Lododowo 28
1 Ame vɔ̃ɖi la léa du tsɔna, evɔ ame aɖeke menyae ɖe du nu o, ke dzi le ame dzɔdzɔe ƒo abe dzata ene.
Wicked [people] run away [even] when no one is pursuing them, but righteous/good [people are not afraid]; they are as brave as lions.
2 Dziɖulawo sɔ gbɔ ɖe dukɔ si me aglãdzedze le, ke ŋutsu si si gɔmesese kple sidzedze le la hea ɖoɖodziwɔwɔ vɛ.
When [the people of] a nation sin, they will have one ruler after another; but when their leaders are wise and have good sense, their government will last for a long time.
3 Dziɖula si tea hiãtɔwo ɖe anyi la le abe tsidzadza si ɖe anyigba eye megblẽ nuɖuɖu aɖeke ɖi o la ene.
A poor person who oppresses [other] poor [people] is [like] [MET] a very heavy/hard rain that [destroys the crops], with the result that there is no food [for people to eat].
4 Ame siwo gbe nu le sea gbɔ la kafua ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ke sedziwɔlawo tsia tsitre ɖe wo ŋu.
Those who reject/disobey [God’s] laws always speak well of wicked [people]; but those who obey [God’s] laws [always] oppose what wicked people do.
5 Ame vɔ̃ɖiwo mesea afiatsotso nyui gɔme o gake ame siwo dia Yehowa ya sea egɔme nyuie.
Evil people do not understand what it means to act justly, but those who try to obey/worship Yahweh understand that very well.
6 Enyo be nànye hiãtɔ si ƒe zɔzɔme ŋu fɔɖiɖi mele o, wu nànye kesinɔtɔ si ƒe mɔwo to vo.
It is better to be honest [even] though you are poor than to be dishonest [even] though you are rich.
7 Ame si léa sea me ɖe asi la nye vi nyanu gake ame si dea ha kple nutsuɖulawo la doa ŋukpe fofoa.
Young people who obey the laws are wise [IDM]; parents whose children associate with those who (carouse/go to wild parties) are humiliated/disgraced because of what their children do.
8 Ame si dzi eƒe kesinɔnuwo ɖe edzi to demegaxɔxɔ me la, le kɔ lim nuwo na ame bubu si anyo dɔ me na ame dahewo.
When people become very rich by charging very high interest [DOU], their money will [eventually] go to someone who does kind things for the poor.
9 Ne ame aɖe doa toku sea la, eƒe gbedodoɖawo gɔ̃ hã zua ŋunyɔnu.
If people do not obey [MTY] [God’s] laws, [God] (detests their prayers/considers that their prayers stink).
10 Ame si kplɔ nu dzɔdzɔe wɔla to mɔ vɔ̃ dzi la, age ɖe eya ŋutɔ ƒe mɔ me. Ke ame siwo ŋu fɔɖiɖi mele o la, axɔ domenyinu nyui.
Those who cause honest/good [people] to do what is evil will fall into their own pits/traps, but good things will happen to those who (are innocent/have not done what is wrong).
11 Kesinɔtɔ nye nunyala le eya ŋutɔ gbɔ gake hiãtɔ si si sidzedze le la kpɔa egɔme.
[Many] rich people think that they are wise, but poor people who have good sense will find out whether rich people really are wise or not.
12 Ne ame dzɔdzɔe ɖu dzi la, dzidzɔkpɔkpɔ teƒe mekɔna o, ke ne ame vɔ̃ɖi zu fia la, amewo sina bena.
When righteous/good [people] (succeed/win [elections]), everyone (celebrates/is happy); but when wicked [people win], everyone hides [because they are afraid of what the wicked people will do].
13 Nu medzea edzi na ame si ɣla eƒe nu vɔ̃ o, ke wokpɔa nublanui na ame si ʋu eƒe nu vɔ̃wo me eye wògbe nu le wo gbɔ.
Those who refuse to confess/admit their sins will not prosper, but [God] acts mercifully/kindly toward those who confess their sins and turn away from their sinful behavior.
14 Woayra ŋutsu si vɔ̃a Yehowa ɣe sia ɣi, ke ame si sẽa eƒe dzi me la gena ɖe xaxa me.
[God] is pleased with those who always revere him, but those who are stubborn [IDM] will experience disasters.
