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