< Lododowo 6 >
1 Vinye, ne ède megbe na wò aƒelika, eye nèsi akpe tsɔ do ŋugbee na ame tutɔ,
My son, if thou hast become surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand for a stranger,
2 ne ŋugbe si nèdo zu mɔ me nèɖo eye wò numenyawo bla wò la,
thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.
3 ekema vinye, wɔ esia ne nàtsɔ aɖe ɖokuiwòe, esi nège ɖe hawòvi ƒe asi me ta. Yi nàbɔbɔ ɖokuiwò, ɖe kuku na hawòvi la amenubletɔe!
Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, since thou hast come into the hand of thy friend: go, humble thyself, and be urgent with thy friend.
4 Wò ŋkuwo megadɔ alɔ̃ o eye wò aɖaba megadɔ akɔlɔ̃e o.
Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids:
5 Ɖe ɖokuiwò le eƒe asi me abe ale si sãde sina le adela ƒe asi me ene alo abe ale si xevi dona le xevimɔtrela ƒe kamɔ mee ene.
deliver thyself as a gazelle from the hand [of the hunter], and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Wò, kuviatɔ, yi anyidi gbɔ; kpɔ eƒe mɔwo ɖa, eye nàdze nunya!
Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise:
7 Gbeɖela loo dzikpɔla alo dziɖula aɖeke mele esi o,
which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
8 gake le dzomeŋɔli la eƒoa eƒe nuhiahiãwo nu ƒu eye wòƒoa eƒe nuɖuɖu nu ƒu le nuŋeɣi.
provideth her bread in the summer, [and] gathereth her food in the harvest.
9 Wò, kuviatɔ va se ɖe ɣe ka ɣi nàmlɔ afi ma? Ɣe ka ɣi nànyɔ tso alɔ̃ me?
How long, sluggard, wilt thou lie down? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
10 Dɔ alɔ̃ vie, dɔ akɔlɔ̃e sẽe, ŋlɔ wò abɔwo nàdzudzɔ vie,
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest!
11 tete ahedada aƒo ɖe dziwò abe adzodala ene eye hiã abe aʋakalẽtɔ si bla akpa ene.
So shall thy poverty come as a roving plunderer, and thy penury as an armed man.
12 Yakame kple ame baɖa si le yiyim kple alakpadada,
A man of Belial, a wicked person, is he that goeth about with a perverse mouth;
13 le ŋku tem, tsɔ afɔ le dzesi fiam eye wòtsɔ eƒe asi le nya gblɔmii,
he winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;
14 ame si ɖoa nu vɔ̃ɖi, beble le eƒe dzi me, eye ɣe sia ɣi wòdea dzre aƒe la
deceits are in his heart; he deviseth mischief at all times, he soweth discords.
15 eya ta gbegblẽ aƒo ɖe edzi kpoyi eye woatsrɔ̃ eya amea zi ɖeka, naneke maɖee le eme o.
Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly: in a moment shall he be broken, and without remedy.
16 Nu adree Yehowa tsri, eye nu adree nye nu siwo wònyɔa ŋui:
These six [things] doth Jehovah hate, yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
17 dadaŋkuwo, alakpaɖe, asi siwo kɔa ʋu maɖifɔ ɖi,
haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood;
18 dzi si ɖoa nu vɔ̃ɖiwo, afɔ siwo ɖea abla ɖe vɔ̃wɔwɔ ŋuti
a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations; feet that are swift in running to mischief;
19 aʋatsoɖaseɖila si kɔa alakpa ɖi, kple ŋutsu si dea dzre nɔviwo dome.
a false witness that uttereth lies, and he that soweth discords among brethren.
20 Vinye, lé fofowò ƒe sededewo me ɖe asi eye mègagblẽ dawò ƒe nufiame ɖi o.
My son, observe thy father's commandment, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;
21 Bla wo ɖe wò dzi ŋuti tegbee eye nàsae ɖe wò kɔ ŋuti.
bind them continually upon thy heart, tie them about thy neck:
22 Ne èle zɔzɔm la, woafia mɔ wò, ne èle alɔ̃ dɔm la, woadzɔ ŋuwò eye ne ènyɔ la, woaƒo nu na wò
when thou walkest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and [when] thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
23 elabena sedede siawo nye akaɖi, nufiafia sia nye kekeli eye ɖɔɖɔɖo si amehehe hena vɛ la nye agbe ƒe mɔ,
For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching a light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
24 esi aɖe wò tso nyɔnu ahasitɔ ƒe asi me kple srɔ̃nyɔnu dzego la ƒe aɖe ŋanɛ ƒe asi me.
to keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
25 Eƒe tugbedzedze megana eƒe nu nadzro wò le wò dzi me alo nàna eƒe ŋku mawo nalé wò o,
Lust not after her beauty in thy heart, neither let her take thee with her eyelids;
26 elabena gbolo aɖi gbɔ̃ wò, nànɔ abe abolo ko ene eye nyɔnu ahasitɔ aɖe agbe le mewò.
for by means of a whorish woman [a man is brought] to a loaf of bread, and another's wife doth hunt for the precious soul.
27 Ɖe ŋutsu aɖe aɖe dzo ɖe atata eye eƒe awuwo nagbe fiafia?
Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his garments not be burned?
28 Ɖe ŋutsu aɖe azɔ le dzoka xɔxɔ dzi eye eƒe afɔwo nagbe fiafia?
Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?
29 Nenemae wòanɔ na ŋutsu si dɔna kple ŋutsu bubu srɔ̃, womagbe tohehe na ame si ka asi eŋuti o.
So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife: whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.
30 Womedoa vlo fiafitɔ ne efi fi be wòatsɔ atsi eƒe dɔwuame nu, ne dɔ la ewum o
They do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry:
31 gake ne wolée la, ele nɛ be wòaɖo nua teƒe zi adre, esia ana eƒe kesinɔnu siwo katã le esi le eƒe aƒe me la navɔ le esi.
and if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
32 Ke ame si wɔ ahasi kple srɔ̃tɔ la mebua ta me o eye ame si wɔnɛ la gblẽa eɖokui dome.
Whoso committeth adultery with a woman is void of understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
33 Ƒoƒo kple kɔ kple vlododo nye etɔ gome eye womaɖe eƒe ŋukpe ɖa akpɔ gbeɖe o
A wound and contempt shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
34 elabena ŋuʋaʋã ana srɔ̃ŋutsu ƒe dɔmedzoe nafla eye ne ele hlɔ̃ biam la, makpɔ nublanui o.
For jealousy is the rage of a man, and he will not spare in the day of vengeance;
35 Maxɔ avulénu aɖeke o, eye maxɔ zãnu aɖeke hã o, aleke gbegbee wòloloe hã.
he will not regard any ransom, neither will he rest content though thou multipliest [thy] gifts.