Lododowo 1
1 Israel fia Solomo, David ƒe vi ƒe lododowo nye esiawo:
The wise sayings of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.
2 na nunya kple amehehe, na nya goglowo gɔmesese,
To have knowledge of wise teaching; to be clear about the words of reason:
3 hena agbe dzɔdzɔe kple agbe ɖevi nɔnɔ, be woawɔ nu si dzɔ, nu si le eteƒe kple nu si nyo,
To be trained in the ways of wisdom, in righteousness and judging truly and straight behaviour:
4 be ame gblɔewo nadze aɖaŋu eye woana nunya kple sidzedze sɔhɛwo,
To make the simple-minded sharp, and to give the young man knowledge, and serious purpose:
5 nunyalawo neɖo to, ne woasrɔ̃ nu akpe ɖe esi wonya xoxo la ŋu eye ame siwo si sidzedze le xoxo la naxɔ aɖaŋu,
(The wise man, hearing, will get greater learning, and the acts of the man of good sense will be wisely guided: )
6 be woase nunyalawo ƒe lododowo abebubuwo kple adzowo gɔme.
To get the sense of wise sayings and secrets, and of the words of the wise and their dark sayings.
7 Yehowa vɔvɔ̃e nye nunya ƒe gɔmedzedze, ke bometsilawo doa vlo nunya kple amehehe.
The fear of the Lord is the start of knowledge: but the foolish have no use for wisdom and teaching.
8 Vinye, ɖo to fofowò ƒe nuxɔxlɔ̃ eye mègagbe nu le dawò ƒe nufiame gbɔ o.
My son, give ear to the training of your father, and do not give up the teaching of your mother:
9 Anye seƒoƒokuku aɖo atsyɔ̃ na wò ta kple kɔga anɔ kɔwò.
For they will be a crown of grace for your head, and chain-ornaments about your neck.
10 Vinye, ne nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo le nuwò blem la, mègalɔ̃ na wo o.
My son, if sinners would take you out of the right way, do not go with them.
11 Ne wogblɔ na wò be, “Va kplɔ mí ɖo, na míade xa ɖe ame aɖe ƒe ʋu ŋuti, na míanɔ xame na luʋɔ maɖifɔ aɖe,
If they say, Come with us; let us make designs against the good, waiting secretly for the upright, without cause;
12 ne míamii agbagbee abe tsiẽƒe ene, eye míamii blibo abe ame siwo ge dze ʋe globo me ene (Sheol h7585)
Let us overcome them living, like the underworld, and in their strength, as those who go down to death; (Sheol h7585)
13 ekema nu xɔasi vovovowo asu mía si eye míatsɔ afunyinuwo ayɔ míaƒe xɔwo mee
Goods of great price will be ours, our houses will be full of wealth;
14 eya ta de mía dzi ale be míana gakotoku ɖeka wò” la,
Take your chance with us, and we will all have one money-bag:
15 vinye, mègakplɔ wo ɖo o, mègaka afɔ woƒe toƒewo o
My son, do not go with them; keep your feet from their ways:
16 elabena woƒe afɔ ɖea abla ɖe nu vɔ̃ ŋu eye wogona ɖe ʋukɔkɔɖi ŋu.
For their feet are running after evil, and they are quick to take a man's life.
17 Enye movidzɔdzɔ be woaɖo ɖɔ ɖi na xeviwo le wo katã ƒe ŋkume!
Truly, to no purpose is the net stretched out before the eyes of the bird:
18 Ame siawo de xa ɖi na woawo ŋutɔ ƒe ʋu eye wole adeklo dzi ɖe woawo ŋutɔ ɖokuiwo ŋu!
And they are secretly waiting for their blood and making ready destruction for themselves.
19 Aleae ame siwo tia viɖe ƒoɖi yome la ƒe nuwuwu anɔ, elabena eɖea ame siwo ƒe asi su edzi la ƒe agbe ɖa.
Such is the fate of everyone who goes in search of profit; it takes away the life of its owners.
20 Nunya le ɣli dom le mɔtata dzi eye wòkɔ gbe dzi le ƒuƒoƒewo.
Wisdom is crying out in the street; her voice is loud in the open places;
21 Ele ɣli dom le mɔtata siwo dzi zinyenye le la ƒe dzogoewo dzi eye wòle eƒe nyawo gblɔm le dua ƒe agbowo me be,
Her words are sounding in the meeting-places, and in the doorways of the town:
22 “Va se ɖe ɣe ka ɣi mi gegemewo mialɔ̃ bometsinuwɔwɔ? Va se ɖe ɣe ka yi fewuɖulawo akpɔ dzidzɔ le fewuɖuɖu ŋu, bometsilawo alé fu sidzedze?
How long, you simple ones, will foolish things be dear to you? and pride a delight to the haters of authority? how long will the foolish go on hating knowledge?
23 Ne ɖe mietrɔ ɖe nye mokaname ŋu la, anye ne metrɔ nye dzi kɔ ɖe anyi na mi eye mena mienya nye susuwo.
Be turned again by my sharp words: see, I will send the flow of my spirit on you, and make my words clear to you.
24 Ke esi miegbe tɔtɔ nam esi meyɔ mi, esi meke nye abɔwo me, mietsɔ ɖeke le eme o
Because your ears were shut to my voice; no one gave attention to my out-stretched hand;
25 eye miedo toku nye aɖaŋuɖoɖowo, hegbe nye mokaname ta la,
You were not controlled by my guiding, and would have nothing to do with my sharp words:
26 nye hã mako mi le miaƒe gbegblẽ ta eye maɖe alɔme le mia ŋu ne dzɔgbevɔ̃e ƒo ɖe mia dzi,
So in the day of your trouble I will be laughing; I will make sport of your fear;
27 ɛ̃, ne eƒo ɖe mia dzi abe ahom sesẽ ene, gbegblẽ hã zɔ to mia dzi abe yali ene, eye xaxa kple hiã va mia dzi kpoyi!
When your fear comes on you like a storm, and your trouble like a rushing wind; when pain and sorrow come on you.
28 “Ekema woayɔm gake nyematɔ o, woadim gake womakpɔm o.
Then I will give no answer to their cries; searching for me early, they will not see me:
29 Le esi wolé fu sidzedze eye wometia Yehowavɔvɔ̃ o,
For they were haters of knowledge, and did not give their hearts to the fear of the Lord:
30 le esi wogbe nye aɖaŋuɖoɖo hedo vlo nye mokaname ta.
They had no desire for my teaching, and my words of protest were as nothing to them.
31 Azɔ la woaɖu woƒe mɔwo ƒe kutsetse eye woƒe ɖoɖowo ƒe kutsetse aɖi ƒo na wo
So the fruit of their way will be their food, and with the designs of their hearts they will be made full.
32 elabena gegemewo ƒe afɔɖeɖe baɖawo awu wo eye bometsilawo ƒe ɖekematsɔleme atsrɔ̃ wo.
For the turning back of the simple from teaching will be the cause of their death, and the peace of the foolish will be their destruction.
33 Ke ame sia ame si ɖoa tom la, anɔ agbe le dedinɔnɔ me eye aɖe dzi ɖi bɔkɔɔ, mavɔ̃ na dzɔgbevɔ̃e o.”
But whoever gives ear to me will take his rest safely, living in peace without fear of evil.
