Lododowo 6
1 Vinye, ne ède megbe na wò aƒelika, eye nèsi akpe tsɔ do ŋugbee na ame tutɔ,
My son! if thou hast been surety for thy friend, Hast stricken for a stranger thy hand,
2 ne ŋugbe si nèdo zu mɔ me nèɖo eye wò numenyawo bla wò la,
Hast been snared with sayings of thy mouth, Hast been captured with sayings 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 be delivered, For thou hast come into the hand of thy friend. Go, trample on thyself, and strengthen thy friend,
4 Wò ŋkuwo megadɔ alɔ̃ o eye wò aɖaba megadɔ akɔlɔ̃e o.
Give not sleep to thine eyes, And 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.
Be delivered as a roe from the hand, And as a bird from the hand of a fowler.
6 Wò, kuviatɔ, yi anyidi gbɔ; kpɔ eƒe mɔwo ɖa, eye nàdze nunya!
Go unto the ant, O slothful one, See her ways and be wise;
7 Gbeɖela loo dzikpɔla alo dziɖula aɖeke mele esi o,
Which hath not captain, overseer, and ruler,
8 gake le dzomeŋɔli la eƒoa eƒe nuhiahiãwo nu ƒu eye wòƒoa eƒe nuɖuɖu nu ƒu le nuŋeɣi.
She doth prepare in summer her bread, She hath gathered in harvest her food.
9 Wò, kuviatɔ va se ɖe ɣe ka ɣi nàmlɔ afi ma? Ɣe ka ɣi nànyɔ tso alɔ̃ me?
Till when, O slothful one, dost thou lie? When dost thou arise from thy sleep?
10 Dɔ alɔ̃ vie, dɔ akɔlɔ̃e sẽe, ŋlɔ wò abɔwo nàdzudzɔ vie,
A little sleep, a little slumber, A little clasping of the hands to rest,
11 tete ahedada aƒo ɖe dziwò abe adzodala ene eye hiã abe aʋakalẽtɔ si bla akpa ene.
And thy poverty hath come as a traveller, And thy want as an armed man.
12 Yakame kple ame baɖa si le yiyim kple alakpadada,
A man of worthlessness, a man of iniquity, Walking [with] perverseness of mouth,
13 le ŋku tem, tsɔ afɔ le dzesi fiam eye wòtsɔ eƒe asi le nya gblɔmii,
Winking with his eyes, speaking with his feet, Directing with his fingers,
14 ame si ɖoa nu vɔ̃ɖi, beble le eƒe dzi me, eye ɣe sia ɣi wòdea dzre aƒe la
Frowardness [is] in his heart, devising evil at all times, Contentions he sendeth forth.
15 eya ta gbegblẽ aƒo ɖe edzi kpoyi eye woatsrɔ̃ eya amea zi ɖeka, naneke maɖee le eme o.
Therefore suddenly cometh his calamity, Instantly he is broken — and no healing.
16 Nu adree Yehowa tsri, eye nu adree nye nu siwo wònyɔa ŋui:
These six hath Jehovah hated, Yea, seven [are] abominations to His soul.
17 dadaŋkuwo, alakpaɖe, asi siwo kɔa ʋu maɖifɔ ɖi,
Eyes high — tongues false — And hands shedding innocent blood —
18 dzi si ɖoa nu vɔ̃ɖiwo, afɔ siwo ɖea abla ɖe vɔ̃wɔwɔ ŋuti
A heart devising thoughts of vanity — Feet hasting to run to evil —
19 aʋatsoɖaseɖila si kɔa alakpa ɖi, kple ŋutsu si dea dzre nɔviwo dome.
A false witness [who] doth breathe out lies — And one sending forth contentions between brethren.
20 Vinye, lé fofowò ƒe sededewo me ɖe asi eye mègagblẽ dawò ƒe nufiame ɖi o.
Keep, my son, the command of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother.
21 Bla wo ɖe wò dzi ŋuti tegbee eye nàsae ɖe wò kɔ ŋuti.
Bind them on thy heart continually, Tie them on 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
In thy going up and down, it leadeth thee, In thy lying down, it watcheth over thee, And thou hast awaked — it talketh [with] thee.
23 elabena sedede siawo nye akaɖi, nufiafia sia nye kekeli eye ɖɔɖɔɖo si amehehe hena vɛ la nye agbe ƒe mɔ,
For a lamp [is] the command, And the law a light, And a way of life [are] reproofs of instruction,
24 esi aɖe wò tso nyɔnu ahasitɔ ƒe asi me kple srɔ̃nyɔnu dzego la ƒe aɖe ŋanɛ ƒe asi me.
To preserve thee from an 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,
Desire not her beauty in thy heart, And let her not take thee with her eyelids.
26 elabena gbolo aɖi gbɔ̃ wò, nànɔ abe abolo ko ene eye nyɔnu ahasitɔ aɖe agbe le mewò.
For a harlot consumeth unto a cake of bread, And an adulteress the precious soul hunteth.
27 Ɖe ŋutsu aɖe aɖe dzo ɖe atata eye eƒe awuwo nagbe fiafia?
Doth a man take fire into his bosom, And are his garments not burnt?
28 Ɖe ŋutsu aɖe azɔ le dzoka xɔxɔ dzi eye eƒe afɔwo nagbe fiafia?
Doth a man walk on the hot coals, And are his feet not scorched?
29 Nenemae wòanɔ na ŋutsu si dɔna kple ŋutsu bubu srɔ̃, womagbe tohehe na ame si ka asi eŋuti o.
So [is] he who hath gone in unto the wife of his neighbour, None who doth touch her is innocent.
30 Womedoa vlo fiafitɔ ne efi fi be wòatsɔ atsi eƒe dɔwuame nu, ne dɔ la ewum o
They do not despise the thief, When he stealeth to fill 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 being found he repayeth sevenfold, All the substance of his house he giveth.
32 Ke ame si wɔ ahasi kple srɔ̃tɔ la mebua ta me o eye ame si wɔnɛ la gblẽa eɖokui dome.
He who committeth adultery [with] a woman lacketh heart, He is destroying his soul who doth it.
33 Ƒoƒo kple kɔ kple vlododo nye etɔ gome eye womaɖe eƒe ŋukpe ɖa akpɔ gbeɖe o
A stroke and shame he doth find, And his reproach is not wiped away,
34 elabena ŋuʋaʋã ana srɔ̃ŋutsu ƒe dɔmedzoe nafla eye ne ele hlɔ̃ biam la, makpɔ nublanui o.
For jealousy [is] the fury of a man, And he doth not spare in a day of vengeance.
35 Maxɔ avulénu aɖeke o, eye maxɔ zãnu aɖeke hã o, aleke gbegbee wòloloe hã.
He accepteth not the appearance of any atonement, Yea, he doth not consent, Though thou dost multiply bribes!
