Lododowo 22
1 Ŋkɔ nyui didi nyo wu kesinɔnuwo eye ŋudzedzekpɔkpɔ nyo wu klosalo kple sika.
A [good] name is rather to be chosen than great riches; loving favour rather than silver and gold.
2 Nu ɖeka siae nàkpɔ le kesinɔtɔ kple ame dahe ŋu: Yehowae nye wo katã Wɔla.
The rich and poor meet together; Jehovah is the maker of them all.
3 Nunyala kpɔ dzɔgbevɔ̃e gbɔna eye wòɣla eɖokui gake bometsila ya yiyim ko wòle eye wòkpea fu ɖe enu.
A prudent [man] seeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.
4 Ɖokuibɔbɔ kple Yehowavɔvɔ̃ hea kesinɔnu, bubu kple agbe vɛ.
The reward of humility [and] the fear of Jehovah is riches, and honour, and life.
5 Ŋu kple mɔkawo le ame vɔ̃ɖi la ƒe mɔ dzi, ke ame si dzɔ eƒe luʋɔ ŋuti la, ate ɖa xaa tso wo gbɔ.
Thorns [and] snares are in the way of the perverse: he that keepeth his soul holdeth himself far from them.
6 He ɖevi ɖe mɔ si wòato la dzi eye ne etsi la, mate ɖa le edzi o.
Train up the child according to the tenor of his way, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
7 Kesinɔtɔwo ɖua gã ɖe ame dahewo dzi eye nugbanadola zua dɔla na ame si do nugbana la nɛ.
The rich ruleth over the poor; and the borrower is servant to the lender.
8 Ame si ƒã vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖi la axa dzɔgbevɔ̃e, eye woatsrɔ eƒe dɔmedzoe ƒe ameƒoti.
He that soweth unrighteousness shall reap iniquity, and the rod of his wrath shall have an end.
9 Woayra ame si nyoa dɔ me na amewo elabena emaa eƒe nuɖuɖu kple ame dahewo.
He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed, for he giveth of his bread to the poor.
10 Nya fewuɖula la do goe eye dzre hã ado go, nenema ke nyahehe kple dzudzu hã awu nu.
Cast out the scorner, and contention will depart, and strife and ignominy shall cease.
11 Ame si lɔ̃ dzi dzadzɛ kple nuƒoƒo si me nya dzetowo le la, eyae fia la adze xɔ̃e.
He that loveth pureness of heart, upon whose lips is grace, the king is his friend.
12 Yehowa ƒe ŋkuwo le nugɔmesese ŋu, ke etrɔa gbo nuteƒemawɔlawo ƒe nyawo.
The eyes of Jehovah preserve knowledge; but he overthroweth the words of the unfaithful.
13 Kuviatɔ gblɔna be, “Dzata le gota!” alo “Woava wum le ablɔ dzi!”
The sluggard saith, There is a lion without, I shall be killed in the streets!
14 Nyɔnu ahasitɔ ƒe nu la, ʋe globo wònye eye ame si dzi Yehowa ƒe dziku le la eyae age adze eme.
The mouth of strange women is a deep ditch: he with whom Jehovah is displeased shall fall therein.
15 Wobla bometsitsi ɖe ɖevi ƒe dzi ŋu, ke ɖɔɖɔɖo ƒe ameƒoti ana wòate ɖa xaa tso egbɔ.
Folly is bound in the heart of a child; the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
16 Ame si tea ame dahewo ɖe anyi be yeadzi yeƒe kesinɔnuwo ɖe edzi kple ame si naa nu kesinɔtɔ la siaa age ɖe hiã me.
He that oppresseth the poor, it is to enrich him; he that giveth to the rich, [bringeth] only to want.
17 Ƒu to anyi eye nàse nunyalawo ƒe nyawo, na wò dzi naku ɖe nu si fiam mele ŋuti,
Incline thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thy heart unto my knowledge.
18 elabena edoa dzidzɔ na ame ne èɣla wo ɖe wò dzi me, eye wo katã nanɔ klalo le wò nuyiwo dzi.
For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee: they shall be together fitted on thy lips.
19 Ale be nàɖo dzi ɖe Yehowa ŋu, esia ta mele nu fiam wò ɖo egbea, ɛ̃, wòe mele nu fiam.
That thy confidence may be in Jehovah, I have made [them] known to thee this day, even to thee.
20 Ɖe nyemeŋlɔ nufiamenya blaetɔ̃ na wò, aɖaŋuɖonyawo kple nugɔmesenyawo
Have not I written to thee excellent things, in counsels and knowledge,
21 be woafia nyateƒe kple kakaɖedzinyawo wò be nàtsɔ nunyanyawo aɖo nya ŋu na ame si dɔ wò la oa?
that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest carry back words of truth to them that send thee?
22 Mègaba ame dahewo le esi woda ahe ta o eye mègate hiãtɔ ɖe to le ʋɔnu o,
Rob not the poor, because he is poor, neither oppress the afflicted in the gate;
23 elabena Yehowa axɔ nya ɖe wo nu eye wòaha ame si ha wo.
for Jehovah will plead their cause, and despoil the soul of those that despoil them.
24 Mègadze xɔ̃ ŋutsu dɔmedzoetɔ o eye mègade ha kple ame si doa dziku kabakaba o,
Make no friendship with an angry man, and go not with a furious man;
25 ne menye nenema o la, àva srɔ̃ eƒe mɔwo eye nàtsɔ ɖokuiwò ade mɔ me.
lest thou learn his paths, and get a snare to thy soul.
26 Mèganye ame si ƒua asi akɔ ɖe fenyila nu alo dea megbe na ame si do nugbana la o;
Be not of them that strike hands, of them that are sureties for debts:
27 eye ne mèkpɔ ga axe fea o la, woaɖe aba si dzi nèmlɔna la gɔ̃ hã le tewò.
if thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?
28 Mègaɖe blemaliƒokpe si fofowòwo ɖi la ɖa o.
Remove not the ancient landmark which thy fathers have set.
29 Èkpɔ ame si bi ɖe eƒe dɔ me la le dɔ wɔma? Asubɔ le fiawo ŋgɔ eye menye le ame tsɛwo ŋgɔ o.
Hast thou seen a man diligent in his work? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before the mean.
