Lododowo 14
1 Nyɔnu nyanu tua eya ŋutɔ ƒe xɔ, ke nyɔnu bometsila ya tsɔa eya ŋutɔ ƒe asi vuvua xɔ si wòtu la kɔna ɖe anyi.
Every wise woman builds her house, but the stupid woman tears it down with her own hands.
2 Ame si ƒe zɔzɔme ŋu fɔɖiɖi mele o la vɔ̃a Yehowa, ke ame siwo ƒe mɔ le gɔdɔ̃gɔdɔ̃ la doa vloe.
Those who live right respect the Lord, but those who live dishonestly despise him.
3 Bometsila ƒe nuƒo nana ameƒoti dzea eƒe dzimegbe, ke nunyala ƒe nuyi kpɔa eta.
What stupid people say punishes their pride, but what wise people say will protect them.
4 Ne nyiwo meli o la, nyikpo me ɖia gbɔlo, ke woxaa nuku geɖe to nyitsu ƒe ŋusẽ me.
Without oxen, the manger is empty, but a good harvest comes through the ox's strength.
5 Ɖasefo nyateƒetɔ meblea ame o, ke aʋatsoɖasefo ya trɔa alakpa kɔna ɖi glẽglẽglẽ.
A trustworthy witness doesn't lie, but a false witness is deceptive.
6 Fewuɖula dia nunya gake mekpɔa ɖeke o, ke gɔmesese vana na ame si si sidzedze le la bɔbɔe.
It's pointless for a scoffer to look for wisdom, but knowledge comes easily to someone who understands.
7 Te ɖa le bometsila gbɔ elabena màkpɔ gɔmesese le eƒe nu me o.
Stay away from stupid people—you won't learn anything from them.
8 Ayedzelawo ƒe nunyae nye be woabu ta me le woƒe mɔwo ŋu, ke bometsilawo ƒe bometsitsie nye alakpa.
Sensible people use their wisdom to decide where they're going, but the foolishness of stupid people is treacherous.
9 Bometsilawo le alɔme ɖem le nuvɔ̃ŋutivɔsa ŋuti, ke ŋudzedzekpɔkpɔ le dzɔdzɔetɔwo dome.
Stupid people laugh at sin, but good people want forgiveness.
10 Dzi ɖe sia ɖe nya eya ŋutɔ ƒe vevesese eye ame aɖeke hã mate ŋu ama eƒe dzidzɔ kplii o.
The individual's mind alone knows its sadnesses, and no one else can share its happiness.
11 Woatsrɔ̃ ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ƒe aƒe, ke ame dzɔdzɔewo ƒe agbadɔ anɔ anyi ɖaa.
The house of wicked people will be destroyed, but the tent of good people will prosper.
12 Mɔ aɖe li, si le dzɔdzɔe le ame ƒe ŋkume, ke le nuwuwua la, ekplɔa ame yia ku mee.
There's a way that seems to be right, but in the end it's the way of death.
13 Le nukoko gɔ̃ hã me la, dzi ase veve eye dzidzɔkpɔkpɔ awu nu le nuxaxa me.
Even when you're laughing you can be feeling sad—joy can end in grief.
14 Woaxe fe na tosẽlawo le woƒe mɔwo ta eye nenema ke ame nyui hã axɔ eƒe fetu.
Disloyal people are repaid for what they do, and good people are rewarded.
15 Susu wodzoetɔ xɔa nya sia nya dzi sena, ke nunyala dea ŋugble le eƒe afɔɖeɖewo ŋuti.
Stupid people believe whatever they're told, but sensible people think about what they're doing.
16 Nunyala léa fu vɔ̃ eye wòvɔa Yehowa, ke bometsila doa dziku kabakaba eye wòwɔa nu dzimagbɔɖitɔe.
Wise people are careful and avoid evil, but stupid people are confidently reckless.
17 Ame si doa dɔmedzoe kabakaba la wɔa bometsinuwo eye wòléa fu ayedzela.
Quick-tempered people act foolishly, while people who make evil plans are hated.
18 Susu wodzoetɔwo ƒe domenyinue nye bometsitsi, ke wotsɔa sidzedze ɖɔna na nunyalawo.
The inheritance of stupid people is stupidity, but sensible people are rewarded with knowledge.
