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 a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is perverse in speech and is a fool.
2 Menyo be dzo nanɔ mewò ɖe nuwo wɔwɔ ŋu gɔmesesemanɔmee alo atsi dzi ahabu mɔ o.
Also, it is not good to have desire without knowledge and the one who runs too fast misses the path.
3 Ame ŋutɔ ƒe bometsitsie gblẽa eƒe agbe dome, evɔ eƒe dzi bina ɖe Yehowa ŋu.
A person's folly ruins his life and his heart rages against Yahweh.
4 Kesinɔnunɔamesi dzea xɔlɔ̃ geɖe na ame, gake ame dahe ƒe xɔlɔ̃wo kakana le eŋu.
Wealth adds many friends, but a poor person is separated from his friends.
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 unpunished and he who breathes out lies will not escape.
6 Ame geɖewo wɔa nu be woadze fia ŋu, eye ame si naa nu ame faa la, ame sia ame dzea xɔ̃e.
Many will ask for a favor from a generous person and everyone is a friend of the one who gives gifts.
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 a poor man hate him; how much more do his friends who go far away from him! He calls out to them, but they are gone.
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 loves his own life; he who keeps understanding will find what is good.
9 Womagbe tohehe na aʋatsoɖasefo o eye ame si trɔa alakpa kɔna ɖi bababa la atsrɔ̃.
A false witness will not go unpunished, but the one who breathes out lies will perish.
10 Agbe vivi nɔnɔ medze bometsila ʋuu keke wòahanye be kluvi ɖu aƒetɔ ɖe dumegãwo dzi o.
It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury— much less for a slave to rule over princes.
11 Ame ƒe nunya nana wògbɔa dzi ɖi eye ŋutikɔkɔe wònye nɛ ne eŋe aɖaba ƒu dzidada dzi.
Discretion makes a person slow to anger and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
12 Fia ƒe dziku le abe dzata ƒe gbetete ene, ke eƒe amenuveve le abe zãmu le gbedzi ene.
The wrath of the king is like the roaring of a young lion, but his favor 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 ruin to his father and a quarreling wife is a constant dripping of water.
14 Aƒewo kple kesinɔnuwo nye domenyinu tso dzilawo gbɔ, ke srɔ̃nyɔnu nyanu ya, Yehowa gbɔe wòtsona.
A house and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from Yahweh.
15 Kuvia nana ame dɔa alɔ̃ yia eme ʋĩi eye dɔ wua ƒomewɔla.
Laziness throws a person into a deep sleep, but the one not willing to work will go hungry.
16 Ame si wɔna ɖe sedede dzi la dzɔa eƒe agbe ŋu, ke ame si metsɔ ɖeke le eƒe mɔwo ŋu o la aku.
The one who obeys the command guards his life, but the person who does not think about his ways will die.
17 Ame si nyo dɔ me na hiãtɔ la, do nugbana na Yehowa, aɖo nu si wòwɔ la teƒe nɛ.
Whoever is kind to the poor lends to Yahweh and he will repay him for what he has done.
18 He to na viwò ŋutsuvi elabena eya mee mɔkpɔkpɔ le; ke mègakpe ɖe ame siwo le eƒe ku dim la ŋuti o.
Discipline your son while there is hope and do not set your desire on putting him to death.
19 Ame si dzi kuna helĩhelĩ la, axe eŋutife; ne èɖee le eme la, agawɔe ake.
A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty; if you rescue him, you will have to do it a second time.
20 Ɖo to aɖaŋuɖoɖo, nàxɔ amehehe eye le nuwuwua la, àdze nunya.
Listen to advice and accept instruction, so you may become wise by the end of your life.
21 Nu geɖewo ame ɖo ɖe eƒe dzi me, gake Yehowa ƒe ɖoɖo koe vaa eme.
Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the purpose of Yahweh that will stand.
22 Nu si ame dina lae nye lɔlɔ̃ si meʋãna o; enyo be nànye ame dahe wu alakpatɔ.
Loyalty is what a person desires and a poor person is better than a liar.
23 Yehowavɔvɔ̃ kplɔa ame yia agbe gbɔe. Ekema ànɔ anyi aɖe dzi ɖi eye kuxi aɖeke maƒo go wò o.
Honor for Yahweh leads people to life; anyone who has it will be satisfied and not afflicted by harm.
24 Ne kuviatɔ de asi nuɖugba me la, maɖee ɖa atsɔ yi nu gbɔe teti gɔ̃ hã o!
The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back up to his mouth.
25 Ƒo fewuɖula kple ati, ekema gegemewo adze nunya; ka mo na ame si si sidzedze le, ekema gɔmesese asu esi.
Strike a mocker, and the naive person will become prudent; discipline one who is discerning, and he will gain knowledge.
26 Ame si daa adzo fofoa, nyaa dada doa goe lae nye viŋutsu si hea ŋukpe kple vlododo vɛ.
The one who robs his father and chases his mother away is a son who brings shame and reproach.
27 Vinye, ne èdzudzɔ amehenyawo sese la, ekema àtra tso gɔmesese ƒe nyawo gbɔ.
If you cease to hear instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.
28 Aʋatsoɖasefo ɖua fewu le afia nyui tsotso ŋu eye ame vɔ̃ɖi ƒe nu miaa nu vɔ̃ɖi.
A corrupt witness mocks justice and the mouth of the wicked swallows iniquity.
29 Woɖo tohehe ɖi na fewuɖulawo eye woɖo ƒoƒo ɖi na bometsilawo ƒe dzime.
Condemnation is ready for mockers and flogging for the backs of fools.
