Lododowo 26
1 Abe ale si sno dzanae le dzomeŋɔli alo tsi dzanae le nuŋeɣi ene la, nenemae bubu medze bometsila o.
Just [like] [SIM] [it is not appropriate for] snow [to fall] in summer time, or rain [to fall] at harvest time, it is not appropriate to praise/honor foolish people.
2 Abe ale si atsutsrɔe dzonae alo sagbadrɛ saa agbae ene la, nenemae ɖiŋu si wodo na ame ɖe madzɔmadzɔ dzi la tsia yamee.
Like [SIM] birds that fly by [and do not alight/land on anything], if someone curses you, it cannot hurt you if you (do not deserve them/have not done to him what is wrong).
3 Sɔƒoka li na sɔ, numega li na tedzi nenemae ameƒoti li na bometsila ƒe dzimegbe!
It is necessary to whip a horse and to put a bridle on a donkey [to force them to go where we want them to go], and similarly [SIM] [it is often necessary to strike] foolish people with a stick [to cause them to do what is right].
4 Mègaɖo nya ŋu na bometsila le eƒe bometsitsi nu o, ne menye nenema o la, wò ŋutɔ hã ànɔ abe eya amea ene.
If a foolish person asks a foolish question, [do not answer him], because [if you answer his question], you are just as foolish as he is.
5 Ɖo nya ŋu na bometsila le eƒe bometsitsi nu, ne menye nenema o la ava bu eɖokui nunyalae le eɖokui gbɔ.
If you give a foolish answer to someone who asks a foolish question, he will realize that he is (not very wise/foolish).
6 Dudede asi na bometsila le abe ame ŋutɔ ƒe afɔ lalã alo dzɔgbevɔ̃e nono ene.
Anyone who asks a foolish person to take a message to someone [is himself doing something as foolish as] cutting off his own feet or drinking poison.
7 Abe ale si atatututɔ ƒe afɔ nɔa yamee ene la, nenemae lododo le le bometsila ƒe nu mee.
A lame man cannot use his legs, and similarly [SIM] [it is useless for] a foolish person to speak [MTY] (proverbs/wise sayings).
8 Abe ale si wotsɔa kpe dea akafomee ene la, nenemae bubudede bometsila ŋu le.
Tying a stone in a sling [so that it cannot be thrown at a target] is [as foolish as] [SIM] honoring a foolish person.
9 Abe ale si ŋuti nɔna le ahamula ƒe asimee ene la, nenemae lododo nɔna le bometsila ƒe nu mee.
If a drunk person waves some thorns/brambles with his hand, [he is not able to accomplish anything useful by doing that] (OR, [he does not feel it when a thorn sticks in his hand]); similarly, if foolish people speak [MTY] proverbs, [they do not help anyone who hears them].
10 Ame si daa aŋutrɔ bometsila dzodzro la le abe ame si dɔa dɔ ame si le eme tsom la ene.
A man who shoots arrows [to try] to wound everybody who is near [is foolish]; similarly, anyone who hires a foolish person [who passes by is very foolish].
11 Abe ale si avu trɔna gayia nu si wòdzɔ gbɔe ene la, nenemae bometsila gawɔa bometsinu si wòwɔ va yi.
A foolish person will foolishly do something stupid a second time; it is [like] [SIM] a dog returning to [eat] what it has vomited.
12 Èkpɔ ame aɖe si nye nunyala le eya ŋutɔ ŋkume kpɔa? Mɔkpɔkpɔ geɖe li na bometsila wu eya amea.
[God] can help/bless foolish people more easily than he can help/bless people who are not wise [RHQ], but think that they are wise.
13 Kuviatɔ gblɔna be, “Dzata le mɔa dzi, dzata si le gbe tem ŋɔdzitɔe la le tsatsam le ablɔwo me!”
Lazy people [just stay inside their houses and do nothing]; [they keep] saying “[I think] there is a lion in the street!”