15 Ŋutasẽla si le ame dahewo dzi ɖum la le abe dzata si le gbe tem alo sisiblisi si le ade tam ene.
Wicked people who [mistreat] poor people whom they rule are [as dangerous to them as] [SIM] a lion roaring [at them] or a bear springing up [to attack them].
16 Dziɖula tamesesẽtɔ menyaa nu o, ke ame si lé fu kesinɔnu ƒoɖi la anɔ agbe didi, ase vivi.
Rulers who do not have good sense cruelly oppress [the people they rule], but rulers who do not want to become rich by cheating/deceiving [people] will live (OR, rule) for a long time.
17 Hlɔ̃dola si hlɔ̃dodo la zu agba na la anye tsatsala va se ɖe eƒe kugbe; ame aɖeke megakpe ɖe eŋu o.
Those who are guilty of murdering [MTY] another person will (be fugitives/keep running away) until they die; do not help them to escape.
18 Ame si fɔɖiɖi mele eƒe zɔzɔme ŋu o la anɔ dedie, ke ame si ƒe mɔwo to vo la adze anyi kpata.
Those who [continually] do what is right will be safe/protected, but those who are dishonest will [suddenly] be ruined.
19 Ame si ŋlɔ eƒe agble la akpɔ nuɖuɖu geɖe, ke ame si ƒe susu le nu manyatalenuwo yome la, ahedada axɔ aƒe nɛ.
Farmers who work [hard] in their fields will [produce good crops and always] have plenty of food [to eat], but those who spend all their time (on useless projects/doing things that do not benefit anyone) will become very poor.
20 Woayra ŋutsu nuteƒewɔla fũu, ke womagbe tohehe na ame si tsi dzi ɖe kesinɔnuwo kpɔkpɔ ŋuti o.
[God] will greatly bless those who (are trustworthy/always do what they say that they will do), but he will certainly punish [LIT] those who try to become rich quickly.
21 Amedzidede menyo o gake ame ayi aɖawɔ vɔ̃ ɖe abolo kakɛ ta.
It is not good [for judges] to decide matters unfairly/unjustly, but [some] people will do what is wrong [even] if they receive [only] a very small bribe [HYP] [for doing it].
22 Ŋutsu nuvela tsi dzi ɖe hotsuikpɔkpɔ ŋu, evɔ mehenya be ahedada le ye lalam o.
Selfish people [IDM] are very eager to become rich quickly; they do not realize that they will [soon] become poor.
23 Ame si ka mo na ŋutsu la, axɔ amenuveve ɖe amenuveve dzi wu ame si alakpaɖe le nume na.
Those who rebuke someone will be appreciated/thanked more than those who [say nice things to others merely] to (flatter them/cause them to feel good).
24 Ame si da adzo fofoa alo dadaa hegblɔ be, “Medze vɔ̃ o” la, nye kpeɖeŋutɔ na nugblẽla.
Anyone who steals things from his father or his mother and says “That is not sinful” is as bad as a bandit.
25 Ŋutsu ŋubiala hea mama vɛ ke ame si ɖoa dzi ɖe Yehowa ŋu la, nu adze edzi nɛ.
Greedy people cause trouble/strife; those who trust in Yahweh will prosper [IDM].
26 Ame si ɖoa dzi ɖe eɖokui ŋu la, bometsilae, ke ame si zɔna le nunya me la anɔ dedie.
Those who believe that what they think [is always right] are foolish; those who act wisely will (escape danger/be safe).
27 Ame si naa nu hiãtɔ la, naneke mahiãe o, ke ame si miaa ŋku ɖe woƒe hiahiãwo dzi la, axɔ fiƒode geɖe.
Those who give things to poor [people] will not become poor, but many [people] will curse those who refuse to help [IDM] poor people.
28 Ne tamesesẽtɔ zu dziɖula la, amewo sina bena, ke ne ame vɔ̃ɖiwo tsrɔ̃ la, ame dzɔdzɔewo tsina.
When wicked [people] become rulers, people hide [because they are afraid of what those wicked people will do]; but when wicked people are no longer rulers, good/righteous [people will] become the rulers.
