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 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 [is] heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath [is] heavier than 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 lotheth a honey-comb; 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.
Thy 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 neighbor [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.
Whoever 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.
He that keepeth the fig-tree shall eat the fruit of it: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honored.
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 shouldst bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, [yet] his foolishness will 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;
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 plant appeareth, and the tender grass showeth 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] maintenance for thy maidens.
