Lododowo 19
1 Anyo be nànye ame dahe si ƒe zɔzɔme ŋu fɔɖiɖi mele o, wu bometsila si ƒe nuyiwo gblɔa nya tovo.
Better is the poor man whose ways are upright, than the man of wealth whose ways are twisted.
2 Menyo be dzo nanɔ mewò ɖe nuwo wɔwɔ ŋu gɔmesesemanɔmee alo atsi dzi ahabu mɔ o.
Further, without knowledge desire is not good; and he who is over-quick in acting goes out of the right way.
3 Ame ŋutɔ ƒe bometsitsie gblẽa eƒe agbe dome, evɔ eƒe dzi bina ɖe Yehowa ŋu.
By his foolish behaviour a man's ways are turned upside down, and his heart is bitter against the Lord.
4 Kesinɔnunɔamesi dzea xɔlɔ̃ geɖe na ame, gake ame dahe ƒe xɔlɔ̃wo kakana le eŋu.
Wealth makes a great number of friends; but the poor man is parted from his friend.
5 Womagbe tohehe na aʋatsoɖasefo o eye ame si trɔa alakpa kɔna ɖi bababa la, madzo le ablɔɖe me o.
A false witness will not go without punishment, and the breather out of deceit will not go free.
6 Ame geɖewo wɔa nu be woadze fia ŋu, eye ame si naa nu ame faa la, ame sia ame dzea xɔ̃e.
Great numbers will make attempts to get the approval of a ruler: and every man is the special friend of him who has something to give.
7 Ame dahe ƒe ƒometɔwo katã ɖea kɔ ɖa le eŋu, aleke exɔlɔ̃wo magbee geɖe wu o! Togbɔ be etia wo yome nɔa kuku ɖem na wo hã la, womedea nu eme nɛ o.
All the brothers of the poor man are against him: how much more do his friends go far from him! ...
8 Ame si, si nunya su la lɔ̃a eya ŋutɔ ƒe luʋɔ eye ame si melɔ̃a nu le gɔmesese gbɔ o la, nu dzea edzi nɛ.
He who gets wisdom has love for his soul: he who keeps good sense will get what is truly good.
9 Womagbe tohehe na aʋatsoɖasefo o eye ame si trɔa alakpa kɔna ɖi bababa la atsrɔ̃.
A false witness will not go without punishment, and the breather out of deceit will be cut off.
10 Agbe vivi nɔnɔ medze bometsila ʋuu keke wòahanye be kluvi ɖu aƒetɔ ɖe dumegãwo dzi o.
Material comfort is not good for the foolish; much less for a servant to be put over rulers.
11 Ame ƒe nunya nana wògbɔa dzi ɖi eye ŋutikɔkɔe wònye nɛ ne eŋe aɖaba ƒu dzidada dzi.
A man's good sense makes him slow to wrath, and the overlooking of wrongdoing is his glory.
12 Fia ƒe dziku le abe dzata ƒe gbetete ene, ke eƒe amenuveve le abe zãmu le gbedzi ene.
The king's wrath is like the loud cry of a lion, but his approval is like dew on the grass.
13 Viŋutsu tsibome nye fofoa ƒe gbegblẽ eye srɔ̃nyɔnu dzrewɔla le abe tsitrɔnu si le ɖuɖum ɖaa ene.
A foolish son is the destruction of his father; and the bitter arguments of a wife are like drops of rain falling without end.
14 Aƒewo kple kesinɔnuwo nye domenyinu tso dzilawo gbɔ, ke srɔ̃nyɔnu nyanu ya, Yehowa gbɔe wòtsona.
House and wealth are a heritage from fathers, but a wife with good sense is from the Lord.
15 Kuvia nana ame dɔa alɔ̃ yia eme ʋĩi eye dɔ wua ƒomewɔla.
Hate of work sends deep sleep on a man: and he who has no industry will go without food.
16 Ame si wɔna ɖe sedede dzi la dzɔa eƒe agbe ŋu, ke ame si metsɔ ɖeke le eƒe mɔwo ŋu o la aku.
He who keeps the law keeps his soul; but death will be the fate of him who takes no note of the word.
17 Ame si nyo dɔ me na hiãtɔ la, do nugbana na Yehowa, aɖo nu si wòwɔ la teƒe nɛ.
He who has pity on the poor gives to the Lord, and the Lord will give him his reward.
18 He to na viwò ŋutsuvi elabena eya mee mɔkpɔkpɔ le; ke mègakpe ɖe ame siwo le eƒe ku dim la ŋuti o.
Give your son training while there is hope; let not your heart be purposing his death.
19 Ame si dzi kuna helĩhelĩ la, axe eŋutife; ne èɖee le eme la, agawɔe ake.
A man of great wrath will have to take his punishment: for if you get him out of trouble you will have to do it again.
20 Ɖo to aɖaŋuɖoɖo, nàxɔ amehehe eye le nuwuwua la, àdze nunya.
Let your ear be open to suggestion and take teaching, so that at the end you may be wise.
21 Nu geɖewo ame ɖo ɖe eƒe dzi me, gake Yehowa ƒe ɖoɖo koe vaa eme.
A man's heart may be full of designs, but the purpose of the Lord is unchanging.
22 Nu si ame dina lae nye lɔlɔ̃ si meʋãna o; enyo be nànye ame dahe wu alakpatɔ.
The ornament of a man is his mercy, and a poor man is better than one who is false.
23 Yehowavɔvɔ̃ kplɔa ame yia agbe gbɔe. Ekema ànɔ anyi aɖe dzi ɖi eye kuxi aɖeke maƒo go wò o.
The fear of the Lord gives life: and he who has it will have need of nothing; no evil will come his way.
24 Ne kuviatɔ de asi nuɖugba me la, maɖee ɖa atsɔ yi nu gbɔe teti gɔ̃ hã o!
The hater of work puts his hand deep into the basin, and will not even take it to his mouth again.
25 Ƒo fewuɖula kple ati, ekema gegemewo adze nunya; ka mo na ame si si sidzedze le, ekema gɔmesese asu esi.
When blows overtake the man of pride, the simple will get sense; say sharp words to the wise, and knowledge will be made clear to him.
26 Ame si daa adzo fofoa, nyaa dada doa goe lae nye viŋutsu si hea ŋukpe kple vlododo vɛ.
He who is violent to his father, driving away his mother, is a son causing shame and a bad name.
27 Vinye, ne èdzudzɔ amehenyawo sese la, ekema àtra tso gɔmesese ƒe nyawo gbɔ.
A son who no longer gives attention to teaching is turned away from the words of knowledge.
28 Aʋatsoɖasefo ɖua fewu le afia nyui tsotso ŋu eye ame vɔ̃ɖi ƒe nu miaa nu vɔ̃ɖi.
A good-for-nothing witness makes sport of the judge's decision: and the mouth of evil-doers sends out evil like a stream.
29 Woɖo tohehe ɖi na fewuɖulawo eye woɖo ƒoƒo ɖi na bometsilawo ƒe dzime.
Rods are being made ready for the man of pride, and blows for the back of the foolish.
