Lododowo 1
1 Israel fia Solomo, David ƒe vi ƒe lododowo nye esiawo:
The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:
2 na nunya kple amehehe, na nya goglowo gɔmesese,
To know wisdom and instruction; To discern the words of understanding;
3 hena agbe dzɔdzɔe kple agbe ɖevi nɔnɔ, be woawɔ nu si dzɔ, nu si le eteƒe kple nu si nyo,
To receive instruction in wise dealing, In righteousness and justice and equity;
4 be ame gblɔewo nadze aɖaŋu eye woana nunya kple sidzedze sɔhɛwo,
To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion:
5 nunyalawo neɖo to, ne woasrɔ̃ nu akpe ɖe esi wonya xoxo la ŋu eye ame siwo si sidzedze le xoxo la naxɔ aɖaŋu,
That the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; And that the man of understanding may attain unto sound counsels:
6 be woase nunyalawo ƒe lododowo abebubuwo kple adzowo gɔme.
To understand a proverb, and a figure, The words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
7 Yehowa vɔvɔ̃e nye nunya ƒe gɔmedzedze, ke bometsilawo doa vlo nunya kple amehehe.
The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge; [But] the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.
8 Vinye, ɖo to fofowò ƒe nuxɔxlɔ̃ eye mègagbe nu le dawò ƒe nufiame gbɔ o.
My son, hear the instruction of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother:
9 Anye seƒoƒokuku aɖo atsyɔ̃ na wò ta kple kɔga anɔ kɔwò.
For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, And chains about thy neck.
10 Vinye, ne nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo le nuwò blem la, mègalɔ̃ na wo o.
My son, if sinners entice thee, Consent thou not.
11 Ne wogblɔ na wò be, “Va kplɔ mí ɖo, na míade xa ɖe ame aɖe ƒe ʋu ŋuti, na míanɔ xame na luʋɔ maɖifɔ aɖe,
If they say, Come with us, Let us lay wait for blood; Let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause;
12 ne míamii agbagbee abe tsiẽƒe ene, eye míamii blibo abe ame siwo ge dze ʋe globo me ene (Sheol h7585)
Let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, And whole, as those that go down into the pit; (Sheol h7585)
13 ekema nu xɔasi vovovowo asu mía si eye míatsɔ afunyinuwo ayɔ míaƒe xɔwo mee
We shall find all precious substance; We shall fill our houses with spoil;
14 eya ta de mía dzi ale be míana gakotoku ɖeka wò” la,
Thou shalt cast thy lot among us; We will all have one purse:
15 vinye, mègakplɔ wo ɖo o, mègaka afɔ woƒe toƒewo o
My son, walk not thou in the way with them; Refrain thy foot from their path:
16 elabena woƒe afɔ ɖea abla ɖe nu vɔ̃ ŋu eye wogona ɖe ʋukɔkɔɖi ŋu.
For their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood.
17 Enye movidzɔdzɔ be woaɖo ɖɔ ɖi na xeviwo le wo katã ƒe ŋkume!
For in vain is the net spread In the sight of any bird:
18 Ame siawo de xa ɖi na woawo ŋutɔ ƒe ʋu eye wole adeklo dzi ɖe woawo ŋutɔ ɖokuiwo ŋu!
And these lay wait for their own blood; They lurk privily for their own lives.
19 Aleae ame siwo tia viɖe ƒoɖi yome la ƒe nuwuwu anɔ, elabena eɖea ame siwo ƒe asi su edzi la ƒe agbe ɖa.
So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; It taketh away the life of the owners thereof.
20 Nunya le ɣli dom le mɔtata dzi eye wòkɔ gbe dzi le ƒuƒoƒewo.
Wisdom crieth aloud in the street; She uttereth her voice in the broad places;
21 Ele ɣli dom le mɔtata siwo dzi zinyenye le la ƒe dzogoewo dzi eye wòle eƒe nyawo gblɔm le dua ƒe agbowo me be,
She crieth in the chief place of concourse; At the entrance of the gates, In the city, she uttereth her words:
22 “Va se ɖe ɣe ka ɣi mi gegemewo mialɔ̃ bometsinuwɔwɔ? Va se ɖe ɣe ka yi fewuɖulawo akpɔ dzidzɔ le fewuɖuɖu ŋu, bometsilawo alé fu sidzedze?
How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? And scoffers delight them in scoffing, And fools hate knowledge?
23 Ne ɖe mietrɔ ɖe nye mokaname ŋu la, anye ne metrɔ nye dzi kɔ ɖe anyi na mi eye mena mienya nye susuwo.
Turn you at my reproof: Behold, I will pour out my spirit upon you; I will make known my words unto you.
24 Ke esi miegbe tɔtɔ nam esi meyɔ mi, esi meke nye abɔwo me, mietsɔ ɖeke le eme o
Because I have called, and ye have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man hath regarded;
25 eye miedo toku nye aɖaŋuɖoɖowo, hegbe nye mokaname ta la,
But ye have set at nought all my counsel, And would none of my reproof:
26 nye hã mako mi le miaƒe gbegblẽ ta eye maɖe alɔme le mia ŋu ne dzɔgbevɔ̃e ƒo ɖe mia dzi,
I also will laugh in [the day of] your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
27 ɛ̃, ne eƒo ɖe mia dzi abe ahom sesẽ ene, gbegblẽ hã zɔ to mia dzi abe yali ene, eye xaxa kple hiã va mia dzi kpoyi!
When your fear cometh as a storm, And your calamity cometh on as a whirlwind; When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 “Ekema woayɔm gake nyematɔ o, woadim gake womakpɔm o.
Then will they call upon me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me:
29 Le esi wolé fu sidzedze eye wometia Yehowavɔvɔ̃ o,
For that they hated knowledge, And did not choose the fear of Jehovah,
30 le esi wogbe nye aɖaŋuɖoɖo hedo vlo nye mokaname ta.
They would none of my counsel, They despised all my reproof.
31 Azɔ la woaɖu woƒe mɔwo ƒe kutsetse eye woƒe ɖoɖowo ƒe kutsetse aɖi ƒo na wo
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, And be filled with their own devices.
32 elabena gegemewo ƒe afɔɖeɖe baɖawo awu wo eye bometsilawo ƒe ɖekematsɔleme atsrɔ̃ wo.
For the backsliding of the simple shall slay them, And the careless ease of fools shall destroy them.
33 Ke ame sia ame si ɖoa tom la, anɔ agbe le dedinɔnɔ me eye aɖe dzi ɖi bɔkɔɔ, mavɔ̃ na dzɔgbevɔ̃e o.”
But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell securely, And shall be quiet without fear of evil.
