Lododowo 4
1 Vinyewo, mise mia fofo ƒe nufiame; miɖo to ne miaxɔ gɔmesese.
Listen, sons, to the discipline of a father, and pay attention, so that you may know prudence.
2 Nusɔsrɔ̃ deto mele mia nam eya ta migagbe nye nufiafia o.
I will bestow upon you a good gift. Do not relinquish my law.
3 Esi menye ɖevi sue kple vi fɛ̃ le fofonye ƒe aƒe me kple vi ɖekɛ na danye la,
For I, too, was the son of my father, tender and an only son in the sight of my mother.
4 efia num hegblɔ be, “Ku ɖe nye nyawo ŋu kple wò dzi katã, lé nye sededewo me ɖe asi ekema ànɔ agbe.
And he taught me, and he also said: “Let your heart accept my words. Keep my precepts, and you shall live.
5 Dze nunya, di gɔmesese, mègaŋlɔ nye nyawo be alo aƒo asa na wo o.
Obtain wisdom, obtain prudence. May you neither forget, nor turn away from, the words of my mouth.
6 Mègagbe nu le nunya gbɔ o ekema adzɔ ŋuwò, lɔ̃e ekema akpɔ tawò.
Do not send her away, and she will guard you. Love her, and she will preserve you.
7 Nunya ƒo nuwo katã ta eya ta dze nunya. Togbɔ be wò nunɔamesiwo katã nàtsɔ aƒlee hã la, di gɔmesese.
The beginning of wisdom is to obtain wisdom, and, with all that you possess, to acquire prudence.
8 De asixɔxɔ eŋu ekema ado wò ɖe dzi, xɔe atuu ekema ade bubu ŋuwò.
Grasp her, and she will exalt you. You will be glorified by her, when you have embraced her.
9 Atsɔ amenuveve aɖɔ na wò ta abe seƒoƒotsihe ene eye wòatsɔ atsyɔ̃fiakuku aɖɔ na wò.”
She will bestow upon your head an increase in graces, and she will protect you with a noble crown.
10 Ɖo to afii, vinye, ne nàxɔ nye nyawo, ekema wò agbenɔƒewo asɔ gbɔ fũu.
Listen, my son, and accept my words, so that years of life may be multiplied for you.
11 Mele nunya ƒe mɔ fiam wò eye mekplɔ wò to toƒe dzɔdzɔewo.
I will demonstrate to you the way of wisdom. I will lead you along the paths of equity.
12 Ne èle zɔzɔm la, naneke maxe mɔ na wò afɔɖeɖewo o eye ne èsi du la, màkli nu o.
When you have entered by these, your steps will not be constrained, and when running, you will have no obstacle.
13 Lé nufiame ɖe asi, mègana wòado le asiwò o; dzɔ eŋuti nyuie elabena eyae nye agbe na wò.
Take hold of discipline. Do not dismiss it. Guard it, for it is your life.
14 Mègaka afɔ ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ƒe toƒewo alo nàzɔ ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ƒe mɔ dzi o.
Do not delight in the paths of the impious, nor permit the way of evil-doers to please you.
15 Ƒo asa na woƒe mɔwo, mègazɔ wo dzi o, lé wò mɔ tsɔ nàyi afi si yim nèle
Take flight from it. Do not pass close to it. Turn away and abandon it.
16 elabena ne womewɔ nu vɔ̃ɖi o kpaa, womedɔa alɔ̃ o eye womedɔa akɔlɔ̃e teti hã o va se ɖe esime woana ame aɖe nadze anyi.
For they do not sleep, unless they have done evil. And their sleep is quickly taken away from them, unless they have overthrown.
17 Woɖua vɔ̃ɖinyenye ƒe abolo eye wonoa nu sesẽ wɔwɔ ƒe wain.
They eat the bread of impiety, and they drink the wine of iniquity.
18 Ke ame dzɔdzɔewo ƒe toƒe le abe ŋdi kanya ƒe ɣetotoe ene, eklẽna, gaklẽna ɖe edzi ne ŋu ɖe le eme nyuie.
But the path of the just is like a shining light: it advances and increases, even to the day of completion.
19 Ke ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ƒe mɔ le abe viviti tsiɖitsiɖi ene eye womenya nu si na wole nu klim o.
The way of the impious is darkened. They do not know where they may fall.
20 Vinye, lé to ɖe nye nyawo ŋu eye nàƒu to anyi ɖe nya si gblɔm mele la ŋu.
My son, pay attention to my sermons, and incline your ear to my eloquent words.
21 Mègana woadzo le wò ŋkume o, ke boŋ dzra wo ɖo ɖe wò dzi me,
Let them not recede from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart.
22 elabena wonye agbe na ame siwo ke ɖe wo ŋu kple dɔyɔyɔ na ame ƒe ŋutilã blibo la.
For they are life to those who find them and health to all that is flesh.
23 Dzɔ wò dzi ŋu wu nuwo katã, elabena eyae nye agbe ƒe vudo.
Preserve your heart with all watchfulness, for life proceeds from this.
24 Ɖe nya dzodzrowo ɖa le wò nu me, eye te aʋatsonyawo ɖa xaa tso wò nuyiwo gbɔ.
Remove from yourself a corrupt mouth, and let detracting lips be far from you.
25 Wò ŋkuwo nekpɔ ŋgɔ tẽe eye wò mo nelé mɔ ɖeka tsɔ le ŋgɔwò.
Let your eyes look straight ahead, and let your eyelids precede your steps.
26 Ɖe toƒe sɔsɔewo na wò afɔwo eye nàlé mɔ siwo dzi sẽ nyuie la ko atsɔ.
Direct the path of your feet, and all your ways shall be secure.
27 Mègadze ɖe ɖusime alo miame o, eye ɖe wò afɔ ɖa le vɔ̃ me.
Turn aside, neither to the right, nor to the left; yet turn your foot away from evil. For the Lord knows the ways that are on the right, and truly, those that are on the left are perverse. But he himself will make your courses straight. Then your journey will advance in peace.
