Proverbs 6
1 My son, if thou have become surety for thy neighbour, —have struck for a stranger thy hands,
Vinye, ne ède megbe na wò aƒelika, eye nèsi akpe tsɔ do ŋugbee na ame tutɔ,
2 Thou hast been snared by the sayings of thy mouth, —thou hast been caught by the sayings of thy mouth.
ne ŋugbe si nèdo zu mɔ me nèɖo eye wò numenyawo bla wò la,
3 Do this then, my son, and deliver thyself, When thou hast come into the hand of thy neighbour, Go, haste thee, and urge thy neighbour;
ekema vinye, wɔ esia ne nàtsɔ aɖe ɖokuiwòe, esi nège ɖe hawòvi ƒe asi me ta. Yi nàbɔbɔ ɖokuiwò, ɖe kuku na hawòvi la amenubletɔe!
4 Do not give sleep to thine eyes, or slumber to thine eyelashes;
Wò ŋkuwo megadɔ alɔ̃ o eye wò aɖaba megadɔ akɔlɔ̃e o.
5 Deliver thyself, as a gazelle out of the hand, and as a bird, out of the hand of the fowler.
Ɖe ɖokuiwò le eƒe asi me abe ale si sãde sina le adela ƒe asi me ene alo abe ale si xevi dona le xevimɔtrela ƒe kamɔ mee ene.
6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard, observe her ways, and be wise;
Wò, kuviatɔ, yi anyidi gbɔ; kpɔ eƒe mɔwo ɖa, eye nàdze nunya!
7 Which, having no harvest, scribe, or ruler,
Gbeɖela loo dzikpɔla alo dziɖula aɖeke mele esi o,
8 Prepareth, in the summer, her food, hath collected, in the harvest, her sustenance.
gake le dzomeŋɔli la eƒoa eƒe nuhiahiãwo nu ƒu eye wòƒoa eƒe nuɖuɖu nu ƒu le nuŋeɣi.
9 How long, O sluggard, wilt thou lie? how long ere thou rise from thy sleep?
Wò, kuviatɔ va se ɖe ɣe ka ɣi nàmlɔ afi ma? Ɣe ka ɣi nànyɔ tso alɔ̃ me?
10 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,
11 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.
12 An abandoned man, a man of iniquity, [is he] who—goeth on in perversity of mouth;
Yakame kple ame baɖa si le yiyim kple alakpadada,
13 Winketh with his eyes, speaketh with his foot, pointeth with his fingers;
le ŋku tem, tsɔ afɔ le dzesi fiam eye wòtsɔ eƒe asi le nya gblɔmii,
14 [Hath] perverse things in his heart, deviseth mischief on every occasion, strifes, he sendeth forth.
ame si ɖoa nu vɔ̃ɖi, beble le eƒe dzi me, eye ɣe sia ɣi wòdea dzre aƒe la
15 For this cause, suddenly cometh his doom, in a moment, shall he be torn in pieces and there be no mending.
eya ta gbegblẽ aƒo ɖe edzi kpoyi eye woatsrɔ̃ eya amea zi ɖeka, naneke maɖee le eme o.
16 These six things, doth Yahweh hate, yea, seven, are the abomination of his soul: —
Nu adree Yehowa tsri, eye nu adree nye nu siwo wònyɔa ŋui:
17 Eyes that are lofty, a tongue that is false, and hands shedding innocent blood;
dadaŋkuwo, alakpaɖe, asi siwo kɔa ʋu maɖifɔ ɖi,
18 A heart contriving iniquitous devices, feet hasting to run into mischief;
dzi si ɖoa nu vɔ̃ɖiwo, afɔ siwo ɖea abla ɖe vɔ̃wɔwɔ ŋuti
19 One that uttereth lies—a false witness, and one sending forth strifes between brethren.
aʋatsoɖaseɖila si kɔa alakpa ɖi, kple ŋutsu si dea dzre nɔviwo dome.
