Lododowo 24
1 Mègabiã ŋu ame vɔ̃ɖiwo o, mègadi woƒe hamenɔnɔ o
Be not envious of evil 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 destruction doth their heart meditate, And perverseness do their lips speak.
3 Nunya wotsɔna tua xɔe eye gɔmesese wotsɔna ɖoa egɔme anyie,
By wisdom is a house builded, And by understanding it establisheth itself.
4 to sidzedze me wotsɔa nu nyui tɔxɛ siwo mebɔ o kple kesinɔnu nyuiwo yɔa woƒe xɔwo mee.
And by knowledge the inner parts are filled, [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.
Mighty [is] the wise 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 by plans thou makest for thyself war, And deliverance [is] in a multitude of counsellors.
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, In the gate he openeth not his mouth.
8 Ame si ɖo vɔ̃ be yeawɔ lae woyɔna be ame vɔ̃ɖi.
Whoso is devising to do evil, Him they call a master of wicked thoughts.
9 Bometsinuwo ɖoɖo nye nu vɔ̃ eye amewo tsria fewuɖula.
The thought of folly [is] sin, And an abomination to man [is] a scorner.
10 Ne èʋuʋu le xaxaɣi la, aleke wò ŋusẽ mehele sue o?
Thou hast shewed thyself weak in a day of adversity, Straitened is thy power,
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 those slipping to the slaughter — thou keepest 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?
When thou sayest, 'Lo, we knew not this.' Is not the Ponderer of hearts He who understandeth? And the Keeper of thy soul He who knoweth? And He hath rendered to man according to his work.
13 Vinye, no anyitsi elabena enyo; anyitsi tso anyito me avivi le wò nu me.
Eat my son, honey that [is] good, And the honeycomb — 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.
So [is] the knowledge of wisdom to thy soul, If thou hast found that there is a posterity And thy hope is not cut off.
15 Mègade xa ɖe ame dzɔdzɔe ƒe aƒe ŋu o, mègava ha enɔƒe o
Lay not 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 seven [times] doth the righteous fall and rise, 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,
In the falling of thine enemy rejoice not, And in his stumbling let not thy heart be joyful,
18 elabena Yehowa akpɔe, eye madze eŋu o, eye wòaɖe eƒe dziku ɖa le edzi.
Lest Jehovah see, and [it be] evil in His eyes, And He hath turned from off him His anger.
19 Mègadzo nyanyanya le ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ta alo aʋã ŋu ŋutasẽla o,
Fret not thyself at evil doers, Be not 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 Jehovah, my son, and the king, With changers mix not up thyself,
22 elabena ame eve mawo ana gbegblẽ naƒo ɖe wo dzi kpoyi eye ame kae nya dzɔgbevɔ̃e si woate ŋu ahe vɛ?
For suddenly doth their calamity rise, And the ruin of them both — who knoweth!
23 Esiawo hã nye nunyalawo ƒe nyagbɔgblɔwo: Akpa ɖeka dzi dede le ʋɔnudɔdrɔ̃ me menyo o.
These also are for the wise: — To discern 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.
Whoso is saying to the wicked, 'Thou [art] 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 to those reproving it is pleasant, And on them cometh a good blessing.
26 Nyaŋuɖoɖo ɖe ɖoɖo nu le abe nugbugbɔ ene.
Lips he kisseth who is returning straightforward words.
27 Wu wò gotadɔwo nu eye nàdzra wò agble me ɖo, ema megbe la, tu wò xɔ.
Prepare in an out-place thy work, And make it ready in the field — go afterwards, Then thou hast built thy house.
28 Mègaɖu ɖasefo ɖe hawòvi ŋu dzodzro alo atsɔ wò nuyiwo aka aʋatsoe o.
Be not a witness for nought against thy neighbour, Or thou hast enticed 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 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;
Near the field of a slothful man I passed by, 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 lo, it hath gone up — all of it — thorns! Covered its face have nettles, And its stone wall hath 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 — I do 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 thy poverty hath come [as] a traveller, And thy want as an armed man!
