Proverbs 19
1 Conducting our lives as we should [even though] we are poor is better than being foolish and telling lies.
Anyo be nànye ame dahe si ƒe zɔzɔme ŋu fɔɖiɖi mele o, wu bometsila si ƒe nuyiwo gblɔa nya tovo.
2 Being enthusiastic but not thinking carefully [about what we are about to do] is not good; doing things hastily can cause us a lot of trouble [IDM].
Menyo be dzo nanɔ mewò ɖe nuwo wɔwɔ ŋu gɔmesesemanɔmee alo atsi dzi ahabu mɔ o.
3 Some people are ruined as a result of their [own] foolish actions, and when that happens, they [SYN] angrily say that it is Yahweh’s fault.
Ame ŋutɔ ƒe bometsitsie gblẽa eƒe agbe dome, evɔ eƒe dzi bina ɖe Yehowa ŋu.
4 Those who are rich easily find people who want to be their friends, but when [people become] poor, their friends [often] desert them.
Kesinɔnunɔamesi dzea xɔlɔ̃ geɖe na ame, gake ame dahe ƒe xɔlɔ̃wo kakana le eŋu.
5 Those who tell lies in court will surely be punished [LIT]; they will not escape it.
Womagbe tohehe na aʋatsoɖasefo o eye ame si trɔa alakpa kɔna ɖi bababa la, madzo le ablɔɖe me o.
6 Many [people] try to persuade important people to do favors for them; everyone [wants to] be a friend of those who give gifts.
Ame geɖewo wɔa nu be woadze fia ŋu, eye ame si naa nu ame faa la, ame sia ame dzea xɔ̃e.
7 [Even] the relatives of someone who becomes poor hate him, and his friends certainly stay away from him, too; [even] if he tries to talk with them, they will not be his friends [again].
Ame dahe ƒe ƒometɔwo katã ɖea kɔ ɖa le eŋu, aleke exɔlɔ̃wo magbee geɖe wu o! Togbɔ be etia wo yome nɔa kuku ɖem na wo hã la, womedea nu eme nɛ o.
8 Those who become wise [IDM] are doing a favor for themselves; those who get good sense will prosper.
Ame si, si nunya su la lɔ̃a eya ŋutɔ ƒe luʋɔ eye ame si melɔ̃a nu le gɔmesese gbɔ o la, nu dzea edzi nɛ.
9 Those who tell lies in court will certainly be punished [LIT]; they will be ruined.
Womagbe tohehe na aʋatsoɖasefo o eye ame si trɔa alakpa kɔna ɖi bababa la atsrɔ̃.
10 It is not appropriate for foolish people to live (luxuriously/like rich people), and it is even less appropriate for slaves to rule important officials.
Agbe vivi nɔnɔ medze bometsila ʋuu keke wòahanye be kluvi ɖu aƒetɔ ɖe dumegãwo dzi o.
11 Those who have good sense do not quickly become angry; people respect those who ignore offensive [things that people say to them].
Ame ƒe nunya nana wògbɔa dzi ɖi eye ŋutikɔkɔe wònye nɛ ne eŋe aɖaba ƒu dzidada dzi.
12 When a king is angry, [that causes people to be afraid of him], like the roar of a lion [causes people to be afraid] [SIM], but if he acts kindly toward people, [they like it just] like [they like] dew on the grass [in the morning].
Fia ƒe dziku le abe dzata ƒe gbetete ene, ke eƒe amenuveve le abe zãmu le gbedzi ene.
13 Foolish children [can] cause disasters to happen to their parents. A wife who constantly (nags/quarrels with) [her husband is as annoying as] water that continually drips [MET].
Viŋutsu tsibome nye fofoa ƒe gbegblẽ eye srɔ̃nyɔnu dzrewɔla le abe tsitrɔnu si le ɖuɖum ɖaa ene.
14 We [can] inherit a house or money from our parents [when they die], but only Yahweh [can] give someone a sensible wife.
Aƒewo kple kesinɔnuwo nye domenyinu tso dzilawo gbɔ, ke srɔ̃nyɔnu nyanu ya, Yehowa gbɔe wòtsona.
