Proverbs 22
1 A [good] name is rather to be chosen than great riches, [and] loving favour rather than silver and gold.
Ŋkɔ nyui didi nyo wu kesinɔnuwo eye ŋudzedzekpɔkpɔ nyo wu klosalo kple sika.
2 The rich and the poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.
Nu ɖeka siae nàkpɔ le kesinɔtɔ kple ame dahe ŋu: Yehowae nye wo katã Wɔla.
3 A prudent man seeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.
Nunyala kpɔ dzɔgbevɔ̃e gbɔna eye wòɣla eɖokui gake bometsila ya yiyim ko wòle eye wòkpea fu ɖe enu.
4 The reward of humility [and] the fear of the LORD [is] riches, and honour, and life.
Ɖokuibɔbɔ kple Yehowavɔvɔ̃ hea kesinɔnu, bubu kple agbe vɛ.
5 Thorns [and] snares are in the way of the froward: he that keepeth his soul shall be far from them.
Ŋu kple mɔkawo le ame vɔ̃ɖi la ƒe mɔ dzi, ke ame si dzɔ eƒe luʋɔ ŋuti la, ate ɖa xaa tso wo gbɔ.
6 Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not depart from it.
He ɖevi ɖe mɔ si wòato la dzi eye ne etsi la, mate ɖa le edzi o.
7 The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
Kesinɔtɔwo ɖua gã ɖe ame dahewo dzi eye nugbanadola zua dɔla na ame si do nugbana la nɛ.
8 He that soweth iniquity shall reap calamity: and the rod of his wrath shall fail.
Ame si ƒã vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖi la axa dzɔgbevɔ̃e, eye woatsrɔ eƒe dɔmedzoe ƒe ameƒoti.
9 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.
Woayra ame si nyoa dɔ me na amewo elabena emaa eƒe nuɖuɖu kple ame dahewo.
10 Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and ignominy shall cease.
Nya fewuɖula la do goe eye dzre hã ado go, nenema ke nyahehe kple dzudzu hã awu nu.
11 He that loveth pureness of heart, [for] the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.
Ame si lɔ̃ dzi dzadzɛ kple nuƒoƒo si me nya dzetowo le la, eyae fia la adze xɔ̃e.
12 The eyes of the LORD preserve [him that hath] knowledge, but he overthroweth the words of the treacherous man.
Yehowa ƒe ŋkuwo le nugɔmesese ŋu, ke etrɔa gbo nuteƒemawɔlawo ƒe nyawo.
13 The sluggard saith, There is a lion without: I shall be murdered in the streets.
Kuviatɔ gblɔna be, “Dzata le gota!” alo “Woava wum le ablɔ dzi!”
14 The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein.
Nyɔnu ahasitɔ ƒe nu la, ʋe globo wònye eye ame si dzi Yehowa ƒe dziku le la eyae age adze eme.
15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; [but] the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
Wobla bometsitsi ɖe ɖevi ƒe dzi ŋu, ke ɖɔɖɔɖo ƒe ameƒoti ana wòate ɖa xaa tso egbɔ.
16 He that oppresseth the poor to increase his [gain, and] he that giveth to the rich, [cometh] only to want.
Ame si tea ame dahewo ɖe anyi be yeadzi yeƒe kesinɔnuwo ɖe edzi kple ame si naa nu kesinɔtɔ la siaa age ɖe hiã me.
17 Incline thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.
Ƒu to anyi eye nàse nunyalawo ƒe nyawo, na wò dzi naku ɖe nu si fiam mele ŋuti,
18 For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee, if they be established together upon thy lips.
elabena edoa dzidzɔ na ame ne èɣla wo ɖe wò dzi me, eye wo katã nanɔ klalo le wò nuyiwo dzi.
19 That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made [them] known to thee this day, even to thee.
Ale be nàɖo dzi ɖe Yehowa ŋu, esia ta mele nu fiam wò ɖo egbea, ɛ̃, wòe mele nu fiam.
20 Have not I written unto thee excellent things of counsels and knowledge;
Ɖe nyemeŋlɔ nufiamenya blaetɔ̃ na wò, aɖaŋuɖonyawo kple nugɔmesenyawo
21 To make thee know the certainty of the words of truth, that thou mayest carry back words of truth to them that send thee?
be woafia nyateƒe kple kakaɖedzinyawo wò be nàtsɔ nunyanyawo aɖo nya ŋu na ame si dɔ wò la oa?
22 Rob not the poor, because he is poor, neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:
Mègaba ame dahewo le esi woda ahe ta o eye mègate hiãtɔ ɖe to le ʋɔnu o,
23 For the LORD will plead their cause, and despoil of life those that despoil them.
elabena Yehowa axɔ nya ɖe wo nu eye wòaha ame si ha wo.
24 Make no friendship with a man that is given to anger; and with a wrathful man thou shalt not go:
Mègadze xɔ̃ ŋutsu dɔmedzoetɔ o eye mègade ha kple ame si doa dziku kabakaba o,
25 Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.
ne menye nenema o la, àva srɔ̃ eƒe mɔwo eye nàtsɔ ɖokuiwò ade mɔ me.
26 Be thou not one of them that strike hands, [or] of them that are sureties for debts:
Mèganye ame si ƒua asi akɔ ɖe fenyila nu alo dea megbe na ame si do nugbana la o;
27 If thou hast not wherewith to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?
eye ne mèkpɔ ga axe fea o la, woaɖe aba si dzi nèmlɔna la gɔ̃ hã le tewò.
28 Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.
Mègaɖe blemaliƒokpe si fofowòwo ɖi la ɖa o.
29 Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.
Èkpɔ ame si bi ɖe eƒe dɔ me la le dɔ wɔma? Asubɔ le fiawo ŋgɔ eye menye le ame tsɛwo ŋgɔ o.
