Lododowo 13
1 Vi nyanu ɖoa to fofoa ƒe amehehe, ke fewuɖula metsɔa ɖeke le mokaname me o.
A wise son—the instruction of a father, And a scorner—he has not heard rebuke.
2 Ame ƒe nu ƒe kutsetsee wòtsɔna ɖua nu nyuiwoe, ke nuteƒemawɔlawo ƒe dzi tsi dzi ɖe nu vlo wɔwɔ ŋuti.
A man eats good from the fruit of the mouth, And the soul of the treacherous—violence.
3 Ame si dzɔa eƒe nuyiwo ŋuti la dzɔa eƒe agbe ŋuti, ke ame si kea nu kabakaba la atsrɔ̃.
Whoever is keeping his mouth, is keeping his soul, Whoever is opening wide his lips—ruin to him!
4 Nu dzroa kuviatɔ vevie gake mekpɔa naneke o, ke vevidonula ƒe didiwo vaa eme nɛ.
The soul of the slothful is desiring, and does not have. And the soul of the diligent is made fat.
5 Ame dzɔdzɔe léa fu alakpanya, ke ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ya hea ŋukpe kple vlododo vɛ.
The righteous hates a false word, And the wicked causes abhorrence, and is confounded.
6 Dzɔdzɔenyenye dzɔa ŋutsu fɔmaɖila ƒe agbe ŋuti, ke vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖi léa nu vɔ̃ wɔla ƒua anyi.
Righteousness keeps him who is perfect in the way, And wickedness overthrows a sin offering.
7 Ame aɖe wɔna abe kesinɔtɔe wònye ene, evɔ naneke mele esi o, ame bubu wɔa eɖokui ame dahee, evɔ kesinɔnu geɖe le esi.
There is [he] who is making himself rich, and has nothing, Who is making himself poor, and wealth [is] abundant.
8 Ame ƒe kesinɔnuwo ate ŋu aƒle eƒe agbe ta gake ame dahe mesea ŋɔdzidoname aɖeke o.
The ransom of a man’s life [are] his riches, And the poor has not heard rebuke.
9 Ame dzɔdzɔe ƒe kekeli klẽna nyuie, ke wotsia ame vɔ̃ɖi ƒe akaɖi.
The light of the righteous rejoices, And the lamp of the wicked is extinguished.
10 Dzre sɔŋ ko dada hena vɛ, ke nunya tsoa aƒe ɖe ame siwo sea aɖaŋu la gbɔ.
A vain man causes debate through pride, And wisdom [is] with the counseled.
11 Ga si wokpɔ to mɔ fitifiti dzi la nu va yina, ke ame si dia ga vivivi la wɔnɛ be wòdzina ɖe edzi.
Wealth from vanity becomes little, And whoever is gathering by the hand becomes great.
12 Mɔkpɔkpɔ si woɖe ɖa la nana dzi léa dɔ, ke didi si va eme la nye agbeti.
Hope prolonged is making the heart sick, And a tree of life [is] the coming desire.
13 Ame si doa vlo amehehe la xɔa eŋufetu, ke ame si ɖoa to sedede la xɔa eteƒeɖoɖo.
Whoever is despising the word is destroyed for it, And whoever is fearing the command is repaid.
14 Nunyala ƒe nufiafia nye agbevudo, eye wòɖea ame tso ku ƒe mɔkawo me.
The law of the wise [is] a fountain of life, To turn aside from snares of death.
15 Gɔmesese nyui hea amenuveve vanɛ, ke nuteƒemawɔlawo ƒe mɔ dzi sesẽna.
Good understanding gives grace, And the way of the treacherous [is] hard.
16 Nunyala ɖe sia ɖe wɔa nu kple gɔmesese, ke bometsila ɖea eƒe bometsitsi fiana.
Every prudent one deals with knowledge, And a fool spreads out folly.
17 Dɔtsɔla vɔ̃ɖi gena ɖe dzɔgbevɔ̃e me, ke dɔtsɔla si wɔa nuteƒe la hea dɔyɔyɔ vanɛ.
A wicked messenger falls into evil, And a faithful ambassador is healing.
18 Ame si do toku amehehe la, ahedada kple ŋukpe vaa edzi, ke wodea bubu ame si lɔ̃a mokaname ŋuti.
Whoever is refusing instruction—poverty and shame, And whoever is observing reproof is honored.
19 Didi si vaa eme la vivina na luʋɔ, ke vɔ̃tsitsri nye ŋunyɔ na bometsilawo.
A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul, And an abomination to fools [Is] to turn from evil.
20 Ame si zɔna kple nunyala la, dzea nunya, ke ame si dzea xɔ̃ bometsilawo la gena ɖe fuwɔame me.
Whoever is walking with wise men is wise, And a companion of fools suffers evil.
21 Dzɔgbevɔ̃e tia vɔ̃wɔla yome gake dzɔgbenyui nye ame dzɔdzɔe ƒe fetu.
Evil pursues sinners, And good repays the righteous.
22 Ame nyui gblẽa domenyinu ɖi na via ƒe viwo, ke woɖoa ame vɔ̃ɖi ƒe kesinɔnuwo ɖi na ame dzɔdzɔewo.
A good man causes sons’ sons to inherit, And the sinner’s wealth [is] laid up for the righteous.
23 Ame dahe ƒe agble wɔa nuku geɖe, ke amebaba kplɔnɛ dzonae.
Abundance of food—the tillage of the poor, And substance is consumed without judgment.
24 Ame si vea nu le ameƒoti gbɔ la léa fu via, ke ame si lɔ̃a via la kpɔa egbɔ be yehee nyuie.
Whoever is sparing his rod is hating his son, And whoever is loving him has hurried his discipline.
25 Ame dzɔdzɔe ɖua nu ɖia ƒo, ke dɔ wua ame vɔ̃ɖi ya.
The righteous is eating to the satiety of his soul, And the belly of the wicked lacks!
