Proverbs 23
1 When you sit to eat with a ruler, Diligently consider that which [is] before you,
Ne ènɔ kplɔ̃ ŋu be yeaɖu nu kple fia la, lé ŋku ɖe nu si wotsɔ ɖo akɔwò me la ŋu nyuie
2 And you have put a knife to your throat, If you [are] a man of appetite.
eye tsɔ hɛ ɖo wò ve dzi ne ènye nutsuɖula.
3 Have no desire to his delicacies, seeing it [is] lying food.
Mègadzro eƒe nuɖuɖu kpeɖiwo o elabena nuɖuɖu ma nye beble.
4 Do not labor to make wealth, Cease from your own understanding, Do you cause your eyes to fly on it? Then it is not.
Mègaku kutri vivivo, agbɔdzɔ ɖokuiwò be yeakpɔ hotsui o, dze nunya nàlé avu ɖokuiwò.
5 For wealth makes wings to itself, It flies to the heavens as an eagle.
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 Do not eat the bread of an evil eye, And have no desire to his delicacies,
Mègaɖu ŋutsu nuvela ƒe nuɖuɖu o, eye eƒe nuɖuɖu kpeɖiwo megadzro wò o,
7 For as he has thought in his soul, so he [is]. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, And his heart [is] not with you.
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 You vomit up your morsel you have eaten, And have marred your words that [are] sweet.
Àdzɔ nu sue si nèɖu la hã eye àtsɔ wò kafukafunya siwo nègblɔ la hã ada ahee.
9 Do not speak in the ears of a fool, For he treads on the wisdom of your words.
Mègaƒo nu ɖe bometsila ƒe to me o, elabena ado vlo wò nunyanyawo.
10 Do not remove a border of ancient times, And do not enter into fields of the fatherless,
Mègaɖe blemaliƒokpewo ɖa alo age ɖe tsyɔ̃eviwo ƒe agble me o
11 For their Redeemer [is] strong, He pleads their cause with you.
elabena ŋusẽtɔe nye wo ta ʋlila; eye awɔ avu kpli wò ɖe wo nu.
12 Bring your heart to instruction, And your ear to sayings of knowledge.
Tsɔ wò dzi ku ɖe nufiame ŋu eye wò towo natrɔ ɖe gɔmesese ŋu.
13 Do not withhold discipline from a youth, When you strike him with a rod he does 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 your heart has been wise, My heart rejoices, even mine,
Vinye, ne wò dzi dze nunya la, ekema nye hã nye dzi akpɔ dzidzɔ
16 And my reins exult when your lips speak uprightly.
eye nye ememe ke atso aseye ne wò nuyiwo gblɔ nu si le dzɔdzɔe.
17 Do not let your heart be envious at sinners, But—in the fear of YHWH all the day.
Mègana wò dzi naʋã ŋu nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo o, ke boŋ tsɔ dzo ɖe Yehowavɔvɔ̃ ŋu.
18 For is there a posterity? Then your hope is not cut off.
Vavã, mɔkpɔkpɔ le asiwò hena etsɔ si gbɔna eye wò mɔkpɔkpɔ mazu dzodzro o.
19 Hear, my son, and be wise, And make your heart blessed in the way,
Vinye, ɖo tom ne nàdze nunya eye na wò dzi nanɔ mɔ dzɔdzɔetɔ dzi.
20 Do not become drunk with wine, Among gluttonous ones of flesh,
Mègade ha kple ame siwo nye waintsunolawo alo lã geɖe ɖulawo o.
21 For the drunkard and glutton become poor, And drowsiness clothes with rags.
Elabena ahatsunolawo kple nutsuɖulawo la, ahee wodana eye alɔ̃ tsu dɔdɔ nana wonɔa awu vuvuwo me.
22 Listen to your father, who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she has become old.
Ɖo to fofowò, ame si dzi wò eye mègado vlo dawò ne eku nyagã o.
23 Buy truth, and do not sell, Wisdom, and instruction, and understanding,
Ƒle nyateƒe la eye mègadzrae o; ƒle nunya, amehehe kple gɔmesese.
24 The father of the righteous rejoices greatly, The begetter of the wise rejoices in him.
Ame dzɔdzɔe fofo atso aseye geɖe eye ame si si vi nyanu le la akpɔ dzidzɔ le eŋu.
25 Your father and your mother rejoice, Indeed, she bearing you is joyful.
Dawò kple fofowò nekpɔ dzidzɔ eye nyɔnu si dzi wò la netso aseye!
26 Give, my son, your heart to me, And let your eyes watch my ways.
Vinye, tsɔ wò dzi nam eye wò ŋkuwo nenɔ nye mɔwo ŋu
27 For a harlot [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, as catching prey, lies in wait, And she increases the treacherous among men.
Ede xa ɖi abe adzodala ene eye wòdzia ŋutsu ahasitɔwo ƒe xexlẽme ɖe edzi.
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaint? Who has wounds without cause? Who has 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 Those lingering by the wine, Those going in to search out mixed wine.
Ame siwo tsia wainze te la tɔe, ame siwo yina ɖaɖɔa wain si wotɔtɔ kpɔ la tɔe.
31 Do not see wine when it shows itself red, When it gives its color in the cup, It goes up and down through the upright.
Mègaɖɔ wain kpɔ ne ebiã dzẽe, ne ele fu tsɔm le kplu me, ne eto vetome heɖiɖi ɖe dɔ me o!
32 Its latter end—it bites as a serpent, And it stings as a viper.
Le nuwuwu la, eɖua ame abe da ene eye wònyɔa aɖi abe ƒli ene.
33 Your eyes see strange women, And your heart speaks perverse things.
Wò ŋkuwo akpɔ nu tutɔ manyatalenuwo eye wò susu anɔ nu baɖabaɖawo susum.
34 And you have been as one lying down in the heart of the sea, And as one lying down on the top of a mast.
Ànɔ abe ame si mlɔ atsiaƒu gbana dzi alo ame si mlɔ abala dzi ene.
35 “They struck me, I have not been sick, They beat me, I have not known. When I awake—I 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?”
