Lododowo 27
1 Mègaƒo adegbe le etsɔ si gbɔna ŋu o elabena mènya nu si ŋkeke la ahe vɛ o.
BOAST not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
2 Na ame bubu nakafu wò, ke menye wò ŋutɔ wò nu o, ame bubu newɔe, menye wò ŋutɔ wò nuyiwo o.
Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
3 Kpe nye nu kpekpe eye ke nye agba kpekpe gake bometsila ƒe dzikudoname kpena wu wo ame evea.
A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool’s wrath is heavier than them both.
4 Dziku la ŋutasẽlae eye dɔmedzoe la agbodzelae, ke ame ka ate ŋu anɔ te ɖe ŋuʋaʋã nu?
Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?
5 Mokaname le ame dome nyo wu lɔlɔ̃ si woɣla.
Open rebuke is better than secret love.
6 Àte ŋu aka ɖe xɔlɔ̃ ƒe abideameŋu dzi gake ketɔ ƒe nugbugbɔ dzina ɖe edzi.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
7 Ƒoɖila doa vlo anyitsi, ke hena dɔwuitɔ la, nu veve gɔ̃ hã vivina nɛ.
The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
8 Ame si tra tso eƒe aƒe me la le abe xevi si bu eƒe atɔmemɔ ene.
As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place.
9 Ami ʋeʋĩ kple dzudzɔdonu ʋeʋĩ doa dzidzɔ na dzi, xɔlɔ̃ ƒe nunyoamenu tsoa eƒe aɖaŋuɖoɖo vavãwo me.
Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.
10 Mègagblẽ xɔ̃wò alo fofowò xɔlɔ̃ ɖi o, eye mègayi nɔviwò ƒe aƒe me ne dzɔgbevɔ̃e ƒo go wò o, anyo na wò be nàyi hawòvi si tsɔ ɖe gbɔwò la gbɔ wu nɔviwò si le adzɔge.
Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.
11 Vinye, dze nunya eye nàhe dzidzɔ vɛ na nye dzi; ekema mate ŋu aɖo nya ŋu na ame si ado vlom.
My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that reproacheth me.
12 Nunyala kpɔ dzɔgbevɔ̃e gbɔna eye wòɣla eɖokui gake bometsila le yiyim eye wòkpe fu ɖe eta.
A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.
13 Xɔ avɔ le ame si da megbe na amedzro la si, tsɔe de awɔba me, ne eda megbe na nyɔnu ahasitɔ.
Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.
14 Ne ŋutsu aɖe le eƒe aƒelika yram kple ɣli le ŋdi kanya la, woatsɔe abe ɖiŋudodo ene.
He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.
15 Srɔ̃nyɔnu dzrewɔla le abe tsitrɔnu si le ɖuɖum madzudzɔmadzudzɔe le tsidzagbe ene.
A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.
16 Asiɖoɖo edzi le abe asiɖoɖo ya dzi ene alo asitsɔtsɔ ku ami ene.
Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself.
17 Abe ale si ga nyrea ga ene la, nenema kee ame nyrea amee.
Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
18 Ame si lé be na eƒe gboti nyuie la aɖu eƒe tsetsea eye woade bubu ame si kpɔ eƒe aƒetɔ dzi la ŋu.
Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.
19 Abe ale si ame ƒe mo dzena le tsi dzii ene la, nenema ame ƒe dzi ɖea eƒe nɔnɔme fianae.
As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.
Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied. (Sheol h7585)
21 Sonu li na klosalo, eye dzokpo li na sika, gake wodoa ame kpɔ to kafukafu si wotsɔ nɛ la dzi.
As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise.
22 Togbɔ be èto bometsila le to me, ètoe kple tati abe bli ene hã la, màte ŋu aɖe eƒe bometsitsi ɖa le eŋu o.
Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.
23 Ka ɖe edzi be wò alẽhawo ƒe nɔnɔme le nyanya na wò eye wò ŋku le wò lãhawo ŋu ɖaa;
Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.
24 elabena kesinɔnuwo menɔa anyi ɖikaa o eye fiakuku hã menɔa anyi hena dzidzimewo katã o.
For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation?
25 Ne woƒo gbe eye gbe mumu mie ɖe eteƒe, ne wolã gbe siwo le togbɛwo dzi ƒo ƒui la,
The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered.
26 ekema alẽviawo ana avɔ wò eye gbɔ̃wo anye ga si nàtsɔ aƒle agblee.
The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field.
27 Gbɔ̃notsi anɔ asiwò fũu be wò kple wò aƒemetɔwo miano eye wòanye nunyiame na wò dɔlanyɔnuwo.
And thou shalt have goats’ milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens.
