Lododowo 17
1 Abolo ƒuƒlu sue ɖuɖu si ŋu ŋutifafa kple dziɖeɖi kpe ɖo la nyo wu aƒe si me yɔ fũu kple agbeɖuɖu eye dzre kpe ɖe eŋu.
It is better [to eat] a dry piece [of bread] and not have strife/quarrels than to have a big feast in a house where [everyone] is quarreling.
2 Dɔla nyanu aɖu aƒetɔ ɖe viŋutsu ŋukpenanuwɔla dzi eye ama domenyinu la kpli wo abe wo nɔviŋutsu wònye ene.
A slave who acts wisely will [some day] be the boss of his master’s disgraceful son and when his master dies, the slave will receive part of his master’s possessions.
3 Sonu li na klosalo eye dzokpo li na sika, ke Yehowae doa dziwo katã kpɔ.
[Workers put] silver and gold in a very hot furnace [to burn out what is impure], and Yahweh [similarly] examines people’s inner beings [to see if they are pure].
4 Ame vɔ̃ɖi ɖoa to nuyi vɔ̃ɖiwo eye aʋatsotɔ ƒua to anyi ɖe aɖe si gblẽa ame ŋu la ŋu.
Those who do what is evil pay attention to people who say [MTY] what is evil, and liars pay attention to [other people’s] lies.
5 Ame si ɖea alɔme le ame dahe ŋuti la doa vlo woƒe Wɔla eye ame si kpɔa dzidzɔ be dzɔgbevɔ̃e dzɔ la, womagbe tohehe nɛ o.
Those who make fun of poor [people] insult God, the one who made the poor [people], [and] those who are happy when [someone else has] troubles will certainly be punished [LIT] [by God].
6 Ame si ku amegã la ƒe fiakukue nye viawo ƒe viwo eye dzilawo nye atsyɔ̃ na wo viwo.
Old [people] are [usually] proud of [MET] their grandchildren, [just like] children are [usually] proud of their parents.
7 Nuyi siwo doa wo ɖokuiwo ɖe dzi la medzena bometsila kaka alakpanuyiwo nahayi dziɖula dze ge o!
Fine/Eloquent speech is not suitable for foolish people to say, just like lies are not suitable for rulers [to say].
8 Zãnu nye kpe xɔasi na ame si nae, afi sia afi si wòayi la, edzea dzi nɛ.
People think that a bribe is like a magic stone [to persuade someone to do what they want him to do]; they think that because of the bribe, that person will do whatever they want him to do.
9 Ame si tsɔ nu tsyɔ vodada dzi la doa lɔlɔ̃ ɖe ŋgɔ eye ame si gawɔ nu si wòwɔ va yi la maa xɔlɔ̃ veviwo dome.
If you want people to like/love you, forgive them for the wrong things that they do to you. If you continue to remind them about those wrong things, they will no longer be your friends.
10 Mokaname dea ta me na ame si si sidzedze le wu nu si ƒoƒo alafa ɖeka nye na bometsila.
Rebuking people who have good sense will accomplish more for them than hitting them 100 times [with a stick].
11 Ame vɔ̃ɖi la ɖoe kplikpaa be yeadze aglã eya ta woadɔ dumegã sẽŋuta ɖe eŋu.
[Because] wicked people are always trying to cause trouble, someone will be sent to severely punish them.
12 Enyo be nàdo go sisiblisi si ŋu woɖe viwo le wu esi nàdo go bometsila le eƒe bometsitsi me.
A mother bear whose cubs have been taken away from her is dangerous, but it is more dangerous to confront a foolish person who is doing something foolish.
13 Ne ŋutsu tsɔ vɔ̃ ɖo nyui teƒe la, vɔ̃ madzo ɖa le eƒe aƒe me kpɔ gbeɖe o.
If someone does something evil in return for something good being done to him, evil/trouble will never leave that person’s family.
14 Dzregɔmetoto le abe ale si woŋɔa tɔʋu ene; eya ta ɖe asi le nya ŋu hafi wòava zu dzre.
Starting a quarrel is like allowing water to start to leak out of a dam; they both need to be stopped before they get worse.
