Lododowo 24
1 Mègabiã ŋu ame vɔ̃ɖiwo o, mègadi woƒe hamenɔnɔ o
Be not thou envious of wicked men, And desire not 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 speak mischief.
3 Nunya wotsɔna tua xɔe eye gɔmesese wotsɔna ɖoa egɔme anyie,
Through wisdom is a house builded, And by understanding is it established;
4 to sidzedze me wotsɔa nu nyui tɔxɛ siwo mebɔ o kple kesinɔnu nyuiwo yɔa woƒe xɔwo mee.
Yea, by knowledge are the chambers filled With all precious and goodly substance.
5 Ŋusẽ gã aɖe le nunyala si eye ame si si gɔmesese le la dzia eƒe ŋusẽ ɖe edzi.
The wise man is strong; Yea, the man of understanding establisheth his strength.
6 Èhiã nufiame hafi adze aʋa eye hafi dziɖuɖu nava la, èhiã aɖaŋuɖola geɖewo.
For by wise counsel shalt thou make war, And by the multitude of counsellors cometh success.
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 the fool; He openeth not his mouth at the gate.
8 Ame si ɖo vɔ̃ be yeawɔ lae woyɔna be ame vɔ̃ɖi.
He that deviseth to do evil Shall be called mischief-master.
9 Bometsinuwo ɖoɖo nye nu vɔ̃ eye amewo tsria fewuɖula.
The purpose of folly is sin; And a scoffer is an abomination to men.
10 Ne èʋuʋu le xaxaɣi la, aleke wò ŋusẽ mehele sue o?
If thy spirit faint in the day of adversity, Faint will be thy strength.
11 Ɖe ame siwo wokplɔ yina wuwu ge eye xɔ na ame siwo le yiyim sɔgɔsɔgɔ yina ɖe ku me.
Deliver thou those who are dragged to death, And those who totter to the slaughter, —O keep them back!
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 sayst, “Behold, we knew it not!” Doth not he that weigheth the heart observe it? Yea, he that keepeth thy soul knoweth it. And he will render to every man according to his works.
13 Vinye, no anyitsi elabena enyo; anyitsi tso anyito me avivi le wò nu me.
Eat honey, my son, for it is good, And the honeycomb, which 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 learn thou wisdom for thy soul! When thou hast found it, there shall be a reward, And thy expectation shall not be cut off.
15 Mègade xa ɖe ame dzɔdzɔe ƒe aƒe ŋu o, mègava ha enɔƒe o
Plot not, O wicked man! against the habitation of the righteous; Spoil not 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 though the righteous fall seven times, yet shall he rise up again; But the wicked shall fall into mischief.
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 the LORD see, and it displease him, And he turn away his anger from him.
19 Mègadzo nyanyanya le ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ta alo aʋã ŋu ŋutasẽla o,
Fret not thyself on account of evil men, Neither be thou 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 posterity 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 thou the LORD and the king; And mingle 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 up suddenly, And their ruin, coming from them both, in a moment.
23 Esiawo hã nye nunyalawo ƒe nyagbɔgblɔwo: Akpa ɖeka dzi dede le ʋɔnudɔdrɔ̃ me menyo o.
These also are words of 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 to the wicked, “Thou art righteous,” Him shall the people curse; Nations shall abhor him.
25 Ke eme anyo na ame siwo abu fɔ agɔdzela eye yayra gãwo ava wo ameawo dzi.
But it shall be well with them that punish him, And the blessing of prosperity shall come upon them.
26 Nyaŋuɖoɖo ɖe ɖoɖo nu le abe nugbugbɔ ene.
He that giveth a right answer Kisseth the lips.
27 Wu wò gotadɔwo nu eye nàdzra wò agble me ɖo, ema megbe la, tu wò xɔ.
Arrange thy work without, And prepare it in thy field: Afterwards thou mayst build thy house.
28 Mègaɖu ɖasefo ɖe hawòvi ŋu dzodzro alo atsɔ wò nuyiwo aka aʋatsoe o.
Be not a witness without cause against thy neighbor, And deceive not 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, “As he hath done to me, So will I do to him; I will render to the man according to his doings.”
30 Meto kuviatɔ kple ame manyanu ƒe waingble ŋu yi;
I passed by the field of the slothful, And by the vineyard of the 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 overgrown with thorns, And the face thereof was covered with nettles, And the stone wall thereof was broken down.
32 Metsɔ nye dzi ɖo nu si mekpɔ la ŋu eye mesrɔ̃ nu tso nu si mekpɔ la me.
Then I saw, and considered it well; I looked upon it. and 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 poverty come upon thee like a highwayman; Yea, want like an armed man.
