Proverbs 28

1 Wicked [people] run away [even] when no one is pursuing them, but righteous/good [people are not afraid]; they are as brave as lions.

Ame vɔ̃ɖi la léa du tsɔna, evɔ ame aɖeke menyae ɖe du nu o, ke dzi le ame dzɔdzɔe ƒo abe dzata ene.

2 When [the people of] a nation sin, they will have one ruler after another; but when their leaders are wise and have good sense, their government will last for a long time.

Dziɖulawo sɔ gbɔ ɖe dukɔ si me aglãdzedze le, ke ŋutsu si si gɔmesese kple sidzedze le la hea ɖoɖodziwɔwɔ vɛ.

3 A poor person who oppresses [other] poor [people] is [like] [MET] a very heavy/hard rain that [destroys the crops], with the result that there is no food [for people to eat].

Dziɖula si tea hiãtɔwo ɖe anyi la le abe tsidzadza si ɖe anyigba eye megblẽ nuɖuɖu aɖeke ɖi o la ene.

4 Those who reject/disobey [God’s] laws always speak well of wicked [people]; but those who obey [God’s] laws [always] oppose what wicked people do.

Ame siwo gbe nu le sea gbɔ la kafua ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ke sedziwɔlawo tsia tsitre ɖe wo ŋu.

5 Evil people do not understand what it means to act justly, but those who try to obey/worship Yahweh understand that very well.

Ame vɔ̃ɖiwo mesea afiatsotso nyui gɔme o gake ame siwo dia Yehowa ya sea egɔme nyuie.

6 It is better to be honest [even] though you are poor than to be dishonest [even] though you are rich.

Enyo be nànye hiãtɔ si ƒe zɔzɔme ŋu fɔɖiɖi mele o, wu nànye kesinɔtɔ si ƒe mɔwo to vo.

7 Young people who obey the laws are wise [IDM]; parents whose children associate with those who (carouse/go to wild parties) are humiliated/disgraced because of what their children do.

Ame si léa sea me ɖe asi la nye vi nyanu gake ame si dea ha kple nutsuɖulawo la doa ŋukpe fofoa.

8 When people become very rich by charging very high interest [DOU], their money will [eventually] go to someone who does kind things for the poor.

Ame si dzi eƒe kesinɔnuwo ɖe edzi to demegaxɔxɔ me la, le kɔ lim nuwo na ame bubu si anyo dɔ me na ame dahewo.

9 If people do not obey [MTY] [God’s] laws, [God] (detests their prayers/considers that their prayers stink).

Ne ame aɖe doa toku sea la, eƒe gbedodoɖawo gɔ̃ hã zua ŋunyɔnu.

10 Those who cause honest/good [people] to do what is evil will fall into their own pits/traps, but good things will happen to those who (are innocent/have not done what is wrong).

Ame si kplɔ nu dzɔdzɔe wɔla to mɔ vɔ̃ dzi la, age ɖe eya ŋutɔ ƒe mɔ me. Ke ame siwo ŋu fɔɖiɖi mele o la, axɔ domenyinu nyui.

11 [Many] rich people think that they are wise, but poor people who have good sense will find out whether rich people really are wise or not.

Kesinɔtɔ nye nunyala le eya ŋutɔ gbɔ gake hiãtɔ si si sidzedze le la kpɔa egɔme.

12 When righteous/good [people] (succeed/win [elections]), everyone (celebrates/is happy); but when wicked [people win], everyone hides [because they are afraid of what the wicked people will do].

Ne ame dzɔdzɔe ɖu dzi la, dzidzɔkpɔkpɔ teƒe mekɔna o, ke ne ame vɔ̃ɖi zu fia la, amewo sina bena.

13 Those who refuse to confess/admit their sins will not prosper, but [God] acts mercifully/kindly toward those who confess their sins and turn away from their sinful behavior.

Nu medzea edzi na ame si ɣla eƒe nu vɔ̃ o, ke wokpɔa nublanui na ame si ʋu eƒe nu vɔ̃wo me eye wògbe nu le wo gbɔ.

14 [God] is pleased with those who always revere him, but those who are stubborn [IDM] will experience disasters.

