Lododowo 24
1 Mègabiã ŋu ame vɔ̃ɖiwo o, mègadi woƒe hamenɔnɔ o
Do not be envious of evil men, And do not 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 meditates [on] destruction, And their lips speak perverseness.
3 Nunya wotsɔna tua xɔe eye gɔmesese wotsɔna ɖoa egɔme anyie,
A house is built by wisdom, And it establishes itself by understanding.
4 to sidzedze me wotsɔa nu nyui tɔxɛ siwo mebɔ o kple kesinɔnu nyuiwo yɔa woƒe xɔwo mee.
And the inner parts are filled by knowledge, [With] all precious and pleasant wealth.
5 Ŋusẽ gã aɖe le nunyala si eye ame si si gɔmesese le la dzia eƒe ŋusẽ ɖe edzi.
The wise [is] mighty in strength, And a man of knowledge is strengthening power,
6 Èhiã nufiame hafi adze aʋa eye hafi dziɖuɖu nava la, èhiã aɖaŋuɖola geɖewo.
For you make war for yourself by plans, And deliverance [is] in a multitude of counselors.
7 Nunya kɔ boo na bometsila akpa; le amehawo dome, le agbo nu la, nya aɖeke mele esi wòagblɔ o.
Wisdom [is] high for a fool, he does not open his mouth in the gate.
8 Ame si ɖo vɔ̃ be yeawɔ lae woyɔna be ame vɔ̃ɖi.
Whoever is devising to do evil, They call him a master of wicked thoughts.
9 Bometsinuwo ɖoɖo nye nu vɔ̃ eye amewo tsria fewuɖula.
The thought of folly [is] sin, And a scorner [is] an abomination to man.
10 Ne èʋuʋu le xaxaɣi la, aleke wò ŋusẽ mehele sue o?
You have showed yourself weak in a day of adversity, Your power is restricted,
11 Ɖe ame siwo wokplɔ yina wuwu ge eye xɔ na ame siwo le yiyim sɔgɔsɔgɔ yina ɖe ku me.
If [from] delivering those taken to death, And you take back those slipping to the 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?
When you say, “Behold, we did not know this.” Is the Ponderer of hearts not He who understands? And the Keeper of your soul He who knows? And He has rendered to man according to his work.
13 Vinye, no anyitsi elabena enyo; anyitsi tso anyito me avivi le wò nu me.
My son, eat honey that [is] good, And the honeycomb [is] sweet to your palate.
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 [is] the knowledge of wisdom to your soul, If you have found that there is a posterity And your hope is not cut off.
15 Mègade xa ɖe ame dzɔdzɔe ƒe aƒe ŋu o, mègava ha enɔƒe o
Do not lay wait, O wicked one, At the habitation of the righteous. Do not spoil 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 fall and rise seven [times], And the wicked stumble in evil.
17 Mègakpɔ dziɖuɖu ƒe dzidzɔ ne wò futɔ dze anyi o, eye ne ekli nu la, dzi megadzɔ wò o,
Do not rejoice in the falling of your enemy, And do not let your heart be joyful in his stumbling,
18 elabena Yehowa akpɔe, eye madze eŋu o, eye wòaɖe eƒe dziku ɖa le edzi.
Lest YHWH see, and [it be] evil in His eyes, And He has turned His anger from off him.
19 Mègadzo nyanyanya le ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ta alo aʋã ŋu ŋutasẽla o,
Do not fret yourself at evildoers, do not be envious at the wicked,
20 elabena mɔkpɔkpɔ aɖeke meli na ame vɔ̃ɖi ɖe etsɔ si gbɔna ŋuti o eye woatsi ŋutasẽlawo ƒe akaɖi.
For there is not a posterity to the evil, The lamp of the wicked is extinguished.
21 Vinye, vɔ̃ Yehowa kple fia la eye mègade aglãdzelawo dzi o
Fear YHWH, my son, and the king, Do not mix yourself up with changers,
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 rises suddenly, And the ruin of them both—who knows!
23 Esiawo hã nye nunyalawo ƒe nyagbɔgblɔwo: Akpa ɖeka dzi dede le ʋɔnudɔdrɔ̃ me menyo o.
These are also for the wise: [It] is not good to discern faces in judgment.
24 Ame si agblɔ na fɔɖila be, “Mèdze agɔ o” la, amewo ado ɖiŋu nɛ eye dukɔwo anyɔ ŋui.
Whoever is saying to the wicked, “You [are] righteous,” Peoples execrate him—nations abhor him.
25 Ke eme anyo na ame siwo abu fɔ agɔdzela eye yayra gãwo ava wo ameawo dzi.
And it is pleasant to those reproving, And a good blessing comes on them.
26 Nyaŋuɖoɖo ɖe ɖoɖo nu le abe nugbugbɔ ene.
He who is returning straightforward words kisses lips.
27 Wu wò gotadɔwo nu eye nàdzra wò agble me ɖo, ema megbe la, tu wò xɔ.
Prepare your work in an out-place, And make it ready in the field—go afterward, Then you have built your house.
28 Mègaɖu ɖasefo ɖe hawòvi ŋu dzodzro alo atsɔ wò nuyiwo aka aʋatsoe o.
Do not be a witness against your neighbor for nothing, Or you have enticed with your 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.
Do not say, “As he did to me, so I do to him, I render to each according to his work.”
30 Meto kuviatɔ kple ame manyanu ƒe waingble ŋu yi;
I passed by near the field of a slothful man, And near the vineyard of a man lacking heart.
31 ŋu vu tsyɔ afi sia afi, gbe to ɖe eme katã eye kpekpɔ la kaka le eŋu.
And behold, it has gone up—all of it—thorns! Nettles have covered its face, And its stone wall has been broken down.
32 Metsɔ nye dzi ɖo nu si mekpɔ la ŋu eye mesrɔ̃ nu tso nu si mekpɔ la me.
And I see—I set my heart, I have seen—I have 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 lie down.
34 tete ahedada aƒo ɖe dziwò abe adzodala ene, eye hiã abe aʋakalẽtɔ si bla akpa ene.
And your poverty has come [as] a traveler, And your want as an armed man!
