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 thou shalt sit to eat with a prince, consider diligently what is set before thy face.
2 eye tsɔ hɛ ɖo wò ve dzi ne ènye nutsuɖula.
And put a knife to thy throat, if it be so that thou have thy soul in thy own power.
3 Mègadzro eƒe nuɖuɖu kpeɖiwo o elabena nuɖuɖu ma nye beble.
Be not desirous of his meats, in which is the bread of deceit.
4 Mègaku kutri vivivo, agbɔdzɔ ɖokuiwò be yeakpɔ hotsui o, dze nunya nàlé avu ɖokuiwò.
Labour not to be rich: but set bounds to thy prudence.
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.
Lift not up thy eyes to riches which thou canst not have: because they shall make themselves wings like those of an eagle, and shall fly towards heaven.
6 Mègaɖu ŋutsu nuvela ƒe nuɖuɖu o, eye eƒe nuɖuɖu kpeɖiwo megadzro wò o,
Eat not with an envious man, and desire not his meats:
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.
Because like a soothsayer, and diviner, he thinketh that which he knoweth not. Eat and drink, will he say to thee: and his mind is not with thee.
8 Àdzɔ nu sue si nèɖu la hã eye àtsɔ wò kafukafunya siwo nègblɔ la hã ada ahee.
The meats which thou hadst eaten, thou shalt vomit up: and shalt loose thy beautiful words.
9 Mègaƒo nu ɖe bometsila ƒe to me o, elabena ado vlo wò nunyanyawo.
Speak not in the ears of fools: because they will despise the instruction of thy speech.
10 Mègaɖe blemaliƒokpewo ɖa alo age ɖe tsyɔ̃eviwo ƒe agble me o
Touch not the bounds of little ones: and enter not into the field of the fatherless:
11 elabena ŋusẽtɔe nye wo ta ʋlila; eye awɔ avu kpli wò ɖe wo nu.
For their near kinsman is strong: and he will judge their cause against thee.
12 Tsɔ wò dzi ku ɖe nufiame ŋu eye wò towo natrɔ ɖe gɔmesese ŋu.
Let thy heart apply itself to instruction: and thy ears to words of knowledge.
13 Mègagbe tohehe na ɖevi o, ne èƒoe kple ati la, mele kuku ge o.
Withhold not correction from a child: for if thou strike him with the rod, he shall not die.
Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and deliver his soul from hell. (Sheol h7585)
15 Vinye, ne wò dzi dze nunya la, ekema nye hã nye dzi akpɔ dzidzɔ
My son, if thy mind be wise, my heart shall rejoice with thee:
16 eye nye ememe ke atso aseye ne wò nuyiwo gblɔ nu si le dzɔdzɔe.
And my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips shall speak what is right.
17 Mègana wò dzi naʋã ŋu nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo o, ke boŋ tsɔ dzo ɖe Yehowavɔvɔ̃ ŋu.
Let not thy heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long:
18 Vavã, mɔkpɔkpɔ le asiwò hena etsɔ si gbɔna eye wò mɔkpɔkpɔ mazu dzodzro o.
Because thou shalt have hope in the latter end, and thy expectation shall not be taken away.
19 Vinye, ɖo tom ne nàdze nunya eye na wò dzi nanɔ mɔ dzɔdzɔetɔ dzi.
Hear thou, my son, and be wise: and guide thy mind in the way.
20 Mègade ha kple ame siwo nye waintsunolawo alo lã geɖe ɖulawo o.
Be not in the feasts of great drinkers, nor in their revellings, who contribute flesh to eat:
21 Elabena ahatsunolawo kple nutsuɖulawo la, ahee wodana eye alɔ̃ tsu dɔdɔ nana wonɔa awu vuvuwo me.
Because they that give themselves to drinking, and that club together shall be consumed; and drowsiness shall be clothed with rags.
22 Ɖo to fofowò, ame si dzi wò eye mègado vlo dawò ne eku nyagã o.
Hearken to thy father, that beget thee: and despise not thy mother when she is old.
23 Ƒle nyateƒe la eye mègadzrae o; ƒle nunya, amehehe kple gɔmesese.
Buy truth, and do not sell wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24 Ame dzɔdzɔe fofo atso aseye geɖe eye ame si si vi nyanu le la akpɔ dzidzɔ le eŋu.
The father of the just rejoiceth greatly: he that hath begotten a wise son, shall have joy in him.
25 Dawò kple fofowò nekpɔ dzidzɔ eye nyɔnu si dzi wò la netso aseye!
Let thy father, and thy mother be joyful, and let her rejoice that bore thee.
26 Vinye, tsɔ wò dzi nam eye wò ŋkuwo nenɔ nye mɔwo ŋu
My son, give me thy heart: and let thy eyes keep my ways.
27 elabena gbolo la, ʋe globoe wònye eye srɔ̃nyɔnu ahasitɔ la, vudo xaxɛ wònye.
For a harlot is a deep ditch: and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
28 Ede xa ɖi abe adzodala ene eye wòdzia ŋutsu ahasitɔwo ƒe xexlẽme ɖe edzi.
She lieth in wait in the way as a robber, and him whom she shall see unwary, she will kill.
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 hath woe? whose father hath woe? who hath contentions? who falls into pits? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30 Ame siwo tsia wainze te la tɔe, ame siwo yina ɖaɖɔa wain si wotɔtɔ kpɔ la tɔe.
Surely they that pass their time in wine, and study to drink of their cups.
31 Mègaɖɔ wain kpɔ ne ebiã dzẽe, ne ele fu tsɔm le kplu me, ne eto vetome heɖiɖi ɖe dɔ me o!
Look not upon the wine when it is yellow, when the colour thereof shineth in the glass: it goeth in pleasantly,
32 Le nuwuwu la, eɖua ame abe da ene eye wònyɔa aɖi abe ƒli ene.
But in the end, it will bite like a snake, and will spread abroad poison like a basilisk.
33 Wò ŋkuwo akpɔ nu tutɔ manyatalenuwo eye wò susu anɔ nu baɖabaɖawo susum.
Thy eyes shall behold strange women, and thy heart shall utter perverse things.
34 Ànɔ abe ame si mlɔ atsiaƒu gbana dzi alo ame si mlɔ abala dzi ene.
And thou shalt be as one sleeping in the midst of the sea, and as a pilot fast asleep, when the stern is lost.
35 Àgblɔ be, “Woxlã nu ɖem gake nyemexɔ abi o! Woƒom gake mevem o! Ɣe ka ɣi gɔ̃ manyɔ ne magadi ahayomemɔ?”
And thou shalt say: They have beaten me, but I was not sensible of pain: they drew me, and I felt not: when shall I awake, and find wine again?
