Lododowo 27
1 Mègaƒo adegbe le etsɔ si gbɔna ŋu o elabena mènya nu si ŋkeke la ahe vɛ o.
Make no boast for thyself of the coming day; 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 thy own mouth; a stranger, and not thy own lips.
3 Kpe nye nu kpekpe eye ke nye agba kpekpe gake bometsila ƒe dzikudoname kpena wu wo ame evea.
A stone hath heaviness, and the sand, weight; but a fool's wrath is heavier than both of them.
4 Dziku la ŋutasẽlae eye dɔmedzoe la agbodzelae, ke ame ka ate ŋu anɔ te ɖe ŋuʋaʋã nu?
Fury hath its cruelty, and anger its overwhelming power; but who is able to stand before jealousy?
5 Mokaname le ame dome nyo wu lɔlɔ̃ si woɣla.
Better is open reproof than concealed 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 deceptive are the kisses of an enemy.
7 Ƒoɖila doa vlo anyitsi, ke hena dɔwuitɔ la, nu veve gɔ̃ hã vivina nɛ.
The satisfied soul treadeth under foot fine honey; 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 away from her nest, so is a man that wandereth away from his place.
9 Ami ʋeʋĩ kple dzudzɔdonu ʋeʋĩ doa dzidzɔ na dzi, xɔlɔ̃ ƒe nunyoamenu tsoa eƒe aɖaŋuɖoɖo vavãwo me.
Oil and perfume cause the heart to rejoice, and so do the sweet words of a friend more than one's own 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.
Thy own friend, and thy father's friend, thou must not forsake; but into thy brother's house enter not on the day of thy calamity: better is a near neighbor than a distant brother.
11 Vinye, dze nunya eye nàhe dzidzɔ vɛ na nye dzi; ekema mate ŋu aɖo nya ŋu na ame si ado vlom.
Become wise, my son, and cause my heart to rejoice, that I may give an answer to him that reproacheth me.
12 Nunyala kpɔ dzɔgbevɔ̃e gbɔna eye wòɣla eɖokui gake bometsila le yiyim eye wòkpe fu ɖe eta.
The prudent 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, for he became surety for a stranger; and on account of an alien woman take a pledge of him.
14 Ne ŋutsu aɖe le eƒe aƒelika yram kple ɣli le ŋdi kanya la, woatsɔe abe ɖiŋudodo ene.
When one saluteth his friend with a loud voice, when rising early in the morning, it will be counted a curse to him.
15 Srɔ̃nyɔnu dzrewɔla le abe tsitrɔnu si le ɖuɖum madzudzɔmadzudzɔe le tsidzagbe ene.
A continual dropping on a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.
16 Asiɖoɖo edzi le abe asiɖoɖo ya dzi ene alo asitsɔtsɔ ku ami ene.
He that would conceal her might conceal the wind, and as [fragrant] oil on his right hand, which would betray itself.
17 Abe ale si ga nyrea ga ene la, nenema kee ame nyrea amee.
Iron is sharpened by iron: so doth a man sharpen himself on 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 guardeth the fig-tree will eat its fruit: so he that watcheth over his master will be honored.
19 Abe ale si ame ƒe mo dzena le tsi dzii ene la, nenema ame ƒe dzi ɖea eƒe nɔnɔme fianae.
As the water [showeth] to the face the [reflected] face: so doth the heart of man show itself to man.
The nether world and the place of corruption are never satisfied: so are the eyes of man 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 is for silver, and the furnace for gold: so is a man [proved] according 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 shouldst pound the fool in a mortar, in the midst of grains of wheat with a pestle: still would his folly not depart from him.
23 Ka ɖe edzi be wò alẽhawo ƒe nɔnɔme le nyanya na wò eye wò ŋku le wò lãhawo ŋu ɖaa;
Endeavor to know well the appearance of thy flocks, direct thy attention to thy herds;
24 elabena kesinɔnuwo menɔa anyi ɖikaa o eye fiakuku hã menɔa anyi hena dzidzimewo katã o.
For property endureth not for ever, nor doth the crown remain for all generations.
25 Ne woƒo gbe eye gbe mumu mie ɖe eteƒe, ne wolã gbe siwo le togbɛwo dzi ƒo ƒui la,
When the grass is past, young verdure showeth itself, and then are gathered the herbs of the mountains.
26 ekema alẽviawo ana avɔ wò eye gbɔ̃wo anye ga si nàtsɔ aƒle agblee.
The sheep are for thy clothing, and he-goats are the purchase-price of a field.
27 Gbɔ̃notsi anɔ asiwò fũu be wò kple wò aƒemetɔwo miano eye wòanye nunyiame na wò dɔlanyɔnuwo.
And thou wilt have enough of goats' milk for thy food, for the food of thy household, and the support for thy maidens.
