Lododowo 6
1 Vinye, ne ède megbe na wò aƒelika, eye nèsi akpe tsɔ do ŋugbee na ame tutɔ,
[My] son, if you become surety for your friend, you shall deliver your hand to an enemy.
2 ne ŋugbe si nèdo zu mɔ me nèɖo eye wò numenyawo bla wò la,
For a man's own lips become a strong snare to him, and he is caught with the lips of his own 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!
[My] son, do what I command you, and deliver yourself; for on your friend's account you are come into the power of evil [men]: faint not, but stir up even your friend for whom you are become surety.
4 Wò ŋkuwo megadɔ alɔ̃ o eye wò aɖaba megadɔ akɔlɔ̃e o.
Give not sleep to your eyes, nor slumber with your 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.
that you may deliver yourself as a doe out of the toils, and as a bird out of a snare.
6 Wò, kuviatɔ, yi anyidi gbɔ; kpɔ eƒe mɔwo ɖa, eye nàdze nunya!
Go to the ant, O sluggard; and see, and emulate his ways, and become wiser than he.
7 Gbeɖela loo dzikpɔla alo dziɖula aɖeke mele esi o,
For whereas he has no husbandry, nor any one to compel him, and is under no master,
8 gake le dzomeŋɔli la eƒoa eƒe nuhiahiãwo nu ƒu eye wòƒoa eƒe nuɖuɖu nu ƒu le nuŋeɣi.
he prepares food for himself in the summer, and lays by abundant store in harvest. Or go to the bee, and learn how diligent she is, and how earnestly she is engaged in her work; whose labors kings and private men use for health, and she is desired and respected by all: though weak in body, she is advanced by honouring wisdom.
9 Wò, kuviatɔ va se ɖe ɣe ka ɣi nàmlɔ afi ma? Ɣe ka ɣi nànyɔ tso alɔ̃ me?
How long will you lie, O sluggard? and when will you awake out of sleep?
10 Dɔ alɔ̃ vie, dɔ akɔlɔ̃e sẽe, ŋlɔ wò abɔwo nàdzudzɔ vie,
You sleep a little, and you rest a little, and you slumber a short [time], and you fold your arms over your breast a little.
11 tete ahedada aƒo ɖe dziwò abe adzodala ene eye hiã abe aʋakalẽtɔ si bla akpa ene.
Then poverty comes upon you as an evil traveller, and lack as a swift courier: but if you be diligent, your harvest shall arrive as a fountain, and poverty shall flee away as a bad courier.
12 Yakame kple ame baɖa si le yiyim kple alakpadada,
A foolish man and a transgressor goes in ways that are not good.
13 le ŋku tem, tsɔ afɔ le dzesi fiam eye wòtsɔ eƒe asi le nya gblɔmii,
And the same winks with the eye, and makes a sign with his foot, and teaches with the beckonings of his fingers.
14 ame si ɖoa nu vɔ̃ɖi, beble le eƒe dzi me, eye ɣe sia ɣi wòdea dzre aƒe la
[His] perverse heart devises evils: at all times such a one causes troubles to a city.
15 eya ta gbegblẽ aƒo ɖe edzi kpoyi eye woatsrɔ̃ eya amea zi ɖeka, naneke maɖee le eme o.
Therefore his destruction shall come suddenly; overthrow and irretrievable ruin.
16 Nu adree Yehowa tsri, eye nu adree nye nu siwo wònyɔa ŋui:
For he rejoices in all things which God hates, and he is ruined by reason of impurity of soul.
17 dadaŋkuwo, alakpaɖe, asi siwo kɔa ʋu maɖifɔ ɖi,
The eye of the haughty, a tongue unjust, hands shedding the blood of the just;
18 dzi si ɖoa nu vɔ̃ɖiwo, afɔ siwo ɖea abla ɖe vɔ̃wɔwɔ ŋuti
and a heart devising evil thoughts, and feet hastening to do evil, —[are hateful to God].
19 aʋatsoɖaseɖila si kɔa alakpa ɖi, kple ŋutsu si dea dzre nɔviwo dome.
An unjust witness kindles falsehoods, and brings on quarrels between brethren.
20 Vinye, lé fofowò ƒe sededewo me ɖe asi eye mègagblẽ dawò ƒe nufiame ɖi o.
[My] son, keep the laws of your father, and reject not the ordinances of your mother:
21 Bla wo ɖe wò dzi ŋuti tegbee eye nàsae ɖe wò kɔ ŋuti.
but bind them upon your soul continually, and hang them as a chain about your neck.
22 Ne èle zɔzɔm la, woafia mɔ wò, ne èle alɔ̃ dɔm la, woadzɔ ŋuwò eye ne ènyɔ la, woaƒo nu na wò
Whenever you walk, lead this along and let it be with you; that it may talk with you when you wake.
23 elabena sedede siawo nye akaɖi, nufiafia sia nye kekeli eye ɖɔɖɔɖo si amehehe hena vɛ la nye agbe ƒe mɔ,
For the commandment of the law is a lamp and a light; a way of life; reproof also and correction:
24 esi aɖe wò tso nyɔnu ahasitɔ ƒe asi me kple srɔ̃nyɔnu dzego la ƒe aɖe ŋanɛ ƒe asi me.
to keep you continually from a married woman, and from the calumny of a strange tongue.
25 Eƒe tugbedzedze megana eƒe nu nadzro wò le wò dzi me alo nàna eƒe ŋku mawo nalé wò o,
Let not the desire of beauty overcome you, neither be you caught by your eyes, neither be captivated with her eyelids.
26 elabena gbolo aɖi gbɔ̃ wò, nànɔ abe abolo ko ene eye nyɔnu ahasitɔ aɖe agbe le mewò.
For the value of a harlot is as much as of one loaf; and a woman hunts for the precious souls of men.
27 Ɖe ŋutsu aɖe aɖe dzo ɖe atata eye eƒe awuwo nagbe fiafia?
Shall any one bind fire in his bosom, and not burn his garments?
28 Ɖe ŋutsu aɖe azɔ le dzoka xɔxɔ dzi eye eƒe afɔwo nagbe fiafia?
or will any one walk on coals of fire, and not burn his feet?
29 Nenemae wòanɔ na ŋutsu si dɔna kple ŋutsu bubu srɔ̃, womagbe tohehe na ame si ka asi eŋuti o.
So is he that goes in to a married woman; he shall not be held guiltless, neither any one that touches her.
30 Womedoa vlo fiafitɔ ne efi fi be wòatsɔ atsi eƒe dɔwuame nu, ne dɔ la ewum o
It is not to be wondered at if one should be taken stealing, for he steals that when hungry he may satisfy his soul:
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.
but if he should be taken, he shall repay sevenfold, and shall deliver himself by giving all his goods.
32 Ke ame si wɔ ahasi kple srɔ̃tɔ la mebua ta me o eye ame si wɔnɛ la gblẽa eɖokui dome.
But the adulterer through lack of sense procures destruction to his soul.
33 Ƒoƒo kple kɔ kple vlododo nye etɔ gome eye womaɖe eƒe ŋukpe ɖa akpɔ gbeɖe o
He endures both pain and disgrace, and his reproach shall never be wiped off.
34 elabena ŋuʋaʋã ana srɔ̃ŋutsu ƒe dɔmedzoe nafla eye ne ele hlɔ̃ biam la, makpɔ nublanui o.
For the soul of her husband is full of jealousy: 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 forego [his] enmity for any ransom: neither will he be reconciled for many gifts.
