Lododowo 21
1 Fia la ƒe dzi le Yehowa ƒe asi me; efiaa mɔe wòtoa afi sia afi si wòlɔ̃ la abe ale si woɖea toƒe na tsi si si tso tsidzɔtsoƒe ene.
Yahweh controls what kings do [MTY] [like] he controls how streams flow; he causes kings to do just what he wants them to do.
2 Ŋutsu ƒe mɔwo katã dzea eŋu gake Yehowae daa dziwo kpɔ.
People always think that what they do is right, but Yahweh judges our (motives/reasons [for doing things)] [MTY].
3 Nu dzɔdzɔe kple nu si le eteƒe wɔwɔ doa dzidzɔ na Yehowa wu vɔsa.
Doing what is right and fair is more acceptable to Yahweh than [bringing] sacrifices [to him].
4 Ŋku gã kple dzi si me dada le lae nye ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ƒe akaɖi, evɔ wòhenye nu vɔ̃.
Being proud and arrogant [DOU] is [like] a lamp [MTY] [that guides] wicked people; being proud and arrogant characterizes (wicked people’s whole behavior/everything that wicked people do).
5 Vevidonula ƒe ɖoɖoɖowo hea viɖe vɛ nenema kee dzitsitsi hea ahedada vɛ.
People who plan carefully will surely have plenty [of what they need]; those who act too quickly [to become rich] will become poor.
6 Kesinɔnu si wotsɔ alakpaɖe kpɔe la nu va yina kaba abe ƒuƒu ene eye wònye mɔ si ŋu aɖi vɔ̃ɖi le.
Money that people acquire [by cheating others] by lying [MTY] to them will soon disappear [like] a mist, and doing that will [soon] lead to their death.
7 Ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ƒe ŋutasẽnuwɔwɔ ahe wo adzoe elabena wogbe be yewomawɔ nu nyui o.
Wicked [people] refuse to do what is right/just, but they will be ruined because of the violent things [PRS] that they do.
8 Fɔɖila ƒe mɔ le gɔdɔ̃gɔdɔ̃ gake fɔmaɖila ƒe nuwɔwɔ le dzɔdzɔe.
Guilty [people continually do what is evil; it is as though] [MET] they are walking on a crooked road; but righteous/innocent people [always] do what is right.
9 Enyo be woanɔ dzogoe dzi le xɔta wu be woanɔ xɔ ɖeka me kple srɔ̃nyɔnu dzrewɔla.
It is better to live in the corner of an attic/housetop [by yourself] than to live inside the house with a wife who is always nagging.
10 Nu vɔ̃ɖi wɔwɔ dzroa ame vɔ̃ɖi vevie, mekpɔa nublanui na ehavi o.
Wicked [people] [SYN] are always wanting [to do what is] evil; they never act mercifully toward anyone.
11 Ne wohe to na fewuɖula la, bometsilawo dzea nunya; ne wofia nu nunyala la, sidzedze sua esi.
When those who ridicule [others] are punished, [even] those who do not have good sense [see that, and] they become wise, and when those who are wise are taught, they become wiser.
12 Dzɔdzɔetɔ la ɖea ŋku ɖe ame vɔ̃ɖi ƒe aƒe ŋu, eye wòhea gbegblẽ vaa ame vɔ̃ɖi la dzi.
[God], the one [who is completely] righteous, knows [what happens inside] the houses of wicked [people], and [he will cause] those people to be completely ruined/destroyed.
13 Ne ame aɖe do toku ame dahe ƒe ɣlidodo la, ne eya hã do ɣli la, ame aɖeke masee nɛ o.
There are people who refuse to listen when poor people cry out [for help]; [but some day] they themselves will cry out [for help], and no one will hear them.
14 Nunana si wona le adzame la faa dziku nu eye zãnu si woɣla ɖe awu ʋlaya te hafi tsɔ vɛ la léa avu dziku helĩhelĩ.
When someone is angry [with you], if you secretly give him a gift, he will stop being angry.
15 Afia nyui tsotso hea dzidzɔ vɛ na ame dzɔdzɔe, ke ehea ŋɔdzi vɛ na vɔ̃ wɔlawo.
Good/Righteous [people] are happy when they [see others do] what is just/fair, but those who do what is evil are terrified [when they think about what may happen to them].
