Lododowo 8
1 Ɖe nunya mele ɣli dom le ame yɔm oa? Ɖe gɔmesese mekɔ eƒe gbe dzi oa?
It is as if wisdom, with great understanding [of many things], is calling [PRS] out [to people].
2 Etsi tsitre ɖe kɔkɔƒe siwo le mɔto la tame, afi si afɔmɔwo do go le.
Wisdom stands on hilltops and at crossroads.
3 Ele tsitre ɖe dua ƒe agbowo ƒe mɔ xa kple agbo la me le ɣli dom sesĩe be,
[Wisdom also stands] at the city gates and shouts loudly,
4 “O ŋutsuwo, miawoe mele ɣli dom na eye mekɔ nye gbe dzi na amegbetɔƒomea katã.
“I am calling to everyone! I am shouting loudly to all people!
5 Mi bebewuwo, midze nunya; mi bometsilawo gɔmesese nesu mia si.
You people who do not know how to do things that are smart to do, get sound judgment; you foolish people, get good understanding!
6 Miɖo to elabena nya xɔasiwo le asinye be magblɔ; meke nye nu be magblɔ nu si le dzɔdzɔe.
Listen to me, because I have some excellent/important things to say. What I say is what is fair/right.
7 Nye nu gblɔa nu si le eteƒe, elabena nye nuyi tsri vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖi.
I speak what is true; I detest speaking [MTY] what is false/deceptive.
8 Nye numenyawo katã le dzɔdzɔe; ɖeke meglɔ̃ alo nye ayemenya o.
Everything that I say is honest; there is nothing that I say that deceives [people].
9 Wo katã le dzɔdzɔe na ame si si sidzedze le; fɔɖiɖi mele wo ŋu na ame siwo si gɔmesese le o.
My words are clear to those who have good sense; those who are wise know that what I say is right.
10 Tia nye amehehe ɖe klosalo teƒe kple nye gɔmesese ɖe sika nyuitɔ teƒe
[If someone offers you the kind of teaching I give] or offers you silver, choose my teaching. [If he offers to show you how to be wise] or offers you gold, choose to know how to be wise,
11 elabena nunya xɔ asi wu adzagba eye nu siwo dim wò dzi le la ƒe ɖeke mesɔ kplii o.
because wisdom is more valuable than jewels. Nothing that you desire [is as valuable] as being wise.
12 “Nye, nunya kple ŋuɖɔɖoe nɔa teƒe ɖeka; gɔmesese kple sidzedze le asinye.
I, wisdom, and understanding of what is smart to do, cannot be separated. We are like two people who live in the same house. I know how to be wise and how to make smart decisions.
13 Yehowa vɔvɔ̃e nye be nàlé fu vɔ̃, eya ta metsri dada kple ɖokuidodoɖedzi, agbe baɖa nɔnɔ kple nya dzodzrowo gbɔgblɔ.
[All the people] who revere Yahweh hate evil. I, wisdom, hate [people who are] proud and [people] who think they are more important [than others]. I hate [people who] behave in an evil way and those who say things to deceive [others].
14 Tɔnyee nye aɖaŋudede kple afia nyui tsotso, gɔmesese kple ŋusẽ le asinye.
I give [people] good advice and I enable them to do things that are wise. I understand how things really are, and I am strong.
15 Dzinyee fiawo tona ɖua fia eye dziɖulawo dea se siwo le dzɔdzɔe.
When kings are wise, they rule [well]; and when rulers are wise, they make laws that are just/fair.
16 Dzinyee dumegãwo tona kplɔa du eye nenema kee nye bubume siwo le dzi ɖum le anyigba dzi.
Rulers govern their people with the help of me, wisdom, and those who have authority decide things fairly/just with my help.
17 Melɔ̃a ame siwo lɔ̃am eye ame siwo diam la kpɔam.
I, [wisdom], love [all] those who love me, and [all] those who truly seek me [will] find me.
18 Hotsui kple bubu bɔ ɖe asinye, nenema kee nye kesinɔnu siwo megblẽna o kple dzidzedze.
I enable [people] to become rich and to be honored; [I enable them to have] wealth that will last and to be successful.
