Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye sons, the correction of a father, and attend, that ye may know understanding.
Vinyewo, mise mia fofo ƒe nufiame; miɖo to ne miaxɔ gɔmesese.
2 For, good teaching, have I given you, mine instruction, do not ye forsake.
Nusɔsrɔ̃ deto mele mia nam eya ta migagbe nye nufiafia o.
3 For, a son, became I to my father, tender and most precious in the sight of my mother.
Esi menye ɖevi sue kple vi fɛ̃ le fofonye ƒe aƒe me kple vi ɖekɛ na danye la,
4 So he taught me, and said to me—Let thy heart, lay hold of my words, Keep my commandments and live!
efia num hegblɔ be, “Ku ɖe nye nyawo ŋu kple wò dzi katã, lé nye sededewo me ɖe asi ekema ànɔ agbe.
5 Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding, Do not forget, neither decline thou from the sayings of my mouth.
Dze nunya, di gɔmesese, mègaŋlɔ nye nyawo be alo aƒo asa na wo o.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will guard thee, —love her and she will keep thee.
Mègagbe nu le nunya gbɔ o ekema adzɔ ŋuwò, lɔ̃e ekema akpɔ tawò.
7 The principal thing, is wisdom, acquire thou wisdom, With all thine acquisition, acquire thou understanding.
Nunya ƒo nuwo katã ta eya ta dze nunya. Togbɔ be wò nunɔamesiwo katã nàtsɔ aƒlee hã la, di gɔmesese.
8 Exalt her, and she will set thee on high, she will bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her:
De asixɔxɔ eŋu ekema ado wò ɖe dzi, xɔe atuu ekema ade bubu ŋuwò.
9 She will give for thy head, a wreath of beauty, A crown of adorning, will she bestow upon thee.
Atsɔ amenuveve aɖɔ na wò ta abe seƒoƒotsihe ene eye wòatsɔ atsyɔ̃fiakuku aɖɔ na wò.”
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and they will multiply to thee the years of life.
Ɖo to afii, vinye, ne nàxɔ nye nyawo, ekema wò agbenɔƒewo asɔ gbɔ fũu.
11 In the way of wisdom, have I taught thee, I have guided thee in tracks of uprightness.
Mele nunya ƒe mɔ fiam wò eye mekplɔ wò to toƒe dzɔdzɔewo.
12 When thou walkest, thy step shall not be hemmed in, and, if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
Ne èle zɔzɔm la, naneke maxe mɔ na wò afɔɖeɖewo o eye ne èsi du la, màkli nu o.
13 Take fast hold of correction, let her not go, —keep her, for, she, is thy life.
Lé nufiame ɖe asi, mègana wòado le asiwò o; dzɔ eŋuti nyuie elabena eyae nye agbe na wò.
14 Upon the path of the lawless, do not thou enter, and do not advance in the way of the wicked:
Mègaka afɔ ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ƒe toƒewo alo nàzɔ ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ƒe mɔ dzi o.
15 Avoid it, do not pass thereon—turn from it, and depart.
Ƒo asa na woƒe mɔwo, mègazɔ wo dzi o, lé wò mɔ tsɔ nàyi afi si yim nèle
16 For they sleep not, unless they can do mischief, —They rob themselves of their sleep, if they cannot cause someone to stumble,
elabena ne womewɔ nu vɔ̃ɖi o kpaa, womedɔa alɔ̃ o eye womedɔa akɔlɔ̃e teti hã o va se ɖe esime woana ame aɖe nadze anyi.
17 For they consume bread gotten by lawlessness, and, wine obtained by violence, they drink.
Woɖua vɔ̃ɖinyenye ƒe abolo eye wonoa nu sesẽ wɔwɔ ƒe wain.
18 But, the path of the righteous, is as the light of dawn, —going on and brightening, unto meridian day.
Ke ame dzɔdzɔewo ƒe toƒe le abe ŋdi kanya ƒe ɣetotoe ene, eklẽna, gaklẽna ɖe edzi ne ŋu ɖe le eme nyuie.
19 The way of the lawless, is like darkness, they know not, at what they stumble.
Ke ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ƒe mɔ le abe viviti tsiɖitsiɖi ene eye womenya nu si na wole nu klim o.
20 My son, to my words, attend, to my sayings, incline thou thine ear;
Vinye, lé to ɖe nye nyawo ŋu eye nàƒu to anyi ɖe nya si gblɔm mele la ŋu.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes, keep them in the midst of thy heart;
Mègana woadzo le wò ŋkume o, ke boŋ dzra wo ɖo ɖe wò dzi me,
22 For, life, they are, to them who find them, —and, to every part of one’s flesh, they bring healing.
elabena wonye agbe na ame siwo ke ɖe wo ŋu kple dɔyɔyɔ na ame ƒe ŋutilã blibo la.
23 Above all that must be guarded, keep thou thy heart, for, out of it, are the issues of life.
Dzɔ wò dzi ŋu wu nuwo katã, elabena eyae nye agbe ƒe vudo.
24 Remove from thee, perverseness of mouth, and, craftiness of lips, put far from thee.
Ɖe nya dzodzrowo ɖa le wò nu me, eye te aʋatsonyawo ɖa xaa tso wò nuyiwo gbɔ.
25 Let, thine eyes, right onward, look, —and, thine eyelashes, point straight before thee.
Wò ŋkuwo nekpɔ ŋgɔ tẽe eye wò mo nelé mɔ ɖeka tsɔ le ŋgɔwò.
26 Make level the track of thy foot, that, all thy ways, may be directed aright:
Ɖe toƒe sɔsɔewo na wò afɔwo eye nàlé mɔ siwo dzi sẽ nyuie la ko atsɔ.
27 Decline not, to the right hand or to the left, —Turn away thy foot from wickedness.
Mègadze ɖe ɖusime alo miame o, eye ɖe wò afɔ ɖa le vɔ̃ me.