20 Observe thou, my son, the commandment of thy father, and do not decline from the instruction of thy mother:
Vinye, lé fofowò ƒe sededewo me ɖe asi eye mègagblẽ dawò ƒe nufiame ɖi o.
21 Bind them upon thy heart continually, fasten them upon thy neck;
Bla wo ɖe wò dzi ŋuti tegbee eye nàsae ɖe wò kɔ ŋuti.
22 When thou walkest abroad, it shall guide thee, when thou sleepest, it shall watch over thee, when thou wakest, it shall speak to thee:
Ne èle zɔzɔm la, woafia mɔ wò, ne èle alɔ̃ dɔm la, woadzɔ ŋuwò eye ne ènyɔ la, woaƒo nu na wò
23 For, a lamp, is the commandment, and, the instruction, a light, and, the way of life, are the reproofs of correction:
elabena sedede siawo nye akaɖi, nufiafia sia nye kekeli eye ɖɔɖɔɖo si amehehe hena vɛ la nye agbe ƒe mɔ,
24 To keep thee from the wicked woman, from the flattery of the tongue of her that is a stranger.
esi aɖe wò tso nyɔnu ahasitɔ ƒe asi me kple srɔ̃nyɔnu dzego la ƒe aɖe ŋanɛ ƒe asi me.
25 Do not covet her beauty, in thy heart, neither let her take thee, by her eyelashes;
Eƒe tugbedzedze megana eƒe nu nadzro wò le wò dzi me alo nàna eƒe ŋku mawo nalé wò o,
26 Because, for the sake of an impure woman, [a man may be brought] even to a cake of bread, —and, a man’s wife, for a precious soul, may hunt!
elabena gbolo aɖi gbɔ̃ wò, nànɔ abe abolo ko ene eye nyɔnu ahasitɔ aɖe agbe le mewò.
27 Can a man snatch up fire in his bosom, and, his clothes, not be burned?
Ɖe ŋutsu aɖe aɖe dzo ɖe atata eye eƒe awuwo nagbe fiafia?
28 Or can a man walk upon hot coals, and, his feet, not be burned?
Ɖe ŋutsu aɖe azɔ le dzoka xɔxɔ dzi eye eƒe afɔwo nagbe fiafia?
29 So, he that goeth in unto his neighbour’s wife, no man shall be guiltless who toucheth her!
Nenemae wòanɔ na ŋutsu si dɔna kple ŋutsu bubu srɔ̃, womagbe tohehe na ame si ka asi eŋuti o.
30 Men despise not a thief, when he stealeth, to satisfy his appetite, because he is famished;
Womedoa vlo fiafitɔ ne efi fi be wòatsɔ atsi eƒe dɔwuame nu, ne dɔ la ewum o
31 Yet, if found, he must pay back sevenfold, All the substance of his house, must he give:
gake ne wolée la, ele nɛ be wòaɖo nua teƒe zi adre, esia ana eƒe kesinɔnu siwo katã le esi le eƒe aƒe me la navɔ le esi.
32 He that committeth adultery with a woman, lacketh sense, A destroyer of his own life, is he that doeth it;
Ke ame si wɔ ahasi kple srɔ̃tɔ la mebua ta me o eye ame si wɔnɛ la gblẽa eɖokui dome.
33 Smiting and shame, shall he find, and, his reproach, shall not be wiped out;
Ƒoƒo kple kɔ kple vlododo nye etɔ gome eye womaɖe eƒe ŋukpe ɖa akpɔ gbeɖe o
34 For, jealousy, is the rage of a man, nor will he spare, in the day of avenging;
elabena ŋuʋaʋã ana srɔ̃ŋutsu ƒe dɔmedzoe nafla eye ne ele hlɔ̃ biam la, makpɔ nublanui o.
35 He will not look, at any ransom, neither will he consent, though thou increase the bribe.
Maxɔ avulénu aɖeke o, eye maxɔ zãnu aɖeke hã o, aleke gbegbee wòloloe hã.