14 Abe ale si ʋɔtru trona le eƒe megbega mee ene la, nenemae kuviatɔ nɔa tɔtrɔm le eƒe aba dzii.
A door [continually] swings back and forth on its hinges [and does not go anywhere]; similarly [SIM], lazy people [just continually turn over] in their beds [and never do anything].
15 Kuviatɔ tsɔ eƒe asi de nuɖugba me gake kuvia ɖoe ale gbegbe be, edede nu me zu dɔ nɛ.
Some people are extremely lazy; they put their hand in a dish [to get some food] but do not [even] lift the food up to their mouths.
16 Kuviatɔ nye nunyala le eya ŋutɔ ƒe ŋkume, wu ame adre siwo ɖoa nya ŋu nunyatɔe.
Lazy people think that they are wiser than seven/several people who can answer [others’ questions] with good sense.
17 Ame si le eme tsom gake de nu dzrenya si metsɔ egbɔ o me la le abe ame si lé towo kple eve na avu ene.
Anyone who (meddles/involves himself) in a quarrel that does not concern him is [as foolish as] [SIM] someone who tries to grab a passing dog by its ears.
18 Abe ale si aɖaʋatɔ daa akakati bibi alo aŋutrɔ si ŋu aɖi le la ene la,
Crazy people who shoot burning arrows to kill people
19 nenemae nye ame si ble ehavi eye emegbe wògblɔ nɛ be, “Fefem ko mele!”
are as foolish as those who deceive someone else and [then] say, “I was only joking.”
20 Ne nake meli o la, dzo tsina; ne sakplitɔ meli o la, dzre kena.
If there is no [more] firewood [to put on the fire], the fire will go out; similarly [SIM], if there are no people who (gossip/tell people things that are not true), quarreling will end.
21 Abe ale si aka léa dzo eye nake doa dzo ene la, nenema ŋutsu dzretɔ ƒlɔa dzre ɖoe.
[Putting] charcoal on burning coals or [putting] wood on a fire [causes the fire to keep burning]; similarly, people who like to quarrel cause people to keep arguing.
22 Amenyagblɔla ƒe nyawo vivina abe nuɖuɖu vivi si woka de nu me la ene; eyina ɖe ame ƒe dɔgbowo me ke.
People [enjoy listening to what gossips say about others just like] [SIM] they enjoy tasty food; they [enjoy listening to what gossips tell them like] they enjoy swallowing tasty food.
23 Abe ale si wofaa sikatsi ɖe anyikplu ŋu ene la, nenema nuyi xɔdzo si ŋu dzi vɔ̃ɖi kpe ɖo la le.
People who say nice things when they are thinking about doing evil things are like a nice glaze/covering on a [cheap] clay pot.
24 Ame baɖa tsɔa eƒe nuyi trɔa eɖokui bubue, gake eɣlaa beble ɖe eƒe dzi me.
Those who hate someone and are saying [MTY] something very different from what they are thinking are hypocrites; they are only planning [to harm that person].
25 Togbɔ be eƒe nyawo nya le sesem hã la, mègaxɔ edzi se o elabena ŋunyɔnu adre le eƒe dzi me.
When they say nice things, do not believe them, because in their inner beings are many things that [Yahweh] hates.
26 Eƒe susu baɖa aɣla ɖe beble megbe, gake woaʋu go eƒe vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖi le amehawo dome.
They try to deceive people to cause them to think that they do not hate [that person], but in a public meeting, the people will find out the evil things [that they have done].
27 Ne ame aɖe ɖe ʋe la, eya ŋutɔ age adze eme eye ame si amli kpe la, kpe si wòmli la age adze eya ŋutɔ dzi.
Those who dig a deep pit [for other people to fall into] will fall into it themselves; rocks will roll down on those who start to cause rocks to roll down [to crush someone].
28 Alakpaɖe léa fu ame siwo ŋuti wòle abi demii, eye nu si blea ame la hea gbegblẽ vɛ.
Those [MTY] who tell lies to others [really] hate them, and those who deceive [others] ruin them.
