Proverbs 1
1 The wise sayings of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.
Dawid babarima Salomo, Israelhene, mmɛbusɛm nie:
2 To have knowledge of wise teaching; to be clear about the words of reason:
Ne botaeɛ ne sɛ ɛbɛkyerɛ nnipa nyansa ne ahohyɛsoɔ; ne sɛ ɛbɛboa ma wɔate nsɛm a emu dɔ ase;
3 To be trained in the ways of wisdom, in righteousness and judging truly and straight behaviour:
sɛ wɔbɛnya ahohyɛsoɔ na wɔabɔ ɔbra pa, a ɛbɛma wɔayɛ ade pa, deɛ ɛtene na ɛho nni asɛm;
4 To make the simple-minded sharp, and to give the young man knowledge, and serious purpose:
sɛ ɛbɛma deɛ nʼadwene mu nnɔ anya nyansa na mmabunu anya nimdeɛ ne adwene.
5 (The wise man, hearing, will get greater learning, and the acts of the man of good sense will be wisely guided: )
Anyansafoɔ ntie na wɔmfa nka deɛ wɔnim ho, na deɛ ɔwɔ nhunumu nya akwankyerɛ a
6 To get the sense of wise sayings and secrets, and of the words of the wise and their dark sayings.
ɛbɛma woate mmɛ ne akasabɛbuo, anyansafoɔ nsɛnka ne aborɔme ase.
7 The fear of the Lord is the start of knowledge: but the foolish have no use for wisdom and teaching.
Awurade suro yɛ nimdeɛ ahyɛaseɛ, na nkwaseafoɔ bu nyansa ne ahohyɛsoɔ animtiaa.
8 My son, give ear to the training of your father, and do not give up the teaching of your mother:
Me ba, tie wʼagya akwankyerɛ na mpo wo maame nkyerɛkyerɛ.
9 For they will be a crown of grace for your head, and chain-ornaments about your neck.
Ɛbɛyɛ wo tiri animuonyam abotire ne wo kɔn mu ntweaban.
10 My son, if sinners would take you out of the right way, do not go with them.
Me ba, sɛ nnebɔneyɛfoɔ daadaa wo a, mma wɔn ho ɛkwan.
11 If they say, Come with us; let us make designs against the good, waiting secretly for the upright, without cause;
Sɛ wɔka sɛ, “Bra ma yɛnkɔ; ma yɛnkɔtetɛ na yɛnkum obi, ma yɛnkɔtɛ ntwɛn mmɔborɔni bi;
12 Let us overcome them living, like the underworld, and in their strength, as those who go down to death; (Sheol h7585)
ma yɛmmemmene wɔn anikann sɛ ɛda, yɛmmene wɔn sɛ wɔn a wɔkɔ damena mu; (Sheol h7585)
13 Goods of great price will be ours, our houses will be full of wealth;
yɛbɛnya nneɛma a ɛsom bo ahodoɔ na yɛde afodeɛ ahyɛ yɛn afie ma;
14 Take your chance with us, and we will all have one money-bag:
enti, fa wo ho bɛhyɛ mu, na wobɛnya wo kyɛfa wɔ ahonyadeɛ no mu” a,
15 My son, do not go with them; keep your feet from their ways:
Me ba, wo ne wɔn nnante, mfa wo nan nsi wɔn akwan so;
16 For their feet are running after evil, and they are quick to take a man's life.
Wɔn nan de ntɛmpɛ kɔ bɔne mu, na wɔde ahoɔherɛ ka mogya gu.
17 Truly, to no purpose is the net stretched out before the eyes of the bird:
Ɛho nni mfasoɔ sɛ obi bɛsum nnomaafidie wɔ ɛberɛ a nnomaa nyinaa hwɛ!
18 And they are secretly waiting for their blood and making ready destruction for themselves.
Saa nnipa yi tetɛ pɛ wɔn ankasa mogya; wɔtetɛ wɔn ankasa wɔn ho!
19 Such is the fate of everyone who goes in search of profit; it takes away the life of its owners.
Saa na wɔn a wɔdi korɔnodeɛ akyi no awieeɛ teɛ; ɛma wɔhwere wɔn nkwa!
20 Wisdom is crying out in the street; her voice is loud in the open places;
Nyansa team wɔ mmɔntene so, ɔma ne nne so wɔ adwaberem,
21 Her words are sounding in the meeting-places, and in the doorways of the town:
ɔteaam wɔ afasuo no atifi, ɔkasa wɔ kuropɔn no apono ano sɛ,
22 How long, you simple ones, will foolish things be dear to you? and pride a delight to the haters of authority? how long will the foolish go on hating knowledge?
“Mo adwenemherɛfoɔ, mobɛyɛ adwenemherɛ akɔsi da bɛn? Fɛdifoɔ bɛdi fɛ akɔsi da bɛn? Nkwaseafoɔ bɛkyiri nimdeɛ akɔsi da bɛn?
23 Be turned again by my sharp words: see, I will send the flow of my spirit on you, and make my words clear to you.
Sɛ motiee mʼaninka a, anka mekaa mʼakoma mu nsɛm nyinaa kyerɛɛ mo maa mo hunuu me nsusuiɛ.
24 Because your ears were shut to my voice; no one gave attention to my out-stretched hand;
Nanso, sɛ moyii mo aso ɛberɛ a mefrɛɛ mo na amfa obiara ho ɛberɛ a metenee me nsa mu,
25 You were not controlled by my guiding, and would have nothing to do with my sharp words:
sɛ mopoo mʼafotuo, na moampɛ mʼanimka enti,
26 So in the day of your trouble I will be laughing; I will make sport of your fear;
me nso mɛsere mo wɔ mo amanehunu mu; sɛ abɛbrɛsɛ bi bu fa mo so a, medi mo ho fɛw,
27 When your fear comes on you like a storm, and your trouble like a rushing wind; when pain and sorrow come on you.
sɛ abɛbrɛsɛ bi bu fa mo so te sɛ ahum, na amanehunu bi bɔ fa mo so sɛ twahoframa, na awerɛhoɔ ne ɔhaw mene mo a,
28 Then I will give no answer to their cries; searching for me early, they will not see me:
“Afei mobɛfrɛ me, nanso meremmua mo; mobɛhwehwɛ me, nanso morenhunu me.
29 For they were haters of knowledge, and did not give their hearts to the fear of the Lord:
Esiane sɛ wɔkyirii nimdeɛ na wɔampɛ sɛ wobɛsuro Awurade.
30 They had no desire for my teaching, and my words of protest were as nothing to them.
Esiane sɛ w ɔpoo mʼafotuo, na wɔbuu me ntenesoɔ animtiaa enti,
31 So the fruit of their way will be their food, and with the designs of their hearts they will be made full.
wɔbɛdi wɔn akwan so aba na wɔn nhyehyɛeɛ mu aduane bɛmee wɔn.
32 For the turning back of the simple from teaching will be the cause of their death, and the peace of the foolish will be their destruction.
Na ntetekwaafoɔ asoɔden bɛkum wɔn, na nkwaseafoɔ tirimudɛ bɛsɛe wɔn;
33 But whoever gives ear to me will take his rest safely, living in peace without fear of evil.
Nanso, obiara a ɔbɛtie me no, ɔbɛtena ase asomdwoeɛ mu na ne ho bɛtɔ no a ɔrensuro ɔhaw biara.”
