye eƒe nuɖuɖu kpeɖiwo megadzro wò o,
7 For as he thinketh in his heart, 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 old 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 mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.
elabena ŋusẽtɔe nye wo ta ʋlila; eye awɔ avu kpli wò ɖe wo nu.
12 Apply thine 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 if thou beatest 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 thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
Vinye, ne wò dzi dze nunya la, ekema nye hã nye dzi akpɔ dzidzɔ
16 Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
eye nye ememe ke atso aseye ne wò nuyiwo gblɔ nu si le dzɔdzɔe.
17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of YHWH all the day long.
Mègana wò dzi naʋã ŋu nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo o, ke boŋ tsɔ dzo ɖe Yehowavɔvɔ̃ ŋu.
18 For surely there is an end; and thine expectation 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 thine heart in the way.
Vinye, ɖo tom ne nàdze nunya eye na wò dzi nanɔ mɔ dzɔdzɔetɔ dzi.
20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous 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 begat 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 shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.
Ame dzɔdzɔe fofo atso aseye geɖe eye ame si si vi nyanu le la akpɔ dzidzɔ le eŋu.
25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.
Dawò kple fofowò nekpɔ dzidzɔ eye nyɔnu si dzi wò la netso aseye!
26 My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
Vinye, tsɔ wò dzi nam eye wò ŋkuwo nenɔ nye mɔwo ŋu
27 For a whore 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 also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.
Ede xa ɖi abe adzodala ene eye wòdzia ŋutsu ahasitɔwo ƒe xexlẽme ɖe edzi.
29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? 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 seek 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 his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
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 an adder.
Le nuwuwu la, eɖua ame abe da ene eye wònyɔa aɖi abe ƒli ene.
33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse 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 stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt 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?”
