Proverbs 24
1 Don't be jealous of evil people; don't long to spend time with them,
Mma wʼani mmere amumɔyɛfo, mfa wo ho mmɔ wɔn;
2 for they think up cruel plans and discuss how to cause trouble.
Efisɛ wɔn koma dwene atirimɔdensɛm ho, na wɔn ano ka nea ɛde basabasayɛ ba ho asɛm.
3 A house is built by wisdom; its foundation is made secure through understanding.
Wɔde nyansa na esi fi, na nhumu mu na wɔma etim;
4 Its rooms are filled by knowledge with all kinds of valuable and beautiful objects.
ɛnam nimdeɛ so na wonya ademude a ɛho yɛ na na ɛyɛ fɛ hyehyɛ nʼadan mu.
5 If you have wisdom, you are strong; if you have knowledge, your power increases,
Onyansafo wɔ tumi a ɛso, na onimdefo nyin ahoɔden mu;
6 for with wise guidance you can go to war; you will be victorious by having many good advisors.
nea ɔretu sa hia akwankyerɛ, nea ɔrehwehwɛ nkonimdi no hia afotufo pii.
7 Wisdom goes over the heads of stupid people; they have nothing to contribute when important matters are discussed.
Nyansa wɔ soro dodo ma ɔkwasea; wɔ apon ano aguabɔ mu no, ɛnsɛ sɛ wobue wɔn ano.
8 Anyone who plans to do evil will be seen as a troublemaker.
Onipa a ɔbɔ pɔw bɔne no, wɔbɛfrɛ no ɔkɔtwebrɛfo.
9 Plans thought up by stupid people are sinful. Everyone hates those who are scornful of others.
Ogyimifo nhyehyɛe yɛ bɔne, nnipa kyi ɔfɛwdifo.
10 If you give up in times of trouble, it shows how weak you are.
Sɛ wʼaba mu gow wɔ ɔhaw mu a, na wʼahoɔden sua!
11 Rescue those who are being led away to be executed; save those who are stumbling on their way to be slaughtered.
Gye wɔn a wɔde wɔn rekɔ akokum wɔn no nkwa; na sianka wɔn a wɔtɔ ntintan kɔ akumii.
12 If you say, “Look, we didn't know anything about this,” don't you think the God who judges your motives will see what's happening? He who watches over you knows, and he will pay people back for what they've done.
Sɛ woka se, “Na yennim eyi ho hwee a,” nea ɔkari koma hwɛ no nhu ana? Nea ɔbɔ wo nkwa ho ban no nnim ana? Ɔrentua nea obiara ayɛ so ka ana?
13 My son, eating honey is good for you; the honeycomb tastes sweet.
Me ba, di ɛwo, efisɛ eye; ɛwokyɛm mu wo yɛ wʼanom dɛ.
14 In the same way, you should know that wisdom is good for you; if you find it, there will be a future for you, and your hope will not be crushed.
Hu nso sɛ nyansa yɛ wo kra dɛ; sɛ wunya a, wowɔ anidaso ma daakye, na wʼanidaso renyɛ ɔkwa.
15 Don't be like a criminal waiting to ambush the home of good people; don't attack the place where they live.
Nkɔtɛw ɔtreneeni fi sɛ ɔkwanmukafo, na nkɔtow nhyɛ nʼatenae so,
16 Those who do right may fall down seven times, and still get up again; but the wicked are brought down by disaster.
Ɛwɔ mu sɛ ɔtreneeni hwe ase mpɛn ason de, nanso ɔsɔre bio, na amumɔyɛfo de amanehunu baako ma wɔhwe ase.
17 Don't celebrate when your enemies fall; don't be glad when they trip up,
Sɛ wo tamfo hwe ase a mma ɛnyɛ wo dɛ; na sɛ ohintiw a mma wo koma nni ahurusi,
18 otherwise when the Lord sees it, he'll be unhappy with you and won't punish your enemies as he planned.
efisɛ Awurade behu wʼadwene na ɔrempɛ na obeyi nʼabufuwhyew afi no so.
19 Don't get all upset over the wicked, or be jealous of those who do wrong,
Nhaw wo ho wɔ abɔnefo nti, na mma wʼani mmere amumɔyɛfo nso,
20 for evil people have no future—the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
efisɛ, ɔbɔnefo nni anidaso biara daakye, na wobedum amumɔyɛfo kanea.
21 My son, honor the Lord and the king, and don't join those who are rebellious,
Me ba, suro Awurade ne ɔhene, na mfa wo ho mmɔ atuatewfo ho,
22 for disaster will suddenly fall on them. Who knows how the Lord and king will punish them?
efisɛ saa baanu yi de, ɔsɛe bɛba wɔn so mpofirim; na hena na onim amanehunu ko a wobetumi de aba?
23 These are more sayings of the wise: Showing favoritism when passing judgment is wrong.
Eyinom nso yɛ anyansafo Nsɛnka: Atemmu a nhwɛanim wɔ mu no nye:
24 Those who tell the guilty, “You're innocent,” will be cursed by the people and hated by the nation,
Obiara a ɔbɛka akyerɛ nea odi fɔ se, “Wo ho nni asɛm” no, nnipa bɛdome no na amanaman remmɔ no din pa.
25 while those who convict the guilty will be appreciated, and will receive a rich blessing.
Na wɔn a wobu afɔdifo fɔ no, ebesi wɔn yiye, na nhyira bɛba wɔn so.
26 An honest answer is a kiss on the lips.
Mmuae pa te sɛ mfewano.
27 Do the work you need to do outside first, then prepare and sow your fields, and only after that start building your house.
Wie wo mfikyidwuma na siesie wo mfuw; ɛno akyi, si wo fi.
28 Don't testify against your neighbors without having a good reason, and don't tell lies.
Nni adanse ntia ɔyɔnko a ɔnyɛɛ wo hwee, na mfa wʼano nnaadaa.
29 Don't say to yourself, “I'm going to do to him what he did to me! I'll pay him back for what he's done!”
Nka se, “Nea wayɛ me no me nso mɛyɛ no bi; nea ɔyɛe no mitua no so ka.”
30 I walked past the field of a lazy man, past a vineyard of someone with no sense.
Menantew faa onihawfo afuw ho, twaa mu wɔ nea onni adwene bobeturo nso ho;
31 It was all overgrown with thorns, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall had fallen down.
nsɔe afuw wɔ baabiara, wura afuw akata asase no so, na abo afasu no nso abubu.
32 As I looked I thought about it, and what I saw taught me a lesson:
Mede me koma kɔɔ nea mihuu no so na misuaa biribi fii mu:
33 You may say, “Please, just a little more sleep, a little longer snooze, a little more folding of the arms to rest”—
nna kakra, nkotɔ kakra, nsa a woabobɔw de rehome kakra
34 and poverty will attack you like a robber, destitution like an armed warrior.
bɛma ohia aba wo so sɛ ɔkwanmukafo, na nneɛma ho nna bɛba wo so sɛ obi a okura akode. Na ohia bɛtow akyere wo sɛ ɔkwanmukafo; ahokyere bɛtoa wo sɛ ɔkorɔmfowerɛmfo.
