< Lododowo 7 >
1 Vinye, lé nye nyawo me ɖe asi eye nàdzra nye sededewo ɖo ɖe mewò.
My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
2 Lé nye sededewo me ɖe asi ekema ànɔ agbe eye dzɔ nye nufiamewo ŋuti abe wò gadaglamakui ene.
Keep my commandments and live, and my teaching as the apple of thine eye.
3 Bla wo ɖe wò asibidɛwo ŋu eye nàŋlɔ wo ɖe wò dzi ƒe nuŋlɔkpe dzi.
Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thy heart.
4 Gblɔ na nunya be, “Nɔvinye nyɔnu nènye.” Eye nàyɔ ƒometɔ na gɔmesese,
Say unto wisdom: 'Thou art my sister', and call understanding thy kinswoman;
5 woana nyɔnu ahasitɔ la nanɔ adzɔge na wò, eye woaɖe wò le srɔ̃nyɔnu dzego la ƒe amenublenyawo ƒe asi me.
That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the alien woman that maketh smooth her words.
6 Mele nye xɔ ƒe fesrẽ nu, hekpɔ nu to fesrẽnuvɔ la me.
For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;
7 Mekpɔ ame aɖe le bebewuwo dome, mekpɔ ɖekakpui si tsi bome la le sɔhɛwo dome.
And I beheld among the thoughtless ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
8 Ele zɔzɔm le kpɔdome, ɖo ta dzogoe si me nyɔnu la le la me; ezɔ ɖo ta afi si nyɔnu la ƒe aƒe le,
Passing through the street near her corner, and he went the way to her house;
9 le fiẽ me, esime anyigba nɔ tsyɔtsyɔm, eye zã do blukɔ.
In the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the blackness of night and the darkness.
10 Tete nyɔnu aɖe do go va kpee, edo awu abe gbolo ene eye ayedzedze le mo nɛ.
And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.
11 Eƒe gbe le dzi dem, metsɔ ɖeke le eme na ame aɖeke o eye eƒe afɔwo gbe tɔtɔ ɖe aƒe me,
She is riotous and rebellious, her feet abide not in her house;
12 ele kpɔdome fifia, kasia egado ɖe ablɔme xoxo eye wòdea xa ɖe dzogoe ɖe sia ɖe dzi.
Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, and lieth in wait at every corner.
13 Elé ɖekakpui la hegbugbɔ nu nɛ ŋɔnɔe eye wòɖo mo kplalaa gblɔ nɛ be,
So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face she said unto him:
14 “Ŋutifafavɔsa le aƒenye me, egbe mexe nye adzɔgbeɖefewo o,
'Sacrifices of peace-offerings were due from me; this day have I paid my vows.
15 eya ta medo be mava do go wò, medi wò eye meke ɖe ŋuwò!
Therefore came I forth to meet thee, to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16 Meɖo aklala biɖibiɖi ƒe abadzivɔ si wode amadede vovovowoe, esi wowɔ le Egipte la ɖe nye aba dzi.
I have decked my couch with coverlets, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
17 Mewu lifi, anowɔtre kple ami ʋeʋĩ vovovowo ɖe nye aba dzi,
I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 eya ta va, míano lɔlɔ̃ wòasu mí va se ɖe ŋdi, na míatsɔ lɔlɔ̃ ado vivi ɖe mía ɖokuiwo ŋu!
Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; let us solace ourselves with loves.
19 Nye aƒetɔ mele aƒe o, ezɔ mɔ didi aɖe.
For my husband is not at home, he is gone a long journey;
20 Etsɔ eƒe gakotoku si ga yɔ fũu la dzoe eye ne dzinu sɔ tegblẽ hafi wòagbɔ.”
He hath taken the bag of money with him; he will come home at the full moon.'
21 Etsɔ amenublenya siawo blee eye wòtsɔ eƒe aɖe ŋanɛ la kplɔe trae.
With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield, with the blandishment of her lips she enticeth him away.
22 Etso zia enumake hekplɔe ɖo abe nyitsu wokplɔ yina wuwu ge alo abe zi si ɖo afɔ mɔ me ene.
He goeth after her straightway, as an ox that goeth to the slaughter, or as one in fetters to the correction of the fool;
23 Va se ɖe esime aŋutrɔ naƒo ɖe eƒe aklã, abe xevie dzo ɖe kamɔ dzi eye menyae be yeƒe ku le afi ma o la ene
Till an arrow strike through his liver; as a bird hasteneth to the snare — and knoweth not that it is at the cost of his life.
24 eya ta azɔ la, vinyewo, miɖo tom eye miƒu to anyi ɖe nu si megblɔ la ŋu.
Now therefore, O ye children, hearken unto me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Migana miaƒe dzi natrɔ ɖe eƒe mɔwo ŋu loo, alo miatra age ɖe eƒe toƒewo o.
Let not thy heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
26 Elabena ame siwo tsi esi me la sɔ gbɔ, eye ame siwo wòwu la de ha.
For she hath cast down many wounded; yea, a mighty host are all her slain.
27 Eƒe aƒe nye tsiẽƒe ƒe mɔ gbadza siwo ɖo ta ku ƒe xɔgãwo me. (Sheol )
Her house is the way to the nether-world, going down to the chambers of death. (Sheol )