Lododowo 26
1 Abe ale si sno dzanae le dzomeŋɔli alo tsi dzanae le nuŋeɣi ene la, nenemae bubu medze bometsila o.
Like snow in summer and rain when the grain is being cut, so honour is not natural for the foolish.
2 Abe ale si atsutsrɔe dzonae alo sagbadrɛ saa agbae ene la, nenemae ɖiŋu si wodo na ame ɖe madzɔmadzɔ dzi la tsia yamee.
As the sparrow in her wandering and the swallow in her flight, so the curse does not come without a cause.
3 Sɔƒoka li na sɔ, numega li na tedzi nenemae ameƒoti li na bometsila ƒe dzimegbe!
A whip for the horse, a mouth-bit for the ass, and a rod for the back of the foolish.
4 Mègaɖo nya ŋu na bometsila le eƒe bometsitsi nu o, ne menye nenema o la, wò ŋutɔ hã ànɔ abe eya amea ene.
Do not give to the foolish man a foolish answer, or you will be like him.
5 Ɖo nya ŋu na bometsila le eƒe bometsitsi nu, ne menye nenema o la ava bu eɖokui nunyalae le eɖokui gbɔ.
Give a foolish man a foolish answer, or he will seem wise to himself.
6 Dudede asi na bometsila le abe ame ŋutɔ ƒe afɔ lalã alo dzɔgbevɔ̃e nono ene.
He who sends news by the hand of a foolish man is cutting off his feet and drinking in damage.
7 Abe ale si atatututɔ ƒe afɔ nɔa yamee ene la, nenemae lododo le le bometsila ƒe nu mee.
The legs of one who has no power of walking are hanging loose; so is a wise saying in the mouth of the foolish.
8 Abe ale si wotsɔa kpe dea akafomee ene la, nenemae bubudede bometsila ŋu le.
Giving honour to a foolish man is like attempting to keep a stone fixed in a cord.
9 Abe ale si ŋuti nɔna le ahamula ƒe asimee ene la, nenemae lododo nɔna le bometsila ƒe nu mee.
Like a thorn which goes up into the hand of a man overcome by drink, so is a wise saying in the mouth of a foolish man.
10 Ame si daa aŋutrɔ bometsila dzodzro la le abe ame si dɔa dɔ ame si le eme tsom la ene.
Like an archer wounding all who go by, is a foolish man overcome by drink.
11 Abe ale si avu trɔna gayia nu si wòdzɔ gbɔe ene la, nenemae bometsila gawɔa bometsinu si wòwɔ va yi.
Like a dog going back to the food which he has not been able to keep down, is the foolish man doing his foolish acts over again.
12 Èkpɔ ame aɖe si nye nunyala le eya ŋutɔ ŋkume kpɔa? Mɔkpɔkpɔ geɖe li na bometsila wu eya amea.
Have you seen a man who seems to himself to be wise? There is more hope for the foolish than for him.
13 Kuviatɔ gblɔna be, “Dzata le mɔa dzi, dzata si le gbe tem ŋɔdzitɔe la le tsatsam le ablɔwo me!”
The hater of work says, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
14 Abe ale si ʋɔtru trona le eƒe megbega mee ene la, nenemae kuviatɔ nɔa tɔtrɔm le eƒe aba dzii.
A door is turned on its pillar, and the hater of work on his bed.
15 Kuviatɔ tsɔ eƒe asi de nuɖugba me gake kuvia ɖoe ale gbegbe be, edede nu me zu dɔ nɛ.
The hater of work puts his hand deep into the basin: lifting it again to his mouth is a weariness to him.
16 Kuviatɔ nye nunyala le eya ŋutɔ ƒe ŋkume, wu ame adre siwo ɖoa nya ŋu nunyatɔe.
The hater of work seems to himself wiser than seven men who are able to give an answer with good sense.
17 Ame si le eme tsom gake de nu dzrenya si metsɔ egbɔ o me la le abe ame si lé towo kple eve na avu ene.
He who gets mixed up in a fight which is not his business, is like one who takes a dog by the ears while it is going by.
18 Abe ale si aɖaʋatɔ daa akakati bibi alo aŋutrɔ si ŋu aɖi le la ene la,
As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death,
19 nenemae nye ame si ble ehavi eye emegbe wògblɔ nɛ be, “Fefem ko mele!”
So is the man who gets the better of his neighbour by deceit, and says, Am I not doing so in sport?
20 Ne nake meli o la, dzo tsina; ne sakplitɔ meli o la, dzre kena.
Without wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no secret talk, argument is ended.
21 Abe ale si aka léa dzo eye nake doa dzo ene la, nenema ŋutsu dzretɔ ƒlɔa dzre ɖoe.
Like breath on coals and wood on fire, so a man given to argument gets a fight started.
22 Amenyagblɔla ƒe nyawo vivina abe nuɖuɖu vivi si woka de nu me la ene; eyina ɖe ame ƒe dɔgbowo me ke.
The words of one who says evil of his neighbour secretly are like sweet food, they go down into the inner parts of the stomach.
23 Abe ale si wofaa sikatsi ɖe anyikplu ŋu ene la, nenema nuyi xɔdzo si ŋu dzi vɔ̃ɖi kpe ɖo la le.
Smooth lips and an evil heart are like a vessel of earth plated with silver waste.
24 Ame baɖa tsɔa eƒe nuyi trɔa eɖokui bubue, gake eɣlaa beble ɖe eƒe dzi me.
With his lips the hater makes things seem what they are not, but deceit is stored up inside him;
25 Togbɔ be eƒe nyawo nya le sesem hã la, mègaxɔ edzi se o elabena ŋunyɔnu adre le eƒe dzi me.
When he says fair words, have no belief in him; for in his heart are seven evils:
26 Eƒe susu baɖa aɣla ɖe beble megbe, gake woaʋu go eƒe vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖi le amehawo dome.
Though his hate is covered with deceit, his sin will be seen openly before the meeting of the people.
27 Ne ame aɖe ɖe ʋe la, eya ŋutɔ age adze eme eye ame si amli kpe la, kpe si wòmli la age adze eya ŋutɔ dzi.
He who makes a hole in the earth will himself go falling into it: and on him by whom a stone is rolled the stone will come back again.
28 Alakpaɖe léa fu ame siwo ŋuti wòle abi demii, eye nu si blea ame la hea gbegblẽ vɛ.
A false tongue has hate for those who have clean hearts, and a smooth mouth is a cause of falling.
