Proverbs 1
1 Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
Dawid babarima Salomo, Israelhene, mmebusɛm ni:
2 to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;
Ne botae ne sɛ ɛbɛkyerɛ nnipa nyansa ne ahohyɛso; ne sɛ ɛbɛboa ama wɔate nsɛm a emu dɔ ase;
3 to receive the instruction of wisdom, righteousness and judgment, and equity;
sɛ wobenya akwankyerɛ wɔ abrabɔ pa mu, a ɛbɛma wɔayɛ ade pa, nea ɛteɛ na ho nni asɛm;
4 to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
sɛ ɛbɛma nea nʼadwene mu nnɔ anya nyansa na mmabun anya nimdeɛ ne adwene,
5 He that is wise will hear, and will increase learning; and the intelligent will gain wise counsels:
anyansafo ntie na wɔmfa nka nea wonim ho, na nea ɔwɔ nhumu nya akwankyerɛ a
6 to understand a proverb and an allegory, the words of the wise and their enigmas.
ɛbɛma wate mmɛ ne kasammebu, anyansafo nsɛnka ne abisaa ase.
7 The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge: fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Awurade suro yɛ nimdeɛ mfiase, na nkwaseafo bu nyansa ne ahohyɛso animtiaa.
8 Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;
Me ba, tie wʼagya akwankyerɛ na mpo wo na nkyerɛkyerɛ.
9 for they shall be a garland of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
Ɛbɛyɛ wo ti anuonyam abotiri ne wo kɔn mu atweaban.
10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent not.
Me ba, sɛ nnebɔneyɛfo twetwe wo a, mma wɔn ho kwan.
11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
Sɛ wɔka se, “Bra ma yɛnkɔ; ma yɛnkɔtetɛw na yenkum obi, ma yɛnkɔtɛw ntwɛn mmɔborɔni bi;
12 let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, and whole, as those that go down into the pit; (Sheol h7585)
ma yɛmmemene wɔn anikann sɛ ɔda, koraa, te sɛ wɔn a wɔkɔ ɔda mu; (Sheol h7585)
13 we shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
yebenya nneɛma a ɛsom bo ahorow na yɛde asade ahyɛ yɛn afi ma;
14 cast in thy lot among us; we will all have one purse:
fa wo ho bɛhyɛ mu, na wubenya wo kyɛfa wɔ ahonyade no mu.”
15 — my son, walk not in the way with them, keep back thy foot from their path;
Me ba, wo ne wɔn nnantew, mfa wo nan nsi wɔn akwan so;
16 for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
Wɔn anan de ntɛmpɛ kɔ bɔne mu, na wɔde ahoɔhare ka mogya gu.
17 For in vain the net is spread in the sight of anything which hath wings.
So nni mfaso sɛ obi besum nnomaafiri wɔ beae a anomaa biara hu!
18 And these lay wait for their own blood; they lurk secretly for their own lives.
Saa nnipa yi tetɛw pɛ wɔn ankasa mogya; wɔtetɛw wɔn ankasa wɔn ho!
19 So are the paths of every one that is greedy of gain: it taketh away the life of its possessors.
Saa na wɔn a wodi akorɔnne akyi no awiei te; ɛma wɔhwere wɔn nkwa!
20 Wisdom crieth without; she raiseth her voice in the broadways;
Nyansa teɛ mu wɔ mmɔnten so, ɔma ne nne so wɔ aguabɔbea,
21 she calleth in the chief [place] of concourse, in the entry of the gates; in the city she uttereth her words:
ɔteɛ mu wɔ afasu no atifi, ɔkasa wɔ kuropɔn no apon ano se,
22 How long, simple ones, will ye love simpleness, and scorners take pleasure in their scorning, and the foolish hate knowledge?
“Mo adwenharefo, mobɛyɛ adwenhare akosi da bɛn? Fɛwdifo bedi fɛw akosi da bɛn? Nkwaseafo bekyi nimdeɛ akosi da bɛn?
23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour forth my spirit unto you, I will make known to you my words.
Sɛ mutiee mʼanimka a, anka mekaa me koma mu nsɛm nyinaa kyerɛɛ mo ma muhuu me nsusuwii.
24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one regarded;
Nanso sɛ muyii mo aso, bere a mefrɛɛ mo na amfa obiara ho, bere a meteɛɛ me nsa mu,
25 and ye have rejected all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
sɛ mopoo mʼafotu, na moampɛ mʼanimka nti,
26 I also will laugh in your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh;
me nso mɛserew mo wɔ mo amanehunu mu; sɛ abɛbrɛsɛ bi bu fa mo so a, midi mo ho fɛw,
27 when your fear cometh as sudden destruction, and your calamity cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come upon you:
sɛ abɛbrɛsɛ bi bu fa mo so te sɛ ahum, na amanehunu bi bɔ fa mo so sɛ mfɛtɛ, na awerɛhow ne ɔhaw mene mo a,
28 — then will they call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me early, and shall not find me.
“Afei wɔbɛfrɛ me, nanso meremmua; wɔbɛhwehwɛ me, nanso wɔrenhu me.
29 Because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of Jehovah;
Esiane sɛ wokyii nimdeɛ na wɔampɛ sɛ wobesuro Awurade,
30 they would none of my counsel, they despised all my reproof:
sɛ wɔpoo mʼafotu, na wobuu me nteɛso animtiaa nti,
31 therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their way, and be filled with their own devices.
wobedi wɔn akwan so aba; na wɔn nhyehyɛe mu aduan bɛmee wɔn.
32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of the foolish shall cause them to perish.
Na ntetekwaafo asoɔden bekum wɔn, na nkwaseafo tirimudɛ bɛsɛe wɔn;
33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be at rest from fear of evil.
Nanso obiara a obetie me no, ɔbɛtena ase asomdwoe mu na ne ho bɛtɔ no a ɔrensuro ɔhaw biara.”
