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 sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
2 eye tsɔ hɛ ɖo wò ve dzi ne ènye nutsuɖula.
For thou puttest a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man of a craving desire.
3 Mègadzro eƒe nuɖuɖu kpeɖiwo o elabena nuɖuɖu ma nye beble.
Do not long for his savory meats; they are deceitful food.
4 Mègaku kutri vivivo, agbɔdzɔ ɖokuiwò be yeakpɔ hotsui o, dze nunya nàlé avu ɖokuiwò.
Fatigue thyself not to become rich; because thou hast understanding, forbear.
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.
When thou lettest merely thy eyes fly over it, it is no more: for it will ever make itself wings: like an eagle will it fly toward heaven.
6 Mègaɖu ŋutsu nuvela ƒe nuɖuɖu o, eye eƒe nuɖuɖu kpeɖiwo megadzro wò o,
Eat not the bread of a man with an evil eye, and do not long for his savory 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.
For as though there were a division in his soul, so doth he act: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
8 Àdzɔ nu sue si nèɖu la hã eye àtsɔ wò kafukafunya siwo nègblɔ la hã ada ahee.
Thy morsel which thou hast eaten must thou spit out, and thou hast wasted thy pleasant words.
9 Mègaƒo nu ɖe bometsila ƒe to me o, elabena ado vlo wò nunyanyawo.
Speak not before the ears of a fool; for he will despise the intelligence of thy words.
10 Mègaɖe blemaliƒokpewo ɖa alo age ɖe tsyɔ̃eviwo ƒe agble me o
Remove not the ancient landmark, and into the fields of the fatherless must thou not enter;
11 elabena ŋusẽtɔe nye wo ta ʋlila; eye awɔ avu kpli wò ɖe wo nu.
For their redeemer is strong; he will indeed plead their cause with thee.
12 Tsɔ wò dzi ku ɖe nufiame ŋu eye wò towo natrɔ ɖe gɔmesese ŋu.
Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thy ears to the sayings of knowledge.
13 Mègagbe tohehe na ɖevi o, ne èƒoe kple ati la, mele kuku ge o.
Withhold not from a lad correction; for if thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Thou wilt indeed beat him with the rod; but thou wilt deliver his soul from perdition. (Sheol h7585)
15 Vinye, ne wò dzi dze nunya la, ekema nye hã nye dzi akpɔ dzidzɔ
My son, If thy heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
16 eye nye ememe ke atso aseye ne wò nuyiwo gblɔ nu si le dzɔdzɔe.
And my reins shall exult when thy lips speak what is equitable.
17 Mègana wò dzi naʋã ŋu nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo o, ke boŋ tsɔ dzo ɖe Yehowavɔvɔ̃ ŋu.
Let not thy heart be envious against sinners; but [remain] in the fear of the lord all the time.
18 Vavã, mɔkpɔkpɔ le asiwò hena etsɔ si gbɔna eye wò mɔkpɔkpɔ mazu dzodzro o.
For surely there is a future, and thy hope will not be cut off.
19 Vinye, ɖo tom ne nàdze nunya eye na wò dzi nanɔ mɔ dzɔdzɔetɔ dzi.
Hear thou, my son, and become wise, and guide thy heart on the right way.
20 Mègade ha kple ame siwo nye waintsunolawo alo lã geɖe ɖulawo o.
Be not among those that drink wine immoderately, among those that over-indulge in eating flesh:
21 Elabena ahatsunolawo kple nutsuɖulawo la, ahee wodana eye alɔ̃ tsu dɔdɔ nana wonɔa awu vuvuwo me.
For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty; and drowsiness clotheth a man in rags.
22 Ɖo to fofowò, ame si dzi wò eye mègado vlo dawò ne eku nyagã o.
Hearken unto thy father that hath begotten thee, and despise not thy mother although she be old.
23 Ƒle nyateƒe la eye mègadzrae o; ƒle nunya, amehehe kple gɔmesese.
Buy the truth and sell it not; [also] 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 righteous will be greatly glad, and he that begetteth a wise child will have joy through him.
25 Dawò kple fofowò nekpɔ dzidzɔ eye nyɔnu si dzi wò la netso aseye!
Let [then] thy father and thy mother rejoice, and let her that hath born thee be glad.
26 Vinye, tsɔ wò dzi nam eye wò ŋkuwo nenɔ nye mɔwo ŋu
Give, my son, thy heart unto me, and let thy eyes watch 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 well.
28 Ede xa ɖi abe adzodala ene eye wòdzia ŋutsu ahasitɔwo ƒe xexlẽme ɖe edzi.
She also lieth in wait like a robber, and she increaseth the treacherous 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 hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath quarrels? who hath complaints? 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.
They that tarry late over the wine: they that come to seek for mixed drink.
31 Mègaɖɔ wain kpɔ ne ebiã dzẽe, ne ele fu tsɔm le kplu me, ne eto vetome heɖiɖi ɖe dɔ me o!
Do not look on the wine when it looketh red, when it giveth its color in the cup, when it glideth down so readily.
32 Le nuwuwu la, eɖua ame abe da ene eye wònyɔa aɖi abe ƒli ene.
At the last it will bite like a serpent, and like a basilisk will it sting.
33 Wò ŋkuwo akpɔ nu tutɔ manyatalenuwo eye wò susu anɔ nu baɖabaɖawo susum.
Thy eyes will see strange forms, and thy heart will speak perverse things.
34 Ànɔ abe ame si mlɔ atsiaƒu gbana dzi alo ame si mlɔ abala dzi ene.
And thou wilt be like one that lieth down in the heart of the sea, or as he that lieth on the top of a mast.
35 Àgblɔ be, “Woxlã nu ɖem gake nyemexɔ abi o! Woƒom gake mevem o! Ɣe ka ɣi gɔ̃ manyɔ ne magadi ahayomemɔ?”
“They smote me, [but] I suffered no pain; they struck me hard, [but] I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will continue to seek it again.”
