Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
Vinyewo, mise mia fofo ƒe nufiame; miɖo to ne miaxɔ gɔmesese.
2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.
Nusɔsrɔ̃ deto mele mia nam eya ta migagbe nye nufiafia o.
3 For I was my father's son, tender and only [beloved] 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 He taught me also, and said to me, Let thy heart retain 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 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget [it] not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
Dze nunya, di gɔmesese, mègaŋlɔ nye nyawo be alo aƒo asa na wo o.
6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
Mègagbe nu le nunya gbɔ o ekema adzɔ ŋuwò, lɔ̃e ekema akpɔ tawò.
7 Wisdom [is] the principal thing; [therefore] get wisdom: and with all thy getting get 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 shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her.
De asixɔxɔ eŋu ekema ado wò ɖe dzi, xɔe atuu ekema ade bubu ŋuwò.
9 She shall give to thy head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.
Atsɔ amenuveve aɖɔ na wò ta abe seƒoƒotsihe ene eye wòatsɔ atsyɔ̃fiakuku aɖɔ na wò.”
10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.
Ɖo to afii, vinye, ne nàxɔ nye nyawo, ekema wò agbenɔƒewo asɔ gbɔ fũu.
11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.
Mele nunya ƒe mɔ fiam wò eye mekplɔ wò to toƒe dzɔdzɔewo.
12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when 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 instruction; 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 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil [men].
Mègaka afɔ ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ƒe toƒewo alo nàzɔ ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ƒe mɔ dzi o.
15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.
Ƒo asa na woƒe mɔwo, mègazɔ wo dzi o, lé wò mɔ tsɔ nàyi afi si yim nèle
16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause [some] to fall.
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 eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
Woɖua vɔ̃ɖinyenye ƒe abolo eye wonoa nu sesẽ wɔwɔ ƒe wain.
18 But the path of the just [is] as the shining light, that shineth more and more to the perfect 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 wicked [is] as 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, attend to my words; incline thy ear to my sayings.
Vinye, lé to ɖe nye nyawo ŋu eye nàƒu to anyi ɖe nya si gblɔm mele la ŋu.
21 Let them not depart from thy 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 they [are] life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
elabena wonye agbe na ame siwo ke ɖe wo ŋu kple dɔyɔyɔ na ame ƒe ŋutilã blibo la.
23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it [are] the issues of life.
Dzɔ wò dzi ŋu wu nuwo katã, elabena eyae nye agbe ƒe vudo.
24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
Ɖe nya dzodzrowo ɖa le wò nu me, eye te aʋatsonyawo ɖa xaa tso wò nuyiwo gbɔ.
25 Let thy eyes look right on, and let thy eyelids look straight before thee.
Wò ŋkuwo nekpɔ ŋgɔ tẽe eye wò mo nelé mɔ ɖeka tsɔ le ŋgɔwò.
26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
Ɖe toƒe sɔsɔewo na wò afɔwo eye nàlé mɔ siwo dzi sẽ nyuie la ko atsɔ.
27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
Mègadze ɖe ɖusime alo miame o, eye ɖe wò afɔ ɖa le vɔ̃ me.
