Proverbs 1
1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, the king of Israel:
Israel fia Solomo, David ƒe vi ƒe lododowo nye esiawo:
2 To know wisdom and instruction; to comprehend the sayings of understanding;
na nunya kple amehehe, na nya goglowo gɔmesese,
3 To accept the instruction of intelligence, righteousness, and justice, and equity;
hena agbe dzɔdzɔe kple agbe ɖevi nɔnɔ, be woawɔ nu si dzɔ, nu si le eteƒe kple nu si nyo,
4 To give to the simple prudence, to the youth knowledge and discretion.
be ame gblɔewo nadze aɖaŋu eye woana nunya kple sidzedze sɔhɛwo,
5 The wise will hear, and will increase [his] information; and the man of understanding will obtain wise counsels:
nunyalawo neɖo to, ne woasrɔ̃ nu akpe ɖe esi wonya xoxo la ŋu eye ame siwo si sidzedze le xoxo la naxɔ aɖaŋu,
6 To understand a proverb, and a sage sentence; the words of the wise, and their riddles.
be woase nunyalawo ƒe lododowo abebubuwo kple adzowo gɔme.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: wisdom and instruction fools [alone] despise.
Yehowa vɔvɔ̃e nye nunya ƒe gɔmedzedze, ke bometsilawo doa vlo nunya kple amehehe.
8 Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and cast not off the teaching of thy mother;
Vinye, ɖo to fofowò ƒe nuxɔxlɔ̃ eye mègagbe nu le dawò ƒe nufiame gbɔ o.
9 For a wreath of grace are they unto thy head, and chains for thy throat.
Anye seƒoƒokuku aɖo atsyɔ̃ na wò ta kple kɔga anɔ kɔwò.
10 My son, if sinners wish to entice thee, consent thou not.
Vinye, ne nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo le nuwò blem la, mègalɔ̃ na wo o.
11 If they should say, Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us watch in concealment for the uselessly innocent;
Ne wogblɔ na wò be, “Va kplɔ mí ɖo, na míade xa ɖe ame aɖe ƒe ʋu ŋuti, na míanɔ xame na luʋɔ maɖifɔ aɖe,
12 We will swallow them up like the grave alive; and the men of integrity, as those that go down into the pit; (Sheol h7585)
ne míamii agbagbee abe tsiẽƒe ene, eye míamii blibo abe ame siwo ge dze ʋe globo me ene (Sheol h7585)
13 We shall find all [kinds of] precious wealth, we will fill our houses with booty;
ekema nu xɔasi vovovowo asu mía si eye míatsɔ afunyinuwo ayɔ míaƒe xɔwo mee
14 Thy lot must thou cast in our midst; one purse shall be for us all:
eya ta de mía dzi ale be míana gakotoku ɖeka wò” la,
15 My son, walk not thou on the way with them; withhold thy foot from their path;
vinye, mègakplɔ wo ɖo o, mègaka afɔ woƒe toƒewo o
16 For their feet run after evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
elabena woƒe afɔ ɖea abla ɖe nu vɔ̃ ŋu eye wogona ɖe ʋukɔkɔɖi ŋu.
17 For uselessly is the net spread out before the eyes of every winged bird:
Enye movidzɔdzɔ be woaɖo ɖɔ ɖi na xeviwo le wo katã ƒe ŋkume!
18 While they lie in wait for their [own] blood; they watch in concealment for their [own] lives.
Ame siawo de xa ɖi na woawo ŋutɔ ƒe ʋu eye wole adeklo dzi ɖe woawo ŋutɔ ɖokuiwo ŋu!
19 So are the paths of every one that is greedy after [unlawful] gain; it taketh away the life of those that own it.
Aleae ame siwo tia viɖe ƒoɖi yome la ƒe nuwuwu anɔ, elabena eɖea ame siwo ƒe asi su edzi la ƒe agbe ɖa.
20 Wisdom crieth loudly without; in the public places she uttereth her voice;
Nunya le ɣli dom le mɔtata dzi eye wòkɔ gbe dzi le ƒuƒoƒewo.
21 At the corner of noisy streets she calleth, at the entrances of gates; in the city she sayeth her speeches:
Ele ɣli dom le mɔtata siwo dzi zinyenye le la ƒe dzogoewo dzi eye wòle eƒe nyawo gblɔm le dua ƒe agbowo me be,
22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners take their delight in scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
“Va se ɖe ɣe ka ɣi mi gegemewo mialɔ̃ bometsinuwɔwɔ? Va se ɖe ɣe ka yi fewuɖulawo akpɔ dzidzɔ le fewuɖuɖu ŋu, bometsilawo alé fu sidzedze?
23 Turn back to my admonition: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
Ne ɖe mietrɔ ɖe nye mokaname ŋu la, anye ne metrɔ nye dzi kɔ ɖe anyi na mi eye mena mienya nye susuwo.
24 Whereas I called, and ye refused; I stretched out my hand, and no man was attentive;
Ke esi miegbe tɔtɔ nam esi meyɔ mi, esi meke nye abɔwo me, mietsɔ ɖeke le eme o
25 And ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would not accept my admonition:
eye miedo toku nye aɖaŋuɖoɖowo, hegbe nye mokaname ta la,
26 [Therefore] I also will truly laugh at your calamity; I will deride [you] when your terror cometh;
nye hã mako mi le miaƒe gbegblẽ ta eye maɖe alɔme le mia ŋu ne dzɔgbevɔ̃e ƒo ɖe mia dzi,
27 When your terror cometh like the tempest-cloud, and your calamity hasteneth like a whirlwind; when there come upon you distress and affliction.
ɛ̃, ne eƒo ɖe mia dzi abe ahom sesẽ ene, gbegblẽ hã zɔ to mia dzi abe yali ene, eye xaxa kple hiã va mia dzi kpoyi!
28 Then will they call me, but I will not answer; they will seek me earnestly, but they shall not find me;
“Ekema woayɔm gake nyematɔ o, woadim gake womakpɔm o.
29 For the reason that they hated knowledge, and the fear of the Lord they did not choose;
Le esi wolé fu sidzedze eye wometia Yehowavɔvɔ̃ o,
30 [That] they would not attend to my counsel: [that] they rejected all my admonition.
le esi wogbe nye aɖaŋuɖoɖo hedo vlo nye mokaname ta.
31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and from their own counsels shall they be satisfied.
Azɔ la woaɖu woƒe mɔwo ƒe kutsetse eye woƒe ɖoɖowo ƒe kutsetse aɖi ƒo na wo
32 For the defection of the simple will slay them, and the prosperity of fools will cause them to be lost.
elabena gegemewo ƒe afɔɖeɖe baɖawo awu wo eye bometsilawo ƒe ɖekematsɔleme atsrɔ̃ wo.
33 But he that hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be at rest from the dread of evil.
Ke ame sia ame si ɖoa tom la, anɔ agbe le dedinɔnɔ me eye aɖe dzi ɖi bɔkɔɔ, mavɔ̃ na dzɔgbevɔ̃e o.”
