< 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.
The wise woman buildeth her house; But the foolish teareth it down with her hands.
2 Ame si ƒe zɔzɔme ŋu fɔɖiɖi mele o la vɔ̃a Yehowa, ke ame siwo ƒe mɔ le gɔdɔ̃gɔdɔ̃ la doa vloe.
He who walketh in uprightness feareth the LORD; But he who is perverse in his ways despiseth him.
3 Bometsila ƒe nuƒo nana ameƒoti dzea eƒe dzimegbe, ke nunyala ƒe nuyi kpɔa eta.
In the mouth of the foolish pride is a scourge; But the lips of the wise preserve them.
4 Ne nyiwo meli o la, nyikpo me ɖia gbɔlo, ke woxaa nuku geɖe to nyitsu ƒe ŋusẽ me.
Where there are no oxen, the crib is clean; But there is great increase by the strength of the ox.
5 Ɖasefo nyateƒetɔ meblea ame o, ke aʋatsoɖasefo ya trɔa alakpa kɔna ɖi glẽglẽglẽ.
A faithful witness doth not lie; But a false witness poureth forth lies.
6 Fewuɖula dia nunya gake mekpɔa ɖeke o, ke gɔmesese vana na ame si si sidzedze le la bɔbɔe.
The scoffer seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not; But knowledge is easy to the man of understanding.
7 Te ɖa le bometsila gbɔ elabena màkpɔ gɔmesese le eƒe nu me o.
Go from the presence of a foolish man; For thou hast not perceived in him the lips of knowledge.
8 Ayedzelawo ƒe nunyae nye be woabu ta me le woƒe mɔwo ŋu, ke bometsilawo ƒe bometsitsie nye alakpa.
The wisdom of the prudent is in giving heed to his way; But the folly of fools is deceit.
9 Bometsilawo le alɔme ɖem le nuvɔ̃ŋutivɔsa ŋuti, ke ŋudzedzekpɔkpɔ le dzɔdzɔetɔwo dome.
Fools make a mock at sin; But with the upright is favor.
10 Dzi ɖe sia ɖe nya eya ŋutɔ ƒe vevesese eye ame aɖeke hã mate ŋu ama eƒe dzidzɔ kplii o.
The heart knoweth its own bitterness. And a stranger cannot intermeddle with its joy.
11 Woatsrɔ̃ ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ƒe aƒe, ke ame dzɔdzɔewo ƒe agbadɔ anɔ anyi ɖaa.
The house of the wicked shall be destroyed; But the tent of the upright shall flourish.
12 Mɔ aɖe li, si le dzɔdzɔe le ame ƒe ŋkume, ke le nuwuwua la, ekplɔa ame yia ku mee.
There is a way which seemeth right to a man, But its end is the way to death.
13 Le nukoko gɔ̃ hã me la, dzi ase veve eye dzidzɔkpɔkpɔ awu nu le nuxaxa me.
Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful, And the end of joy is grief.
14 Woaxe fe na tosẽlawo le woƒe mɔwo ta eye nenema ke ame nyui hã axɔ eƒe fetu.
The perverse in heart shall be filled with his own ways; And from himself shall the good man be satisfied.
15 Susu wodzoetɔ xɔa nya sia nya dzi sena, ke nunyala dea ŋugble le eƒe afɔɖeɖewo ŋuti.
The simple man believeth every word; But the prudent looketh well to his steps.
16 Nunyala léa fu vɔ̃ eye wòvɔa Yehowa, ke bometsila doa dziku kabakaba eye wòwɔa nu dzimagbɔɖitɔe.
The wise man feareth, and departeth from evil; But the fool is haughty and confident.
17 Ame si doa dɔmedzoe kabakaba la wɔa bometsinuwo eye wòléa fu ayedzela.
He who is hasty in his anger will commit folly; And the man of wicked devices will be hated.
18 Susu wodzoetɔwo ƒe domenyinue nye bometsitsi, ke wotsɔa sidzedze ɖɔna na nunyalawo.
The simple inherit folly; But the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 Ame vɔ̃ɖiwo adze klo ɖe ame nyuiwo ŋkume eye nenema ke nu tovo wɔlawo awɔ le ame dzɔdzɔewo ƒe agbonu.
The evil bow before the good; Yea, the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 Ame dahewo ƒe aƒelikawo ke hã ƒoa asa na wo, ke xɔlɔ̃ geɖe nɔa kesinɔtɔwo si.
The poor is hated even by his own neighbor; But the rich hath many friends.
21 Ame si do vlo ehavi la wɔ nu vɔ̃, ke woayra ame si nyo dɔ me na hiãtɔ.
He who despiseth his neighbor sinneth; But happy is he who hath mercy on the poor.
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.
Do not they who devise evil fail of their end? But they who devise good meet with kindness and truth.
23 Kutrikuku ɖe dɔwɔna ŋu hea viɖe vɛ, ke nukpoloeƒoƒo ɖeɖe hea ame yia ahedada mee.
In all labor there is profit; But the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.
24 Nunyalawo ƒe kesinɔnue nye woƒe fiakuku, gake bometsilawo ƒe bometsinuwɔwɔ hea bometsitsi vanɛ.
Riches are a crown to the wise; But the promotion of fools is folly.
25 Ɖasefo nyateƒetɔ ɖea ame geɖewo ƒe agbe, ke aʋatsoɖasefo nye ameblela.
A true witness saveth lives; But a deceitful witness poureth forth lies.
26 Ame si vɔ̃a Yehowa la, mɔ sesẽ aɖe le esi eye wòanye bebeƒe na viawo.
In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence; Yea, to his children he will be a refuge.
27 Yehowa vɔvɔ̃e nye agbe ƒe vudo eye wòɖea ame tso ku ƒe mɔkawo me.
The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life; By it men escape from 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.
In a numerous people is the glory of a king; But the want of people is the destruction of a prince.
29 Sidzedze gã aɖe sua ŋutsu dzigbɔɖitɔ si, ke ŋutsu si doa dziku kabakaba la, ɖea eƒe bometsitsi fiana.
He who is slow to anger is of great understanding. But he who is of a hasty spirit setteth folly on high.
30 Dzi si me ŋutifafa le la nana agbe ŋutilã gake ŋubiã nana ƒuwo ƒaƒãna.
A quiet heart is the life of the flesh; But the ferment of passion is rottenness to the bones.
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.
He who oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker; But he who hath mercy on the poor honoreth him.
32 Ne dzɔgbevɔ̃e dzɔ la, ame vɔ̃ɖiwo yia to, ke le ku me ke hã la, ame dzɔdzɔewo kpɔa sitsoƒe.
By his wickedness the wicked is thrust down; But the righteous hath hope 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 resteth quietly in the heart of the wise; But in the breast of fools it will be made known.
34 Dzɔdzɔenyenye doa dukɔ ɖe dzi, ke nu vɔ̃ nye ŋukpe na dukɔmeviwo.
Righteousness exalteth a people; But the reproach of nations is sin.
35 Dɔla nyanu ƒe nu nyoa fia ŋu, ke eƒe dɔmedzoe vaa dɔla ŋukpenanuwɔla dzi.
The king's favor is toward a wise servant; But his wrath is against him that causeth shame.