Lododowo 29
1 Ame si woka mo na zi gede gake wògbe lia kɔ la, atsrɔ̃ zi ɖeka kpata xɔnamemanɔŋutɔe.
Some people remain stubborn [IDM] [even] though they are often reproved/warned [about doing what is wrong], [but some day] they will be crushed/ruined, and nothing will be able to heal them.
2 Ne ame dzɔdzɔewo le dzi ɖum la, amewo dzɔa dzi; ke ne dziɖuɖu ge ɖe ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ƒe asi me la, amewo ŋena.
When righteous [people] are rulers, people are happy, but when wicked [people] rule, people (groan/are miserable).
3 Ame si lɔ̃a nunya la hea dzidzɔ vɛ na fofoa, ke ame si dze xɔ̃ gbolowo la gblẽa eƒe ga dome.
Those who are eager to become wise cause their parents to be glad; those who spend their time with prostitutes will end up giving all their money to them.
4 To afia nyui tsotso me fia hea dedinɔnɔ vɛ na dukɔ, ke fia si klẽa ŋu ɖe zãnuxɔxɔ ŋu la gbãa du.
When a king rules justly/fairly, he causes his nation to be strong, but a king who is concerned [only] with getting more money from the people ruins his nation.
5 Ame si do fuflugba na ehavi la le ɖɔ ɖom na eya ŋutɔ ƒe afɔ.
Those who (flatter others/say nice things to others [merely] to cause them to feel good) are really setting a trap for them (OR, for themselves) [SYN].
6 Ame vɔ̃ɖi ƒe nu vɔ̃ denɛ mɔ me, ke ame dzɔdzɔe adzi ha atso aseye.
Evil people will be trapped by the sins that they commit, but righteous/honest people will sing and be joyful/happy.
7 Ame dzɔdzɔewo tsɔa ɖe le afiatsotso na hiãtɔwo me gake ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ya metsɔa ɖeke le eme o.
Righteous/Good people know that poor [people] should be treated fairly/justly, [but] wicked people (are not concerned about/do not pay attention to) those matters at all.
8 Fewuɖulawo dea ʋunyaʋunya du me, ke nunyalawo tsia dziku nu.
Those who make fun of [everything that is good say things that] cause [everyone in] the city to (be agitated/in turmoil); those who are wise enable [people] to remain calm.
9 Nunyala yi ʋɔnudrɔ̃ƒe kple bometsila, bometsila le adã fiam, le fewu ɖum eye ŋutifafa meli o.
If a wise person sues a foolish person, the foolish person merely laughs [at him] and yells [at him] and will not be quiet (OR, [the dispute will] not be resolved).
10 Hlɔ̃dolawo lé fu ŋutsu nuteƒewɔla eye wodina be yewoawu dzi dzadzɛ tɔ.
Those who murder others hate people who (are honest/always do what is right), but righteous [people] try to protect them.
11 Bometsila ɖea eƒe dziku katã fiana, ke nunyala ɖua eɖokui dzi.
People who are wise are patient and restrain/control themselves when they are angry, but foolish people (quickly show others that they are very angry/do not restrain themselves at all).
12 Ne dziɖula ɖo to beblenyawo la, eƒe dɔnunɔlawo katã zua ŋutasẽlawo.
If a ruler (pays attention to/believes) [people who tell] lies, all his officials will [also] become wicked.
13 Nu ɖeka sia le hiãtɔ kple ameteɖetola siaa si, Yehowae wɔ ŋku na wo ame evea.
There is one thing that is true about both poor people and those who oppress them: Yahweh enables all of them to see.
14 Ne fia drɔ̃ ʋɔnu na hiãtɔ ɖe dzɔdzɔenyenye dzi la, eƒe fiazikpui anɔ dedie ɣe sia ɣi.
If kings judge poor [people] fairly, they will continue to rule for a long time.
15 Ameƒoti si wotsɔna ɖɔa ame ɖoe la fiaa nunya ame, gake ɖevi si womehe o la dea ŋukpe mo na dadaa.
If children are punished/spanked and reproved/warned, they become wise; but if they are allowed to do whatever they want to do, they [do things that] cause their mothers to be ashamed of them.
16 Ne ame vɔ̃ɖiwo le dzi ɖum la, nu vɔ̃ hã dea dzi, ke ame dzɔdzɔewo akpɔ woƒe anyidzedze.
When wicked [people] rule, there are more crimes committed {people commit more crimes}, but [some day] those wicked people will (be defeated/no longer rule), and righteous [people] will see that happen.
17 Ne èhe viwò ŋutsuvi la, ekema àkpɔ ŋutifafa eye wòahe dzidzɔ vɛ na wò luʋɔ.
If you discipline your children, they will no longer [do things that] will cause you to be worried; instead, they [will do things that] will delight you [SYN].
18 Afi si ɖeɖefia mele o la, amewo wɔa woƒe lɔlɔ̃nu; ke woayra ame si léa sea me ɖe asi.
When the people [of a nation] do not receive messages that come directly from God, they do not control their behavior. [God] is pleased with those who obey his laws.
19 Numenya ɖeɖe mate ŋu aɖɔ dɔla ɖo o, togbɔ be ese egɔme hã la, mawɔ ɖe edzi o.
It is not possible to correct/discipline servants only by talking to them; they understand what you are saying, but they do not pay attention to it.
20 Èkpɔ ame si ƒoa nu blablablaa? Mɔkpɔkpɔ geɖe li na bometsila wu eya amea gɔ̃ hã.
[God] can help/bless foolish people more easily [RHQ] than he can help/bless people who speak without thinking first.
21 Ne ŋutsu aɖe wɔ vi na eƒe subɔviŋutsu tso eƒe ɖevime la, ahe nuxaxa vɛ le nuwuwua.
If someone gives his servants everything that they want, starting from when they are young, some day those servants will take from him everything that he owns.
22 Ŋutsu dɔmedzoetɔ dea dzre amewo dome eye ame si doa dziku kabakaba la wɔa nu vɔ̃ geɖe.
Those who [quickly] become angry cause [many] arguments, and they [also] commit many sins.
23 Ŋutsu si dana la ɖua ŋukpe, ke wobua ŋutsu si bɔbɔa eɖokui ɖe anyi le gbɔgbɔ me.
Proud people will be disgraced; those who are humble will be respected.
24 Ame si wɔ ɖeka kple fiafitɔ la nye eya ŋutɔ ƒe futɔ; wonana wòkaa atam eye mekpɔ mɔ akɔ nu le edzi o.
Those who help thieves [to steal] only hurt themselves; [when they are in court], they solemnly ask [God] to curse them [if they do not tell the truth], but they do not tell the truth [about the crime that was committed], [and as a result, God will curse them].
25 Vɔvɔ̃ si le ame aɖe me lae nyea mɔ nɛ, ke ame si ka ɖe Yehowa dzi la nɔa dedie.
It is [like] a dangerous trap [MET] [for people] to be (afraid of/worried about) what others will think about them, but those who trust in Yahweh are safe/protected.
26 Ame geɖewo dina be yewoado ɖe dziɖula ŋkume, aƒo nu kplii gake Yehowa gbɔ ame ƒe afiatsotso tsona.
Many [people] request rulers to do things to help them, but Yahweh is [the only one] who surely does for people what is fair/just.
27 Nu gbegblẽ wɔla nye ŋunyɔ na ame dzɔdzɔe eye nu dzɔdzɔe wɔla nye ŋunyɔ na ame vɔ̃ɖi.
Righteous [people] hate/detest those who do what is evil, and wicked [people] hate [those whose behavior is always] good.
