Lododowo 8
1 Ɖe nunya mele ɣli dom le ame yɔm oa? Ɖe gɔmesese mekɔ eƒe gbe dzi oa?
Doth not wisdom call? And understanding give forth her voice?
2 Etsi tsitre ɖe kɔkɔƒe siwo le mɔto la tame, afi si afɔmɔwo do go le.
At the head of high places by the way, Between the paths she hath stood,
3 Ele tsitre ɖe dua ƒe agbowo ƒe mɔ xa kple agbo la me le ɣli dom sesĩe be,
At the side of the gates, at the mouth of the city, The entrance of the openings, she crieth aloud,
4 “O ŋutsuwo, miawoe mele ɣli dom na eye mekɔ nye gbe dzi na amegbetɔƒomea katã.
'Unto you, O men, I call, And my voice [is] unto the sons of men.
5 Mi bebewuwo, midze nunya; mi bometsilawo gɔmesese nesu mia si.
Understand, ye simple ones, prudence, And ye fools, understand the heart,
6 Miɖo to elabena nya xɔasiwo le asinye be magblɔ; meke nye nu be magblɔ nu si le dzɔdzɔe.
Hearken, for noble things I speak, And the opening of my lips [is] uprightness.
7 Nye nu gblɔa nu si le eteƒe, elabena nye nuyi tsri vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖi.
For truth doth my mouth utter, And an abomination to my lips [is] wickedness.
8 Nye numenyawo katã le dzɔdzɔe; ɖeke meglɔ̃ alo nye ayemenya o.
In righteousness [are] all the sayings of my mouth, Nothing in them is froward and perverse.
9 Wo katã le dzɔdzɔe na ame si si sidzedze le; fɔɖiɖi mele wo ŋu na ame siwo si gɔmesese le o.
All of them [are] plain to the intelligent, And upright to those finding knowledge.
10 Tia nye amehehe ɖe klosalo teƒe kple nye gɔmesese ɖe sika nyuitɔ teƒe
Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold.
11 elabena nunya xɔ asi wu adzagba eye nu siwo dim wò dzi le la ƒe ɖeke mesɔ kplii o.
For better [is] wisdom than rubies, Yea, all delights are not comparable with it.
12 “Nye, nunya kple ŋuɖɔɖoe nɔa teƒe ɖeka; gɔmesese kple sidzedze le asinye.
I, wisdom, have dwelt with prudence, And a knowledge of devices I find out.
13 Yehowa vɔvɔ̃e nye be nàlé fu vɔ̃, eya ta metsri dada kple ɖokuidodoɖedzi, agbe baɖa nɔnɔ kple nya dzodzrowo gbɔgblɔ.
The fear of Jehovah [is] to hate evil; Pride, and arrogance, and an evil way, And a froward mouth, I have hated.
14 Tɔnyee nye aɖaŋudede kple afia nyui tsotso, gɔmesese kple ŋusẽ le asinye.
Mine [is] counsel and substance, I [am] understanding, I have might.
15 Dzinyee fiawo tona ɖua fia eye dziɖulawo dea se siwo le dzɔdzɔe.
By me kings reign, and princes decree righteousness,
16 Dzinyee dumegãwo tona kplɔa du eye nenema kee nye bubume siwo le dzi ɖum le anyigba dzi.
By me do chiefs rule, and nobles, All judges of the earth.
17 Melɔ̃a ame siwo lɔ̃am eye ame siwo diam la kpɔam.
I love those loving me, And those seeking me earnestly do find me.
18 Hotsui kple bubu bɔ ɖe asinye, nenema kee nye kesinɔnu siwo megblẽna o kple dzidzedze.
Wealth and honour [are] with me, Lasting substance and righteousness.
19 Nye kutsetse nyo wu sika nyuitɔ, eye nu si dona tso menye la ƒo klosalo nyuitɔ ta sãa.
Better [is] my fruit than gold, even fine gold, And mine increase than choice silver.
20 Mezɔna le dzɔdzɔenyenye ƒe mɔ dzi kple nuteƒewɔwɔ ƒe toƒewo,
In a path of righteousness I cause to walk, In midst of paths of judgment,
21 eye mekɔa kesinɔnu ɖe ame siwo lɔ̃am la dzi, henana woƒe nudzraɖoƒewo gbagbana.
To cause my lovers to inherit substance, Yea, their treasures I fill.
22 “Yehowa dzim abe eƒe nuwɔwɔwo ƒe ŋgɔgbetɔ ene, hafi wòava wɔ nuwo le blema.
Jehovah possessed me — the beginning of His way, Before His works since then.
23 Etɔ asi dzinye tso mavɔ me ke, tso gɔmedzedzea me, hafi xexea me nava dzɔ.
From the age I was anointed, from the first, From former states of the earth.
24 Wodzim esime atsiaƒuwo menɔ anyi o, eye vudo siwo dzia tsi fũu la hã menɔ anyi o.
In there being no depths, I was brought forth, In there being no fountains heavy [with] waters,
25 Hafi woatsɔ towo ada ɖe woƒe nɔƒewo, eye togbɛwo nadzɔ la, nye la, wodzim xoxo.
Before mountains were sunk, Before heights, I was brought forth.
26 Hafi wòava wɔ anyigba alo gbegbe alo anyigbadziʋuʋudediwo gɔ̃ hã la, wodzim xoxo.
While He had not made the earth, and out-places, And the top of the dusts of the world.
27 Menɔ afi ma hafi wòtsɔ dziƒowo ɖo wo nɔƒe eye wòdzidze dzite da ɖe gogloƒewo tame.
In His preparing the heavens I [am] there, In His decreeing a circle on the face of the deep,
28 Esi wòɖo lilikpowo ɖe dziƒo, eye wòli ke tɔ goglowo ƒe dzɔtsoƒe,
In His strengthening clouds above, In His making strong fountains of the deep,
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.
In His setting for the sea its limit, And the waters transgress not His command, In His decreeing the foundations of earth,
30 Ale menye aɖaŋudɔwɔla nɔ eƒe axadzi, dzidzɔ yɔ menye gbe sia gbe eye metsoa aseye le eŋkume ɣe sia ɣi.
Then I am near Him, a workman, And I am a delight — day by day. Rejoicing before Him at all times,
31 Medzɔ dzi le eƒe xexe blibo la me eye amegbetɔwo ƒe nu do dzidzɔ nam.
Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth, And my delights [are] with the sons of men.
32 “Eya ta, azɔ la, mi vinyewo, miɖo tom; woayra ame siwo lé nye mɔwo me ɖe asi.
And now, ye sons, hearken to me, Yea, happy are they who keep my ways.
33 Ɖo to nye sededewo eye nàdze nunya, mègado tokue o.
Hear instruction, and be wise, and slight not.
34 Woayra ame si ɖoa tom, nɔa ŋudzɔ le nye ʋɔtru nu gbe sia gbe eye wòlalana le nye kpui nu
O the happiness of the man hearkening to me, To watch at my doors day by day, To watch at the door-posts of my entrance.
35 elabena ame si ke ɖe ŋutinye la, ke ɖe agbe ŋu eye wòxɔa amenuveve tso Yehowa gbɔ.
For whoso is finding me, hath found life, And bringeth out good-will from Jehovah.
36 Ke ame si mete ŋu ke ɖe ŋutinye o la, wɔa nu vevi eɖokui eye ame siwo katã léa fum la lɔ̃a ku.”
And whoso is missing me, is wronging his soul, All hating me have loved death!
