Proverbs 24
1 Be not thou envious of wicked men, neither crave to be with them;
Mègabiã ŋu ame vɔ̃ɖiwo o, mègadi woƒe hamenɔnɔ o
2 For, violence, their heart muttereth, and, mischief, their lips do speak.
elabena woƒe dzi ɖoa nu tovo eye woƒe nuyiwo ƒoa nu tso nu gbegblẽ wɔwɔ ŋuti.
3 In wisdom, is a house builded, and, in understanding, is it established;
Nunya wotsɔna tua xɔe eye gɔmesese wotsɔna ɖoa egɔme anyie,
4 And, in knowledge, chambers are filled, with all acquisitions, costly and fair.
to sidzedze me wotsɔa nu nyui tɔxɛ siwo mebɔ o kple kesinɔnu nyuiwo yɔa woƒe xɔwo mee.
5 A wise man, is mighty, and, a man of knowledge, becometh alert in vigour.
Ŋusẽ gã aɖe le nunyala si eye ame si si gɔmesese le la dzia eƒe ŋusẽ ɖe edzi.
6 Surely, with concerted measures, shalt thou make for thyself war, and, success, lieth in the greatness of the counsellor.
Èhiã nufiame hafi adze aʋa eye hafi dziɖuɖu nava la, èhiã aɖaŋuɖola geɖewo.
7 Unattainable to a foolish man, are the dictates of wisdom, in the gate, he openeth not his mouth.
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 mischief, him, shall men call, a master of plots.
Ame si ɖo vɔ̃ be yeawɔ lae woyɔna be ame vɔ̃ɖi.
9 The purpose of folly, is sin, and, an abomination to mankind, is a buffoon.
Bometsinuwo ɖoɖo nye nu vɔ̃ eye amewo tsria fewuɖula.
10 Thou hast been slothful in the day of straitness, Strait, is thy strength.
Ne èʋuʋu le xaxaɣi la, aleke wò ŋusẽ mehele sue o?
11 Deliver thou such as are being led forth to death, and, them who are tottering to slaughter, oh that thou wouldst hold back!
Ɖe ame siwo wokplɔ yina wuwu ge eye xɔ na ame siwo le yiyim sɔgɔsɔgɔ yina ɖe ku me.
12 Though thou say, Lo! we knew not this, Shall not, he that proveth hearts, himself, discern? And, he that formeth thy soul, himself, know? and bring back to a son of earth according to his deed?
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, because it is good, —and droppings from the comb [because they are] sweet to thy palate:
Vinye, no anyitsi elabena enyo; anyitsi tso anyito me avivi le wò nu me.
14 Thus, take knowledge of wisdom, for thine own soul; If thou find it, then there is a future, and, thine expectation, 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 Do not lie in wait, thou lawless man, against the home of the righteous, —neither destroy thou his place of rest;
Mègade xa ɖe ame dzɔdzɔe ƒe aƒe ŋu o, mègava ha enɔƒe o
16 For, seven times, may the righteous fall and yet arise, but, lawless men, shall stumble into calamity.
elabena togbɔ be ame dzɔdzɔe adze anyi zi adre hã la, agafɔ gake ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ya la, dzɔgbevɔ̃e ahe wo aƒu anyi.
17 When thine enemy falleth, do not thou rejoice, and, when he stumbleth, let not thy heart exult:
Mègakpɔ dziɖuɖu ƒe dzidzɔ ne wò futɔ dze anyi o, eye ne ekli nu la, dzi megadzɔ wò o,
18 Lest Yahweh see it, and it be wicked in his eyes, and he turn away from him his anger.
elabena Yehowa akpɔe, eye madze eŋu o, eye wòaɖe eƒe dziku ɖa le edzi.
19 Burn not with vexation against evil doers, be not envious of lawless men;
Mègadzo nyanyanya le ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ta alo aʋã ŋu ŋutasẽla o,
20 For there shall be no future for the wicked, The lamp of the lawless, shall go out.
elabena mɔkpɔkpɔ aɖeke meli na ame vɔ̃ɖi ɖe etsɔ si gbɔna ŋuti o eye woatsi ŋutasẽlawo ƒe akaɖi.
21 Revere thou Yahweh, my son, and the king, and, with the fickle, have thou no fellowship;
Vinye, vɔ̃ Yehowa kple fia la eye mègade aglãdzelawo dzi o
22 For, suddenly, shall arise their calamity; and, the misfortune of their years, who knoweth?
elabena ame eve mawo ana gbegblẽ naƒo ɖe wo dzi kpoyi eye ame kae nya dzɔgbevɔ̃e si woate ŋu ahe vɛ?
23 These things also, concern the wise, To take note of faces in judgment, is not good.
Esiawo hã nye nunyalawo ƒe nyagbɔgblɔwo: Akpa ɖeka dzi dede le ʋɔnudɔdrɔ̃ me menyo o.
24 He that saith to the lawless man, Righteous, thou art, peoples shall denounce him, populations shall curse him;
Ame si agblɔ na fɔɖila be, “Mèdze agɔ o” la, amewo ado ɖiŋu nɛ eye dukɔwo anyɔ ŋui.
25 But, to reprovers, one should be pleasant, and, upon them, should come an excellent blessing:
Ke eme anyo na ame siwo abu fɔ agɔdzela eye yayra gãwo ava wo ameawo dzi.
26 Lips, should one kiss with one who answereth in right words.
Nyaŋuɖoɖo ɖe ɖoɖo nu le abe nugbugbɔ ene.
27 Prepare, in the open, thy work, and make ready, in the field, for thyself, Afterwards, shalt thou build thy house.
Wu wò gotadɔwo nu eye nàdzra wò agble me ɖo, ema megbe la, tu wò xɔ.
28 Do not become a needless witness against thy neighbour, so mightest thou open too wide thy lips:
Mègaɖu ɖasefo ɖe hawòvi ŋu dzodzro alo atsɔ wò nuyiwo aka aʋatsoe o.
29 Do not say—According to what he hath done to me, so, will I do to him, I will repay every one 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 By the field of the sluggard, I passed, and by the vineyard of a man lacking sense;
Meto kuviatɔ kple ame manyanu ƒe waingble ŋu yi;
31 And lo! there had come up all over it—thorns, there had covered the face thereof—thistles, and, the stone fence thereof, had been thrown down.
ŋu vu tsyɔ afi sia afi, gbe to ɖe eme katã eye kpekpɔ la kaka le eŋu.
32 So I observed it, for myself, I applied my heart, I looked—I accepted correction:
Metsɔ nye dzi ɖo nu si mekpɔ la ŋu eye mesrɔ̃ nu tso nu si mekpɔ la me.
33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest:
Dɔ alɔ̃ vie, dɔ akɔlɔ̃e sẽe, ŋlɔ wò abɔwo nàdzudzɔ vie,
34 So shall come in, as a highwayman, thy poverty, and, thy want, as one armed with a shield.
tete ahedada aƒo ɖe dziwò abe adzodala ene, eye hiã abe aʋakalẽtɔ si bla akpa ene.
