Lododowo 24
1 Mègabiã ŋu ame vɔ̃ɖiwo o, mègadi woƒe hamenɔnɔ o
Be not thou envious of wicked men, neither crave to be with them;
2 elabena woƒe dzi ɖoa nu tovo eye woƒe nuyiwo ƒoa nu tso nu gbegblẽ wɔwɔ ŋuti.
For, violence, their heart muttereth, and, mischief, their lips do speak.
3 Nunya wotsɔna tua xɔe eye gɔmesese wotsɔna ɖoa egɔme anyie,
In wisdom, is a house builded, and, in understanding, is it established;
4 to sidzedze me wotsɔa nu nyui tɔxɛ siwo mebɔ o kple kesinɔnu nyuiwo yɔa woƒe xɔwo mee.
And, in knowledge, chambers are filled, with all acquisitions, costly and fair.
5 Ŋusẽ gã aɖe le nunyala si eye ame si si gɔmesese le la dzia eƒe ŋusẽ ɖe edzi.
A wise man, is mighty, and, a man of knowledge, becometh alert in vigour.
6 Èhiã nufiame hafi adze aʋa eye hafi dziɖuɖu nava la, èhiã aɖaŋuɖola geɖewo.
Surely, with concerted measures, shalt thou make for thyself war, and, success, lieth in the greatness of the counsellor.
7 Nunya kɔ boo na bometsila akpa; le amehawo dome, le agbo nu la, nya aɖeke mele esi wòagblɔ o.
Unattainable to a foolish man, are the dictates of wisdom, in the gate, he openeth not his mouth.
8 Ame si ɖo vɔ̃ be yeawɔ lae woyɔna be ame vɔ̃ɖi.
He that deviseth to do mischief, him, shall men call, a master of plots.
9 Bometsinuwo ɖoɖo nye nu vɔ̃ eye amewo tsria fewuɖula.
The purpose of folly, is sin, and, an abomination to mankind, is a buffoon.
10 Ne èʋuʋu le xaxaɣi la, aleke wò ŋusẽ mehele sue o?
Thou hast been slothful in the day of straitness, Strait, is thy strength.
11 Ɖe ame siwo wokplɔ yina wuwu ge eye xɔ na ame siwo le yiyim sɔgɔsɔgɔ yina ɖe ku me.
Deliver thou such as are being led forth to death, and, them who are tottering to slaughter, oh that thou wouldst hold 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?
Though thou say, Lo! we knew not this, Shall not, he that proveth hearts, himself, discern? And, he that formeth thy soul, himself, know? and bring back to a son of earth according to his deed?
13 Vinye, no anyitsi elabena enyo; anyitsi tso anyito me avivi le wò nu me.
My son, eat thou honey, because it is good, —and droppings from the comb [because they are] sweet to thy 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.
Thus, take knowledge of wisdom, for thine own soul; If thou find it, then there is a future, and, thine expectation, shall not be cut off.
15 Mègade xa ɖe ame dzɔdzɔe ƒe aƒe ŋu o, mègava ha enɔƒe o
Do not lie in wait, thou lawless man, against the home of the righteous, —neither destroy thou his place of rest;
16 elabena togbɔ be ame dzɔdzɔe adze anyi zi adre hã la, agafɔ gake ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ya la, dzɔgbevɔ̃e ahe wo aƒu anyi.
For, seven times, may the righteous fall and yet arise, but, lawless men, shall stumble into calamity.
17 Mègakpɔ dziɖuɖu ƒe dzidzɔ ne wò futɔ dze anyi o, eye ne ekli nu la, dzi megadzɔ wò o,
When thine enemy falleth, do not thou rejoice, and, when he stumbleth, let not thy heart exult:
18 elabena Yehowa akpɔe, eye madze eŋu o, eye wòaɖe eƒe dziku ɖa le edzi.
Lest Yahweh see it, and it be wicked in his eyes, and he turn away from him his anger.
19 Mègadzo nyanyanya le ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ta alo aʋã ŋu ŋutasẽla o,
Burn not with vexation against evil doers, be not envious of lawless men;
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 for the wicked, The lamp of the lawless, shall go out.
21 Vinye, vɔ̃ Yehowa kple fia la eye mègade aglãdzelawo dzi o
Revere thou Yahweh, my son, and the king, and, with the fickle, have thou no fellowship;
22 elabena ame eve mawo ana gbegblẽ naƒo ɖe wo dzi kpoyi eye ame kae nya dzɔgbevɔ̃e si woate ŋu ahe vɛ?
For, suddenly, shall arise their calamity; and, the misfortune of their years, who knoweth?
23 Esiawo hã nye nunyalawo ƒe nyagbɔgblɔwo: Akpa ɖeka dzi dede le ʋɔnudɔdrɔ̃ me menyo o.
These things also, concern the wise, To take note of faces in judgment, is not good.
24 Ame si agblɔ na fɔɖila be, “Mèdze agɔ o” la, amewo ado ɖiŋu nɛ eye dukɔwo anyɔ ŋui.
He that saith to the lawless man, Righteous, thou art, peoples shall denounce him, populations shall curse him;
25 Ke eme anyo na ame siwo abu fɔ agɔdzela eye yayra gãwo ava wo ameawo dzi.
But, to reprovers, one should be pleasant, and, upon them, should come an excellent blessing:
26 Nyaŋuɖoɖo ɖe ɖoɖo nu le abe nugbugbɔ ene.
Lips, should one kiss with one who answereth in right words.
27 Wu wò gotadɔwo nu eye nàdzra wò agble me ɖo, ema megbe la, tu wò xɔ.
Prepare, in the open, thy work, and make ready, in the field, for thyself, Afterwards, shalt thou build thy house.
28 Mègaɖu ɖasefo ɖe hawòvi ŋu dzodzro alo atsɔ wò nuyiwo aka aʋatsoe o.
Do not become a needless witness against thy neighbour, so mightest thou open too wide 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.
Do not say—According to what he hath done to me, so, will I do to him, I will repay every one according to his work.
30 Meto kuviatɔ kple ame manyanu ƒe waingble ŋu yi;
By the field of the sluggard, I passed, and by the vineyard of a man lacking sense;
31 ŋu vu tsyɔ afi sia afi, gbe to ɖe eme katã eye kpekpɔ la kaka le eŋu.
And lo! there had come up all over it—thorns, there had covered the face thereof—thistles, and, the stone fence thereof, had been thrown down.
32 Metsɔ nye dzi ɖo nu si mekpɔ la ŋu eye mesrɔ̃ nu tso nu si mekpɔ la me.
So I observed it, for myself, I applied my heart, I looked—I accepted correction:
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 come in, as a highwayman, thy poverty, and, thy want, as one armed with a shield.
