Lododowo 23
1 Ne ènɔ kplɔ̃ ŋu be yeaɖu nu kple fia la, lé ŋku ɖe nu si wotsɔ ɖo akɔwò me la ŋu nyuie
When you take your seat at the feast with a ruler, give thought with care to what is before you;
2 eye tsɔ hɛ ɖo wò ve dzi ne ènye nutsuɖula.
And put a knife to your throat, if you have a strong desire for food.
3 Mègadzro eƒe nuɖuɖu kpeɖiwo o elabena nuɖuɖu ma nye beble.
Have no desire for his delicate food, for it is the bread of deceit.
4 Mègaku kutri vivivo, agbɔdzɔ ɖokuiwò be yeakpɔ hotsui o, dze nunya nàlé avu ɖokuiwò.
Take no care to get wealth; let there be an end to your desire for money.
5 Kasia wò ŋku nabe yeato kesinɔnuwo dzi la, wo nu va yi xoxo elabena woato aʋala godoo eye woadzo adzo ayi ɖe dziƒo ʋĩi abe hɔ̃ ene.
Are your eyes lifted up to it? it is gone: for wealth takes to itself wings, like an eagle in flight up to heaven.
6 Mègaɖu ŋutsu nuvela ƒe nuɖuɖu o, eye eƒe nuɖuɖu kpeɖiwo megadzro wò o,
Do not take the food of him who has an evil eye, or have any desire for his delicate meat:
7 elabena enye ame si le ga si wòagblẽ ɖe nua ɖaɖa ŋuti la ŋu bum. Egblɔ na wò be, “Ɖu nu, nàno nu” gake megblɔe tso eƒe dzi me o.
For as the thoughts of his heart are, so is he: Take food and drink, he says to you; but his heart is not with you.
8 Àdzɔ nu sue si nèɖu la hã eye àtsɔ wò kafukafunya siwo nègblɔ la hã ada ahee.
The food which you have taken will come up again, and your pleasing words will be wasted.
9 Mègaƒo nu ɖe bometsila ƒe to me o, elabena ado vlo wò nunyanyawo.
Say nothing in the hearing of a foolish man, for he will put no value on the wisdom of your words.
10 Mègaɖe blemaliƒokpewo ɖa alo age ɖe tsyɔ̃eviwo ƒe agble me o
Do not let the landmark of the widow be moved, and do not go into the fields of those who have no father;
11 elabena ŋusẽtɔe nye wo ta ʋlila; eye awɔ avu kpli wò ɖe wo nu.
For their saviour is strong, and he will take up their cause against you.
12 Tsɔ wò dzi ku ɖe nufiame ŋu eye wò towo natrɔ ɖe gɔmesese ŋu.
Give your heart to teaching, and your ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Mègagbe tohehe na ɖevi o, ne èƒoe kple ati la, mele kuku ge o.
Do not keep back training from the child: for even if you give him blows with the rod, it will not be death to him.
Give him blows with the rod, and keep his soul safe from the underworld. (Sheol h7585)
15 Vinye, ne wò dzi dze nunya la, ekema nye hã nye dzi akpɔ dzidzɔ
My son, if your heart becomes wise, I, even I, will be glad in heart;
16 eye nye ememe ke atso aseye ne wò nuyiwo gblɔ nu si le dzɔdzɔe.
And my thoughts in me will be full of joy when your lips say right things.
17 Mègana wò dzi naʋã ŋu nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo o, ke boŋ tsɔ dzo ɖe Yehowavɔvɔ̃ ŋu.
Have no envy of sinners in your heart, but keep in the fear of the Lord all through the day;
18 Vavã, mɔkpɔkpɔ le asiwò hena etsɔ si gbɔna eye wò mɔkpɔkpɔ mazu dzodzro o.
For without doubt there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
19 Vinye, ɖo tom ne nàdze nunya eye na wò dzi nanɔ mɔ dzɔdzɔetɔ dzi.
Give ear, my son, and be wise, guiding your heart in the right way.
20 Mègade ha kple ame siwo nye waintsunolawo alo lã geɖe ɖulawo o.
Do not be among those who give themselves to wine-drinking, or among those who make themselves full with meat:
21 Elabena ahatsunolawo kple nutsuɖulawo la, ahee wodana eye alɔ̃ tsu dɔdɔ nana wonɔa awu vuvuwo me.
For those who take delight in drink and feasting will come to be in need; and through love of sleep a man will be poorly clothed.
22 Ɖo to fofowò, ame si dzi wò eye mègado vlo dawò ne eku nyagã o.
Give ear to your father whose child you are, and do not keep honour from your mother when she is old.
23 Ƒle nyateƒe la eye mègadzrae o; ƒle nunya, amehehe kple gɔmesese.
Get for yourself that which is true, and do not let it go for money; get wisdom and teaching and good sense.
24 Ame dzɔdzɔe fofo atso aseye geɖe eye ame si si vi nyanu le la akpɔ dzidzɔ le eŋu.
The father of the upright man will be glad, and he who has a wise child will have joy because of him.
25 Dawò kple fofowò nekpɔ dzidzɔ eye nyɔnu si dzi wò la netso aseye!
Let your father and your mother be glad, let her who gave you birth have joy.
26 Vinye, tsɔ wò dzi nam eye wò ŋkuwo nenɔ nye mɔwo ŋu
My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes take delight in my ways.
27 elabena gbolo la, ʋe globoe wònye eye srɔ̃nyɔnu ahasitɔ la, vudo xaxɛ wònye.
For a loose woman is a deep hollow, and a strange woman is a narrow water-hole.
28 Ede xa ɖi abe adzodala ene eye wòdzia ŋutsu ahasitɔwo ƒe xexlẽme ɖe edzi.
Yes, she is waiting secretly like a beast for its food, and deceit by her is increased among men.
29 Ame kae le hũu ɖem? Ame kae le veve sem? Ame kae le nu xam? Ame kae le eƒe nuteɖeamedziwo gblɔm? Ame kae xɔ abi yakatsyɔ? Ame ka ƒe ŋkue biã abe ʋu ene?
Who says, Oh! who says, Ah! who has violent arguments, who has grief, who has wounds without cause, whose eyes are dark?
30 Ame siwo tsia wainze te la tɔe, ame siwo yina ɖaɖɔa wain si wotɔtɔ kpɔ la tɔe.
Those who are seated late over the wine: those who go looking for mixed wine.
31 Mègaɖɔ wain kpɔ ne ebiã dzẽe, ne ele fu tsɔm le kplu me, ne eto vetome heɖiɖi ɖe dɔ me o!
Keep your eyes from looking on the wine when it is red, when its colour is bright in the cup, when it goes smoothly down:
32 Le nuwuwu la, eɖua ame abe da ene eye wònyɔa aɖi abe ƒli ene.
In the end, its bite is like that of a snake, its wound like the wound of a poison-snake.
33 Wò ŋkuwo akpɔ nu tutɔ manyatalenuwo eye wò susu anɔ nu baɖabaɖawo susum.
Your eyes will see strange things, and you will say twisted things.
34 Ànɔ abe ame si mlɔ atsiaƒu gbana dzi alo ame si mlɔ abala dzi ene.
Yes, you will be like him who takes his rest on the sea, or on the top of a sail-support.
35 Àgblɔ be, “Woxlã nu ɖem gake nyemexɔ abi o! Woƒom gake mevem o! Ɣe ka ɣi gɔ̃ manyɔ ne magadi ahayomemɔ?”
They have overcome me, you will say, and I have no pain; they gave me blows without my feeling them: when will I be awake from my wine? I will go after it again.
