Lododowo 24
1 Mègabiã ŋu ame vɔ̃ɖiwo o, mègadi woƒe hamenɔnɔ o
Be not thou envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them;
2 elabena woƒe dzi ɖoa nu tovo eye woƒe nuyiwo ƒoa nu tso nu gbegblẽ wɔwɔ ŋuti.
for their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.
3 Nunya wotsɔna tua xɔe eye gɔmesese wotsɔna ɖoa egɔme anyie,
Through wisdom is a house built, and by understanding it is established;
4 to sidzedze me wotsɔa nu nyui tɔxɛ siwo mebɔ o kple kesinɔnu nyuiwo yɔa woƒe xɔwo mee.
and by knowledge are the chambers filled with all precious and pleasant substance.
5 Ŋusẽ gã aɖe le nunyala si eye ame si si gɔmesese le la dzia eƒe ŋusẽ ɖe edzi.
A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge increaseth strength.
6 Èhiã nufiame hafi adze aʋa eye hafi dziɖuɖu nava la, èhiã aɖaŋuɖola geɖewo.
For with good advice shalt thou make thy war; and in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
7 Nunya kɔ boo na bometsila akpa; le amehawo dome, le agbo nu la, nya aɖeke mele esi wòagblɔ o.
Wisdom is too high for a fool: he will not open his mouth in the gate.
8 Ame si ɖo vɔ̃ be yeawɔ lae woyɔna be ame vɔ̃ɖi.
He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a master of intrigues.
9 Bometsinuwo ɖoɖo nye nu vɔ̃ eye amewo tsria fewuɖula.
The purpose of folly is sin, and the scorner is an abomination to men.
10 Ne èʋuʋu le xaxaɣi la, aleke wò ŋusẽ mehele sue o?
[If] thou losest courage in the day of trouble, thy strength is small.
11 Ɖe ame siwo wokplɔ yina wuwu ge eye xɔ na ame siwo le yiyim sɔgɔsɔgɔ yina ɖe ku me.
Deliver them that are taken forth unto death, and withdraw not from them that stagger to slaughter.
12 Ne ègblɔ be, “Míenya naneke tso nu sia ŋuti o” la, ɖe ame si daa dziwo kpɔ la menyae oa? Ɖe wòle nyanya na ame si kpɔa wò agbe ta? Ɖe maɖo eteƒe na ame sia ame ɖe nu si wòwɔ la nu oa?
If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not, will not he that weigheth the hearts consider it? And he that preserveth thy soul, he knoweth it; and he rendereth to man according to his work.
13 Vinye, no anyitsi elabena enyo; anyitsi tso anyito me avivi le wò nu me.
Eat honey, my son, for it is good; and a honeycomb is sweet to thy taste:
14 Nyae hã be, nunya avivi wò luʋɔ nu; ne èke ɖe eŋu la, mɔkpɔkpɔ li na wò hena etsɔ si gbɔna eye wò mɔkpɔkpɔ mazu dzodzro o.
so consider wisdom for thy soul; if thou hast found it, there shall be a result, and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
15 Mègade xa ɖe ame dzɔdzɔe ƒe aƒe ŋu o, mègava ha enɔƒe o
Lay not wait, O wicked [man], against the dwelling of the righteous; lay not waste his resting-place.
16 elabena togbɔ be ame dzɔdzɔe adze anyi zi adre hã la, agafɔ gake ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ya la, dzɔgbevɔ̃e ahe wo aƒu anyi.
For the righteous falleth seven times, and riseth up again; but the wicked stumble into disaster.
17 Mègakpɔ dziɖuɖu ƒe dzidzɔ ne wò futɔ dze anyi o, eye ne ekli nu la, dzi megadzɔ wò o,
Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth;
18 elabena Yehowa akpɔe, eye madze eŋu o, eye wòaɖe eƒe dziku ɖa le edzi.
lest Jehovah see it, and it be evil in his sight, and he turn away his anger from him.
19 Mègadzo nyanyanya le ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ta alo aʋã ŋu ŋutasẽla o,
Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, [and] be not envious of the wicked:
20 elabena mɔkpɔkpɔ aɖeke meli na ame vɔ̃ɖi ɖe etsɔ si gbɔna ŋuti o eye woatsi ŋutasẽlawo ƒe akaɖi.
for there shall be no future to the evil [man]; the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
21 Vinye, vɔ̃ Yehowa kple fia la eye mègade aglãdzelawo dzi o
My son, fear Jehovah and the king: meddle not with them that are given to change.
22 elabena ame eve mawo ana gbegblẽ naƒo ɖe wo dzi kpoyi eye ame kae nya dzɔgbevɔ̃e si woate ŋu ahe vɛ?
For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?
23 Esiawo hã nye nunyalawo ƒe nyagbɔgblɔwo: Akpa ɖeka dzi dede le ʋɔnudɔdrɔ̃ me menyo o.
These things also come from the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
24 Ame si agblɔ na fɔɖila be, “Mèdze agɔ o” la, amewo ado ɖiŋu nɛ eye dukɔwo anyɔ ŋui.
He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous, peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him;
25 Ke eme anyo na ame siwo abu fɔ agɔdzela eye yayra gãwo ava wo ameawo dzi.
but to them that rebuke [him] shall be delight, and a good blessing cometh upon them.
26 Nyaŋuɖoɖo ɖe ɖoɖo nu le abe nugbugbɔ ene.
He kisseth the lips who giveth a right answer.
27 Wu wò gotadɔwo nu eye nàdzra wò agble me ɖo, ema megbe la, tu wò xɔ.
Prepare thy work without, and put thy field in order, and afterwards build thy house.
28 Mègaɖu ɖasefo ɖe hawòvi ŋu dzodzro alo atsɔ wò nuyiwo aka aʋatsoe o.
Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and wouldest thou deceive with thy lips?
29 Mègagblɔ be, “Mele ewɔ ge nɛ abe ale si wòwɔe ɖe ŋutinye ene, mele eteƒe ɖo ge na ŋutsu sia ɖe nu si wòwɔ la ta” o.
Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me, I will render to the man according to his work.
30 Meto kuviatɔ kple ame manyanu ƒe waingble ŋu yi;
I went by the field of a sluggard, and by the vineyard of a man void of understanding;
31 ŋu vu tsyɔ afi sia afi, gbe to ɖe eme katã eye kpekpɔ la kaka le eŋu.
and lo, it was all grown over with thistles, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and its stone wall was broken down.
32 Metsɔ nye dzi ɖo nu si mekpɔ la ŋu eye mesrɔ̃ nu tso nu si mekpɔ la me.
Then I looked, I took it to heart; I saw, I received instruction:
33 Dɔ alɔ̃ vie, dɔ akɔlɔ̃e sẽe, ŋlɔ wò abɔwo nàdzudzɔ vie,
— A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest!
34 tete ahedada aƒo ɖe dziwò abe adzodala ene, eye hiã abe aʋakalẽtɔ si bla akpa ene.
So shall thy poverty come [as] a roving plunderer, and thy penury as an armed man.