Woayra ŋutsu si vɔ̃a Yehowa ɣe sia ɣi, ke ame si sẽa eƒe dzi me la gena ɖe xaxa me.

15 Wicked people who [mistreat] poor people whom they rule are [as dangerous to them as] [SIM] a lion roaring [at them] or a bear springing up [to attack them].

Ŋutasẽla si le ame dahewo dzi ɖum la le abe dzata si le gbe tem alo sisiblisi si le ade tam ene.

16 Rulers who do not have good sense cruelly oppress [the people they rule], but rulers who do not want to become rich by cheating/deceiving [people] will live (OR, rule) for a long time.

Dziɖula tamesesẽtɔ menyaa nu o, ke ame si lé fu kesinɔnu ƒoɖi la anɔ agbe didi, ase vivi.

17 Those who are guilty of murdering [MTY] another person will (be fugitives/keep running away) until they die; do not help them to escape.

Hlɔ̃dola si hlɔ̃dodo la zu agba na la anye tsatsala va se ɖe eƒe kugbe; ame aɖeke megakpe ɖe eŋu o.

18 Those who [continually] do what is right will be safe/protected, but those who are dishonest will [suddenly] be ruined.

Ame si fɔɖiɖi mele eƒe zɔzɔme ŋu o la anɔ dedie, ke ame si ƒe mɔwo to vo la adze anyi kpata.

19 Farmers who work [hard] in their fields will [produce good crops and always] have plenty of food [to eat], but those who spend all their time (on useless projects/doing things that do not benefit anyone) will become very poor.

Ame si ŋlɔ eƒe agble la akpɔ nuɖuɖu geɖe, ke ame si ƒe susu le nu manyatalenuwo yome la, ahedada axɔ aƒe nɛ.

20 [God] will greatly bless those who (are trustworthy/always do what they say that they will do), but he will certainly punish [LIT] those who try to become rich quickly.

Woayra ŋutsu nuteƒewɔla fũu, ke womagbe tohehe na ame si tsi dzi ɖe kesinɔnuwo kpɔkpɔ ŋuti o.

21 It is not good [for judges] to decide matters unfairly/unjustly, but [some] people will do what is wrong [even] if they receive [only] a very small bribe [HYP] [for doing it].

Amedzidede menyo o gake ame ayi aɖawɔ vɔ̃ ɖe abolo kakɛ ta.

22 Selfish people [IDM] are very eager to become rich quickly; they do not realize that they will [soon] become poor.

Ŋutsu nuvela tsi dzi ɖe hotsuikpɔkpɔ ŋu, evɔ mehenya be ahedada le ye lalam o.

23 Those who rebuke someone will be appreciated/thanked more than those who [say nice things to others merely] to (flatter them/cause them to feel good).

Ame si ka mo na ŋutsu la, axɔ amenuveve ɖe amenuveve dzi wu ame si alakpaɖe le nume na.

24 Anyone who steals things from his father or his mother and says “That is not sinful” is as bad as a bandit.

Ame si da adzo fofoa alo dadaa hegblɔ be, “Medze vɔ̃ o” la, nye kpeɖeŋutɔ na nugblẽla.

25 Greedy people cause trouble/strife; those who trust in Yahweh will prosper [IDM].

Ŋutsu ŋubiala hea mama vɛ ke ame si ɖoa dzi ɖe Yehowa ŋu la, nu adze edzi nɛ.

26 Those who believe that what they think [is always right] are foolish; those who act wisely will (escape danger/be safe).

Ame si ɖoa dzi ɖe eɖokui ŋu la, bometsilae, ke ame si zɔna le nunya me la anɔ dedie.

27 Those who give things to poor [people] will not become poor, but many [people] will curse those who refuse to help [IDM] poor people.

Ame si naa nu hiãtɔ la, naneke mahiãe o, ke ame si miaa ŋku ɖe woƒe hiahiãwo dzi la, axɔ fiƒode geɖe.

28 When wicked [people] become rulers, people hide [because they are afraid of what those wicked people will do]; but when wicked people are no longer rulers, good/righteous [people will] become the rulers.

Ne tamesesẽtɔ zu dziɖula la, amewo sina bena, ke ne ame vɔ̃ɖiwo tsrɔ̃ la, ame dzɔdzɔewo tsina.