19 Ame vɔ̃ɖiwo adze klo ɖe ame nyuiwo ŋkume eye nenema ke nu tovo wɔlawo awɔ le ame dzɔdzɔewo ƒe agbonu.
Evil people bow down before good people, and the wicked bow down at the doors of those who do right.
20 Ame dahewo ƒe aƒelikawo ke hã ƒoa asa na wo, ke xɔlɔ̃ geɖe nɔa kesinɔtɔwo si.
The poor are hated even by their neighbors, while the rich have many friends.
21 Ame si do vlo ehavi la wɔ nu vɔ̃, ke woayra ame si nyo dɔ me na hiãtɔ.
People who look down on their neighbors are sinners, but those who are kind to the poor are blessed.
22 Ame siwo ɖoa nu vɔ̃ɖi la traa mɔ ke ame siwo wɔa ɖoɖo ɖe nu nyui wɔwɔ ŋu la xɔa lɔlɔ̃ kple nuteƒewɔwɔ ƒe teƒeɖoɖo.
Aren't people who plan to do evil wrong? But those who plan to do good have trustworthy love and faithfulness.
23 Kutrikuku ɖe dɔwɔna ŋu hea viɖe vɛ, ke nukpoloeƒoƒo ɖeɖe hea ame yia ahedada mee.
There's profit in hard work, but chatting just leads to poverty.
24 Nunyalawo ƒe kesinɔnue nye woƒe fiakuku, gake bometsilawo ƒe bometsinuwɔwɔ hea bometsitsi vanɛ.
The wise are rewarded with wealth, but stupid people are rewarded with stupidity.
25 Ɖasefo nyateƒetɔ ɖea ame geɖewo ƒe agbe, ke aʋatsoɖasefo nye ameblela.
A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness is treacherous.
26 Ame si vɔ̃a Yehowa la, mɔ sesẽ aɖe le esi eye wòanye bebeƒe na viawo.
People who honor the Lord are completely safe; he will protect their children.
27 Yehowa vɔvɔ̃e nye agbe ƒe vudo eye wòɖea ame tso ku ƒe mɔkawo me.
Respecting the Lord is like a fountain of life, so you can avoid the snares of death.
28 Ame xexlẽme gbogbo nye fia ƒe ŋutikɔkɔe, ke ne amewo mele du aɖe me o la, gbegblẽ vaa dumegã dzi.
The glory of a king is the number of his subjects, for a ruler is nothing without them.
29 Sidzedze gã aɖe sua ŋutsu dzigbɔɖitɔ si, ke ŋutsu si doa dziku kabakaba la, ɖea eƒe bometsitsi fiana.
If you're slow to get angry, you're very wise; but if you have a short fuse you glorify stupidity.
30 Dzi si me ŋutifafa le la nana agbe ŋutilã gake ŋubiã nana ƒuwo ƒaƒãna.
A peaceful mind makes your body healthy, but jealousy makes your bones rot.
31 Ame si tea ame dahewo ɖe anyi la doa vlo wo Wɔla, ke ame si nyoa dɔ me na hiãtɔ la dea bubu Mawu ŋuti.
Anyone who oppresses the poor insults their Maker, but anyone who is kind to the needy honors him.
32 Ne dzɔgbevɔ̃e dzɔ la, ame vɔ̃ɖiwo yia to, ke le ku me ke hã la, ame dzɔdzɔewo kpɔa sitsoƒe.
Wicked people are brought down by their own evil actions, but those who live right are confident even in death.
33 Ame si si sidzedze su la, nunya tsoa aƒe ɖe eƒe dzi me, eye le bometsilawo dome gɔ̃ hã la, enana wodzea si ame si ƒomevi wònye.
Wisdom is at home in a mind that understands, but it's not found among stupid people.
34 Dzɔdzɔenyenye doa dukɔ ɖe dzi, ke nu vɔ̃ nye ŋukpe na dukɔmeviwo.
Doing right makes a nation successful, but sin is a disgrace to any people.
35 Dɔla nyanu ƒe nu nyoa fia ŋu, ke eƒe dɔmedzoe vaa dɔla ŋukpenanuwɔla dzi.
A servant who acts wisely is appreciated by the king, but he gets angry with a servant who acts disgracefully.