16 Ŋutsu si tra tso gɔmesese ƒe mɔ dzi la va dzudzɔna le ame kukuwo ƒe ha me.
Those who stop behaving like those who have good sense behave will [soon] discover that they have gone to the place where dead people are.
17 Ame si lɔ̃a agbeɖuɖu la azu hiãtɔ eye ame si lɔ̃a wain kple ami la makpɔ hotsui o.
Those who spend their money to buy (things that give them pleasure/things that cause them to feel happy) will become poor; those who love [to spend money to buy] wine and nice/fancy food [MTY] will never become rich.
18 Ame vɔ̃ɖi zua avulénu ɖe ame dzɔdzɔe teƒe eye nenema ke nuteƒemawɔla ɖea nuteƒewɔla nu.
Wicked [people] bring on themselves the sufferings that they were trying to cause righteous [people] to experience [DOU].
19 Enyo be nànɔ dzogbe wu be nànɔ anyi kple srɔ̃nyɔnu dzrewɔla kple dɔmedzoedola.
It is better to live [alone] in a desert than [to live] with a wife who is [always] nagging and complaining.
20 Nuɖuɖu vivi kple ami bɔ ɖe nunyala ƒe aƒe me fũu, gake bometsila ɖua nu sia nu si le esi.
Wise people have many valuable things in their houses, but foolish people [quickly] spend/waste [all their money].
21 Ame si tia dzɔdzɔenyenye kple lɔlɔ̃ la, tia agbe, dzidzedze kple bubu.
Those who [always] try to act in a fair and kind way [toward others] will live [a long time] and be honored/respected.
22 Nunyala dze kalẽtɔ ƒe du dzi eye wòmu mɔ sesẽ si ŋu wole dzi ɖom ɖo la ƒu anyi.
A wise army commander [helps his troops] climb over a wall [to attack] a city that is defended by a strong army, with the result that they are able to (get over/destroy) the high walls that their enemies trusted [would protect them].
23 Ame si kpɔa eƒe nu kple eƒe aɖe dzi la, ɖea eɖokui tso dzɔgbevɔ̃e me.
Those who are very careful about what they say [MTY] are [able to] avoid trouble.
24 Ŋutsu dadala, ɖokuiŋudzela, si wɔa nu tovo kple dada la, eyae woyɔna be, “Fewuɖula.”
Those who make fun of [everything that is good] are proud and conceited [DOU]; they [always] act in an inconsiderate way [toward others].
25 Kuviatɔ ƒe nudzodzro ahe ku vɛ nɛ, elabena eƒe asiwo gbe be yewomawɔ dɔ o.
Lazy people, who refuse to work, [will] die [of hunger] because they [SYN] do not earn [money to buy food].
26 Ele nu dzrom ŋkeke blibo la, ke ame dzɔdzɔe la nana faa, eye metea ame o.
All during the day [wicked people] desire to obtain things, but righteous [people] have plenty, [with the result that] they [are able to] give things generously to others.
27 Ame vɔ̃ɖi ƒe vɔsa nye ŋunyɔnu, kaka wòahanye be etsɔe vɛ kple susu vɔ̃ɖi.
[Yahweh] detests the sacrifices that wicked [people] offer [to him]; [but he] detests it even more when they [think that they will escape being punished for] their evil deeds because of the sacrifices that they bring.
28 Aʋatsoɖasefo atsrɔ̃ eye ame si ɖoa toe la atsrɔ̃ gbidigbidi.
Those who tell lies in court will be punished; no one stops/silences witnesses who say what is truthful/reliable.
29 Ame vɔ̃ɖi ɖoa mo kplala ɖi, ke dzɔdzɔetɔ léa ŋku ɖe eƒe mɔwo ŋu.
Wicked people pretend [that they know everything], but righteous people think carefully about [what will happen because of] what they do.
30 Nunya, gɔmesese kple ɖoɖo aɖeke meli si adze edzi o, ne etsi tsitre ɖe Yehowa ŋu.
[Thinking that we are] wise, and that we understand many things, and that we have good insight, does not help us if Yahweh is (acting against/not pleased with) us.
31 Woblaa akpa na sɔ ɖe aʋakpegbe ŋu, gake Yehowa ƒe asimee dziɖuɖu ya le.
We [can] get horses ready to fight in a battle, but Yahweh is the one who enables us to (win victories/defeat our enemies).
