Lododowo 1
1 Israel fia Solomo, David ƒe vi ƒe lododowo nye esiawo:
The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
2 na nunya kple amehehe, na nya goglowo gɔmesese,
To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
3 hena agbe dzɔdzɔe kple agbe ɖevi nɔnɔ, be woawɔ nu si dzɔ, nu si le eteƒe kple nu si nyo,
To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
4 be ame gblɔewo nadze aɖaŋu eye woana nunya kple sidzedze sɔhɛwo,
To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
5 nunyalawo neɖo to, ne woasrɔ̃ nu akpe ɖe esi wonya xoxo la ŋu eye ame siwo si sidzedze le xoxo la naxɔ aɖaŋu,
A wise [man] will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain to wise counsels:
6 be woase nunyalawo ƒe lododowo abebubuwo kple adzowo gɔme.
To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; 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 beginning of knowledge: [but] fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 Vinye, ɖo to fofowò ƒe nuxɔxlɔ̃ eye mègagbe nu le dawò ƒe nufiame gbɔ o.
My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
9 Anye seƒoƒokuku aɖo atsyɔ̃ na wò ta kple kɔga anɔ kɔwò.
For they [shalt be] an ornament of grace to thy head, and chains about thy neck.
10 Vinye, ne nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo le nuwò blem la, mègalɔ̃ na wo o.
My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
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 lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent 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 swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: (Sheol h7585)
13 ekema nu xɔasi vovovowo asu mía si eye míatsɔ afunyinuwo ayɔ míaƒe xɔwo mee
We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
14 eya ta de mía dzi ale be míana gakotoku ɖeka wò” la,
Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:
15 vinye, mègakplɔ wo ɖo o, mègaka afɔ woƒe toƒewo o
My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:
16 elabena woƒe afɔ ɖea abla ɖe nu vɔ̃ ŋu eye wogona ɖe ʋukɔkɔɖi ŋu.
For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
17 Enye movidzɔdzɔ be woaɖo ɖɔ ɖi na xeviwo le wo katã ƒe ŋkume!
Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.
18 Ame siawo de xa ɖi na woawo ŋutɔ ƒe ʋu eye wole adeklo dzi ɖe woawo ŋutɔ ɖokuiwo ŋu!
And they lay wait for their [own] blood; they lurk privily for their [own] lives.
19 Aleae ame siwo tia viɖe ƒoɖi yome la ƒe nuwuwu anɔ, elabena eɖea ame siwo ƒe asi su edzi la ƒe agbe ɖa.
So [are] the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; [who] taketh away the life of its owners.
20 Nunya le ɣli dom le mɔtata dzi eye wòkɔ gbe dzi le ƒuƒoƒewo.
Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:
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,
She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, [saying],
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, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate 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.
Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit to you, I will make known to you my words.
24 Ke esi miegbe tɔtɔ nam esi meyɔ mi, esi meke nye abɔwo me, mietsɔ ɖeke le eme o
Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
25 eye miedo toku nye aɖaŋuɖoɖowo, hegbe nye mokaname ta la,
But ye have set at naught all my counsel, and rejected my reproof:
26 nye hã mako mi le miaƒe gbegblẽ ta eye maɖe alɔme le mia ŋu ne dzɔgbevɔ̃e ƒo ɖe mia dzi,
I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
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 cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
28 “Ekema woayɔm gake nyematɔ o, woadim gake womakpɔm o.
Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
29 Le esi wolé fu sidzedze eye wometia Yehowavɔvɔ̃ o,
For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
30 le esi wogbe nye aɖaŋuɖoɖo hedo vlo nye mokaname ta.
They rejected my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
31 Azɔ la woaɖu woƒe mɔwo ƒe kutsetse eye woƒe ɖoɖowo ƒe kutsetse aɖi ƒo na wo
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
32 elabena gegemewo ƒe afɔɖeɖe baɖawo awu wo eye bometsilawo ƒe ɖekematsɔleme atsrɔ̃ wo.
For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
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 hearkeneth to me shall dwell in safety, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