15 Afiatsotso na agɔdzela, kple fɔbubu agɔmadzela siaa nye nu si Yehowa tsri.
There are two things that Yahweh hates: (Condemning innocent [people]/Saying that people who have done nothing wrong must be punished), and declaring that people who have done wicked things should not be punished.
16 Ŋudɔwɔnu ka ga nye le bometsila ƒe asi me, esi didi aɖeke mele eme ɖe nunyadidi ŋuti o?
It is useless to allow foolish people [RHQ] to try to become wise by paying for it, because they do not have enough good sense to become wise.
17 Xɔlɔ̃ lɔ̃a ame ɣeawo katã ɣi, ke wodzi nɔviŋutsu hena hiãgbe.
Friends love [others] all the time, and relatives are able to help us when we have troubles.
18 Ame manyanu ƒua asi akɔ eye wòdoa ŋugbe tsɔa eɖokui daa megbee na ehavi si nyi fe.
[If someone borrows money from another person], it is foolish for you to promise [IDM] that you will pay the money back if that other person is unable to pay back the money that he borrowed.
19 Ame si lɔ̃ dzrewɔwɔ la lɔ̃a nu vɔ̃ eye ame si de agbo kɔkɔ eƒe aƒe nu la le gbegblẽ dim.
Those who like to sin [also] like to cause strife/trouble; [and] those who build fancy doors in their houses [to show that they are very wealthy] (OR, speak proudly) are inviting disaster.
20 Ame si si dzi dovo le la nu medzea edzi nɛ o eye ame si si alakpaɖe le la gena ɖe fukpekpe me.
Those who (have perverse minds/are always thinking about doing evil things) will not prosper, and disasters will happen to those who always tell lies.
21 Viŋutsu si tsi bome la hea veve vɛ, eye fofo si, si vi tsibome le la makpɔ dzidzɔ o.
Children who are foolish [soon] cause their parents to be very sad; their parents will not be joyful at all.
22 Dzi si kpɔa dzidzɔ la nye atike nyui, ke gbɔgbɔ si wote ɖe to la nana ƒu tome ƒuna kplakplakpla.
Being cheerful is [like swallowing] good medicine; being discouraged/gloomy [all the time will] (drain away your energy/cause you to become weak) [MTY].
23 Ame vɔ̃ɖi xɔa zãnu le bebeme be wòatrɔ nya dzɔdzɔe atsyɔ anyi.
Wicked people/judges accept bribes that are given to them secretly, and as a result they do not decide matters justly/fairly.
24 Ame si si sidzedze le la ƒe ŋku nɔa nunya ŋu, ke bometsila ƒe ŋkuwo tsana, dona ɖe anyigba ƒe mlɔenu ke.
Those who have good sense determine to do what is wise, but foolish people are always thinking about many different things [and never decide what they should do].
25 Viŋutsu tsibome hea nuxaxa vɛ na fofoa kple veve vɛ na ame si dzii.
Children who are foolish cause their father to be sad and [also] cause their mother to be very sorrowful.
26 Menyo be woahe to na fɔmaɖila alo aƒo dɔnunɔla ɖe eƒe nuteƒewɔwɔ ta o.
It is not right to force someone who has done nothing wrong to pay a fine; it is wrong to punish good/respected people.
27 Ame si si sidzedze su la nya vlowo medona le enu o eye ame si si gɔmesese le la ɖɔa ŋu ɖo, medoa dziku dzodzro o.
Those who have good sense do not talk a lot, and those who (control their tempers/keep themselves from becoming very angry) are [truly] wise.
28 Wobua bometsila gɔ̃ hã nunyalae nenye be ezi ɖoɖoe, eye wobunɛ sidzelae ne ekpɔ eƒe aɖe dzi nyuie.
People [may] think that foolish people who do not say anything are wise; if foolish people (do not say anything/keep their mouths shut), others will think that they are [very] intelligent.