19 Nye kutsetse nyo wu sika nyuitɔ, eye nu si dona tso menye la ƒo klosalo nyuitɔ ta sãa.
What I can give people is more valuable than fine/pure gold and the best silver.
20 Mezɔna le dzɔdzɔenyenye ƒe mɔ dzi kple nuteƒewɔwɔ ƒe toƒewo,
I always do what is righteous and just/fair.
21 eye mekɔa kesinɔnu ɖe ame siwo lɔ̃am la dzi, henana woƒe nudzraɖoƒewo gbagbana.
I give wealth to those who love me; I fill their houses with valuable things.
22 “Yehowa dzim abe eƒe nuwɔwɔwo ƒe ŋgɔgbetɔ ene, hafi wòava wɔ nuwo le blema.
Yahweh created me, [wisdom], when he began [to create the world]; he created me [to do my work] before he created anything else.
23 Etɔ asi dzinye tso mavɔ me ke, tso gɔmedzedzea me, hafi xexea me nava dzɔ.
He appointed me long ago, before he created the earth.
24 Wodzim esime atsiaƒuwo menɔ anyi o, eye vudo siwo dzia tsi fũu la hã menɔ anyi o.
I was born before the oceans were [created], when there were no springs from which water flowed.
25 Hafi woatsɔ towo ada ɖe woƒe nɔƒewo, eye togbɛwo nadzɔ la, nye la, wodzim xoxo.
I was born before the hills and mountains were formed;
26 Hafi wòava wɔ anyigba alo gbegbe alo anyigbadziʋuʋudediwo gɔ̃ hã la, wodzim xoxo.
[I, wisdom], was born before Yahweh made the earth, before he made the fields and the soil on the earth.
27 Menɔ afi ma hafi wòtsɔ dziƒowo ɖo wo nɔƒe eye wòdzidze dzite da ɖe gogloƒewo tame.
I was there when Yahweh put the sky in place, when he marked the place [in the distance] where the sky and the oceans [seem to] come together.
28 Esi wòɖo lilikpowo ɖe dziƒo, eye wòli ke tɔ goglowo ƒe dzɔtsoƒe,
I was there when Yahweh put the clouds above [the earth] and when he caused the water that is inside the earth to be secure.
29 esi wòɖo liƒo na atsiaƒu be eƒe tsiwo magbɔ teƒe si wòde se be woase la dzi o eye wòɖo anyigba gɔme la, medzɔ xoxo.
I was there when he fixed a boundary for the seas, so that the water in the seas would not go past those boundaries, and when he put down the foundations which support the earth.
30 Ale menye aɖaŋudɔwɔla nɔ eƒe axadzi, dzidzɔ yɔ menye gbe sia gbe eye metsoa aseye le eŋkume ɣe sia ɣi.
I was at the side of Yahweh, the master worker (OR, as though I was his child). I caused him to be happy every day, and I was always rejoicing when I was with him.
31 Medzɔ dzi le eƒe xexe blibo la me eye amegbetɔwo ƒe nu do dzidzɔ nam.
I was delighted with the world that he created; I was happy with the people whom he created, too.
32 “Eya ta, azɔ la, mi vinyewo, miɖo tom; woayra ame siwo lé nye mɔwo me ɖe asi.
So, [you people who are like] my sons, listen to me. [I am] pleased with [all] those who obey my teachings.
33 Ɖo to nye sededewo eye nàdze nunya, mègado tokue o.
Listen [carefully] to what I teach you and become wise. Do not reject my teaching!
34 Woayra ame si ɖoa tom, nɔa ŋudzɔ le nye ʋɔtru nu gbe sia gbe eye wòlalana le nye kpui nu
[I am] pleased with those who listen to me, those who are outside my house every day, waiting [for me to come out].
35 elabena ame si ke ɖe ŋutinye la, ke ɖe agbe ŋu eye wòxɔa amenuveve tso Yehowa gbɔ.
Those who find me will have [a long] life, and Yahweh [will] be pleased with them.
36 Ke ame si mete ŋu ke ɖe ŋutinye o la, wɔa nu vevi eɖokui eye ame siwo katã léa fum la lɔ̃a ku.”
But those who stray away from me [just] harm themselves. All those who hate me, [it is as though] [IRO] they are loving death.”
