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, Thou considerest diligently that which [is] before thee,
2 eye tsɔ hɛ ɖo wò ve dzi ne ènye nutsuɖula.
And thou hast put a knife to thy throat, If thou [art] a man of appetite.
3 Mègadzro eƒe nuɖuɖu kpeɖiwo o elabena nuɖuɖu ma nye beble.
Have no desire to his dainties, seeing it [is] lying food.
4 Mègaku kutri vivivo, agbɔdzɔ ɖokuiwò be yeakpɔ hotsui o, dze nunya nàlé avu ɖokuiwò.
Labour not to make wealth, From thine own understanding cease, Dost thou cause thine eyes to fly upon it? Then it is not.
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.
For wealth maketh to itself wings, As an eagle it flieth to the heavens.
6 Mègaɖu ŋutsu nuvela ƒe nuɖuɖu o, eye eƒe nuɖuɖu kpeɖiwo megadzro wò o,
Eat not the bread of an evil eye, And have no desire to his dainties,
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 he hath thought in his soul, so [is] he, 'Eat and drink,' saith he to thee, And 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 thou hast eaten thou dost vomit up, And hast marred thy words that [are] sweet.
9 Mègaƒo nu ɖe bometsila ƒe to me o, elabena ado vlo wò nunyanyawo.
In the ears of a fool speak not, For he treadeth on the wisdom of thy words.
10 Mègaɖe blemaliƒokpewo ɖa alo age ɖe tsyɔ̃eviwo ƒe agble me o
Remove not a border of olden times, And into fields of the fatherless enter not,
11 elabena ŋusẽtɔe nye wo ta ʋlila; eye awɔ avu kpli wò ɖe wo nu.
For their Redeemer [is] strong, He doth plead their cause with thee.
12 Tsɔ wò dzi ku ɖe nufiame ŋu eye wò towo natrɔ ɖe gɔmesese ŋu.
Bring in to instruction thy heart, And thine ear to sayings of knowledge.
13 Mègagbe tohehe na ɖevi o, ne èƒoe kple ati la, mele kuku ge o.
Withhold not from a youth chastisement, When thou smitest him with a rod he dieth not.
Thou with a rod smitest him, And his soul from Sheol thou deliverest. (Sheol h7585)
15 Vinye, ne wò dzi dze nunya la, ekema nye hã nye dzi akpɔ dzidzɔ
My son, if thy heart hath been wise, My heart rejoiceth, even mine,
16 eye nye ememe ke atso aseye ne wò nuyiwo gblɔ nu si le dzɔdzɔe.
And my reins exult when thy lips speak uprightly.
17 Mègana wò dzi naʋã ŋu nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo o, ke boŋ tsɔ dzo ɖe Yehowavɔvɔ̃ ŋu.
Let not thy heart be envious at sinners, But — in the fear of Jehovah all the day.
18 Vavã, mɔkpɔkpɔ le asiwò hena etsɔ si gbɔna eye wò mɔkpɔkpɔ mazu dzodzro o.
For, is there a posterity? Then thy hope is not cut off.
19 Vinye, ɖo tom ne nàdze nunya eye na wò dzi nanɔ mɔ dzɔdzɔetɔ dzi.
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, And make happy in the way thy heart,
20 Mègade ha kple ame siwo nye waintsunolawo alo lã geɖe ɖulawo o.
Be not thou among quaffers of wine, Among gluttonous ones of flesh,
21 Elabena ahatsunolawo kple nutsuɖulawo la, ahee wodana eye alɔ̃ tsu dɔdɔ nana wonɔa awu vuvuwo me.
For the quaffer and glutton become poor, And drowsiness clotheth with rags.
22 Ɖo to fofowò, ame si dzi wò eye mègado vlo dawò ne eku nyagã o.
Hearken to thy father, who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she hath become old.
23 Ƒle nyateƒe la eye mègadzrae o; ƒle nunya, amehehe kple gɔmesese.
Truth buy, and sell not, 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 rejoiceth greatly, The begetter of the wise rejoiceth in him.
25 Dawò kple fofowò nekpɔ dzidzɔ eye nyɔnu si dzi wò la netso aseye!
Rejoice doth thy father and thy mother, Yea, she that bare thee is joyful.
26 Vinye, tsɔ wò dzi nam eye wò ŋkuwo nenɔ nye mɔwo ŋu
Give, my son, thy heart to me, And let thine 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 strait pit.
28 Ede xa ɖi abe adzodala ene eye wòdzia ŋutsu ahasitɔwo ƒe xexlẽme ɖe edzi.
She also, as catching prey, lieth in wait, And the treacherous among men she increaseth.
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 contentions? who hath plaint? 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.
Those tarrying by the wine, Those going in to search out mixed wine.
31 Mègaɖɔ wain kpɔ ne ebiã dzẽe, ne ele fu tsɔm le kplu me, ne eto vetome heɖiɖi ɖe dɔ me o!
See not wine when it showeth itself red, When it giveth in the cup its colour, It goeth up and down through the upright.
32 Le nuwuwu la, eɖua ame abe da ene eye wònyɔa aɖi abe ƒli ene.
Its latter end — as a serpent it biteth, And as a basilisk it stingeth.
33 Wò ŋkuwo akpɔ nu tutɔ manyatalenuwo eye wò susu anɔ nu baɖabaɖawo susum.
Thine eyes see strange women, And thy heart speaketh perverse things.
34 Ànɔ abe ame si mlɔ atsiaƒu gbana dzi alo ame si mlɔ abala dzi ene.
And thou hast been as one lying down in the heart of the sea, And as one lying down 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, I have not been sick, They beat me, I have not known. When I awake — I seek it yet again!'