15 Those who are lazy sleep soundly, but if they are lazy, they will be hungry [because of not earning money to buy food].
Kuvia nana ame dɔa alɔ̃ yia eme ʋĩi eye dɔ wua ƒomewɔla.
16 Those who obey [God’s] commandments will remain alive [for a long time]; those who despise/disobey them (OR, those who do not control their own conduct) will die [while they are still young].
Ame si wɔna ɖe sedede dzi la dzɔa eƒe agbe ŋu, ke ame si metsɔ ɖeke le eƒe mɔwo ŋu o la aku.
17 When we give things to poor [people], [it is as though] we are lending to Yahweh, and he will (pay us back/reward us for what we did).
Ame si nyo dɔ me na hiãtɔ la, do nugbana na Yehowa, aɖo nu si wòwɔ la teƒe nɛ.
18 Discipline your children while [they are young], while you still hope that [they will learn to behave as they should]; [if you do not discipline them], you are helping them to destroy [themselves].
He to na viwò ŋutsuvi elabena eya mee mɔkpɔkpɔ le; ke mègakpe ɖe ame siwo le eƒe ku dim la ŋuti o.
19 Those who (do not control their temper/quickly become very angry) will have to endure what happens as a result; [but] if we rescue them [from those troubles once], we will have to continue rescuing them.
Ame si dzi kuna helĩhelĩ la, axe eŋutife; ne èɖee le eme la, agawɔe ake.
20 Pay attention when [people give you good] advice and learn from them, in order that you will become wise for the rest of your life.
Ɖo to aɖaŋuɖoɖo, nàxɔ amehehe eye le nuwuwua la, àdze nunya.
21 People plan to do many [kinds of things], but what will happen is what Yahweh has decided will happen.
Nu geɖewo ame ɖo ɖe eƒe dzi me, gake Yehowa ƒe ɖoɖo koe vaa eme.
22 People want others to be loyal to them; it is better to be poor than to tell a lie [to a judge in court in order to get money].
Nu si ame dina lae nye lɔlɔ̃ si meʋãna o; enyo be nànye ame dahe wu alakpatɔ.
23 [Those who have] an awesome respect for Yahweh will live [a long life]; they rest peacefully and are not harmed [during the night].
Yehowavɔvɔ̃ kplɔa ame yia agbe gbɔe. Ekema ànɔ anyi aɖe dzi ɖi eye kuxi aɖeke maƒo go wò o.
24 Some people are extremely lazy; they put their hand in a dish [to take some food] but do not even lift the food up to their mouths.
Ne kuviatɔ de asi nuɖugba me la, maɖee ɖa atsɔ yi nu gbɔe teti gɔ̃ hã o!
25 If you punish someone who makes fun of those who are wise, those who (are naive/need to be instructed) will learn to do what is smart; if you rebuke those who are wise, they will [listen to what you say and] become wiser.
Ƒo fewuɖula kple ati, ekema gegemewo adze nunya; ka mo na ame si si sidzedze le, ekema gɔmesese asu esi.
26 Anyone who mistreats/abuses his father or forces his mother to leave the home is a child who is acting shamefully and disgracefully.
Ame si daa adzo fofoa, nyaa dada doa goe lae nye viŋutsu si hea ŋukpe kple vlododo vɛ.
27 My son, if you stop learning things, you will [soon] forget what [you already] know.
Vinye, ne èdzudzɔ amehenyawo sese la, ekema àtra tso gɔmesese ƒe nyawo gbɔ.
28 Worthless witnesses [in court] make fun of [judges who try to] make fair decisions, and wicked people [enjoy] doing evil [like] they enjoy eating [good food] [MET].
Aʋatsoɖasefo ɖua fewu le afia nyui tsotso ŋu eye ame vɔ̃ɖi ƒe nu miaa nu vɔ̃ɖi.
29 [God] is ready to punish those who make fun [of him/religion]; those who do foolish things deserve to be flogged/whipped.
Woɖo tohehe ɖi na fewuɖulawo eye woɖo ƒoƒo ɖi na bometsilawo ƒe dzime.
