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 struck thy hand for a stranger;
2 ne ŋugbe si nèdo zu mɔ me nèɖo eye wò numenyawo bla wò la,
If thou art ensnared through the words of thy mouth, if thou art caught through 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!
[Then] do this by all means, my son, and deliver thyself, because thou art come into the power of thy friend, Go hasten to him, and urge thy friend.
4 Wò ŋkuwo megadɔ alɔ̃ o eye wò aɖaba megadɔ akɔlɔ̃e o.
Grant not any sleep to thy eyes, nor slumber to thy 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 roebuck 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; look on her ways, and become wise.
7 Gbeɖela loo dzikpɔla alo dziɖula aɖeke mele esi o,
She, that hath no prince, officer, or ruler,
8 gake le dzomeŋɔli la eƒoa eƒe nuhiahiãwo nu ƒu eye wòƒoa eƒe nuɖuɖu nu ƒu le nuŋeɣi.
Provideth in the summer her provision, gathereth in harvest-time her food.
9 Wò, kuviatɔ va se ɖe ɣe ka ɣi nàmlɔ afi ma? Ɣe ka ɣi nànyɔ tso alɔ̃ me?
How long, O 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 [more] sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands in lying down;”
11 tete ahedada aƒo ɖe dziwò abe adzodala ene eye hiã abe aʋakalẽtɔ si bla akpa ene.
But then will thy poverty come like a rover, and thy want as a man armed with a shield.
12 Yakame kple ame baɖa si le yiyim kple alakpadada,
A Godless person is a man of injustice, who walketh with a distorted mouth.
13 le ŋku tem, tsɔ afɔ le dzesi fiam eye wòtsɔ eƒe asi le nya gblɔmii,
He blinketh with his eyes, he scrapeth with his feet, he pointeth with his fingers;
14 ame si ɖoa nu vɔ̃ɖi, beble le eƒe dzi me, eye ɣe sia ɣi wòdea dzre aƒe la
Perverseness is in his heart, he contriveth evil at all times; he scattereth abroad discord.
15 eya ta gbegblẽ aƒo ɖe edzi kpoyi eye woatsrɔ̃ eya amea zi ɖeka, naneke maɖee le eme o.
Therefore shall suddenly come his calamity: unawares shalt he be broken without a remedy.
16 Nu adree Yehowa tsri, eye nu adree nye nu siwo wònyɔa ŋui:
Six things there are which the Lord hateth; and seven are an abomination unto his spirit:
17 dadaŋkuwo, alakpaɖe, asi siwo kɔa ʋu maɖifɔ ɖi,
Haughty eyes, a tongue of falsehood, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 dzi si ɖoa nu vɔ̃ɖiwo, afɔ siwo ɖea abla ɖe vɔ̃wɔwɔ ŋuti
A heart that contriveth plans of injustice, feet that hasten to run after evil,
19 aʋatsoɖaseɖila si kɔa alakpa ɖi, kple ŋutsu si dea dzre nɔviwo dome.
A false witness that eagerly uttereth lies, and him that scattereth abroad discord among brethren.
20 Vinye, lé fofowò ƒe sededewo me ɖe asi eye mègagblẽ dawò ƒe nufiame ɖi o.
Keep, O my son, the commandment of thy father, and reject not the teaching of thy mother:
21 Bla wo ɖe wò dzi ŋuti tegbee eye nàsae ɖe wò kɔ ŋuti.
Bind them upon thy heart continually, tie them about thy throat.
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 liest down, it shall watch over thee; and when thou art awake, it shall converse 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 law is light; and the way of life are the admonitions of correction:
24 esi aɖe wò tso nyɔnu ahasitɔ ƒe asi me kple srɔ̃nyɔnu dzego la ƒe aɖe ŋanɛ ƒe asi me.
To guard thee against a bad woman, from the flattery of an alien tongue.
25 Eƒe tugbedzedze megana eƒe nu nadzro wò le wò dzi me alo nàna eƒe ŋku mawo nalé wò o,
Covet not her beauty in thy heart, and let her not conquer 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 harlot [one is brought down] to the last loaf of bread: and an adulterous woman will even hunt for the precious life,
27 Ɖe ŋutsu aɖe aɖe dzo ɖe atata eye eƒe awuwo nagbe fiafia?
Can a man gather up fire in his lap, and shall his clothes not be burnt?
28 Ɖe ŋutsu aɖe azɔ le dzoka xɔxɔ dzi eye eƒe afɔwo nagbe fiafia?
Can a man walk along upon hot coals, and shall his feet not be burnt?
29 Nenemae wòanɔ na ŋutsu si dɔna kple ŋutsu bubu srɔ̃, womagbe tohehe na ame si ka asi eŋuti o.
So it is with him that goeth in to his neighbor's wife: no one that toucheth her shall remain unpunished.
30 Womedoa vlo fiafitɔ ne efi fi be wòatsɔ atsi eƒe dɔwuame nu, ne dɔ la ewum o
Men do not despise the thief, if he steal, to gratify his craving 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 must pay sevenfold; all the wealth his house must he give.
32 Ke ame si wɔ ahasi kple srɔ̃tɔ la mebua ta me o eye ame si wɔnɛ la gblẽa eɖokui dome.
But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh sense: he that is the destroyer of his soul, will alone do this.
33 Ƒoƒo kple kɔ kple vlododo nye etɔ gome eye womaɖe eƒe ŋukpe ɖa akpɔ gbeɖe o
Plague and disgrace will he meet with; and his reproach will not be blotted out.
34 elabena ŋuʋaʋã ana srɔ̃ŋutsu ƒe dɔmedzoe nafla eye ne ele hlɔ̃ biam la, makpɔ nublanui o.
For jealousy is the fury of a husband, and he will not spare on the day of vengeance.
35 Maxɔ avulénu aɖeke o, eye maxɔ zãnu aɖeke hã o, aleke gbegbee wòloloe hã.
He will not regard the appearance of any ransom; and he will not be content, though thou give ever so many bribes.
