Proverbs 24
1 Don't be jealous of evil people; don't long to spend time with them,
Mma wʼani mmerɛ amumuyɛfoɔ, mfa wo ho mmɔ wɔn;
2 for they think up cruel plans and discuss how to cause trouble.
Ɛfiri sɛ, wɔn akoma dwene atirimuɔdensɛm ho, na wɔn ano ka deɛ ɛde basabasayɛ ba ho asɛm.
3 A house is built by wisdom; its foundation is made secure through understanding.
Wɔde nyansa na ɛsi efie, na nhunumu mu na wɔma ɛtim;
4 Its rooms are filled by knowledge with all kinds of valuable and beautiful objects.
ɛnam nimdeɛ so na wɔnya ademudeɛ 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,
Onyansafoɔ wɔ tumi a ɛso, na onimdefoɔ nyini ahoɔden mu;
6 for with wise guidance you can go to war; you will be victorious by having many good advisors.
deɛ ɔretu sa hia akwankyerɛ, deɛ ɔrepɛ nkonimdie no hia afotufoɔ pii.
7 Wisdom goes over the heads of stupid people; they have nothing to contribute when important matters are discussed.
Nyansa wɔ akyiri dodo ma ɔkwasea; wɔ apono ano dwabɔ mu no ɔnni hwee ka.
8 Anyone who plans to do evil will be seen as a troublemaker.
Onipa ɔbɔ pɔ bɔne no wɔbɛfrɛ no ɔkɔtwebrɛfoɔ.
9 Plans thought up by stupid people are sinful. Everyone hates those who are scornful of others.
Ogyimifoɔ nhyehyɛeɛ yɛ bɔne, nnipa kyiri ɔfɛdifoɔ.
10 If you give up in times of trouble, it shows how weak you are.
Sɛ wʼabamu go 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 akɔkum wɔn no nkwa; na sianka wɔn a wɔtɔ ntintan kɔ akumiiɛ.
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 sɛ, “Na yɛnnim yei ho hwee a,” deɛ ɔkari akoma hwɛ no nhunu anaa? Deɛ ɔbɔ wo nkwa ho ban no nnim anaa? Ɔrentua deɛ obiara ayɛ so ka anaa?
13 My son, eating honey is good for you; the honeycomb tastes sweet.
Me ba, di ɛwoɔ, ɛfiri sɛ ɛyɛ; ɛwokyɛm mu woɔ yɛ wʼanomu 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.
Hunu nso sɛ nyansa yɛ wo kra dɛ; sɛ wonya a, wowɔ anidasoɔ ma daakye, na wʼanidasoɔ renyɛ kwa.
15 Don't be like a criminal waiting to ambush the home of good people; don't attack the place where they live.
Nkɔtɛ ɔteneneeni fie sɛ ɔkwanmukafoɔ, na ɛnkɔto nhyɛ nʼatenaeɛ so,
16 Those who do right may fall down seven times, and still get up again; but the wicked are brought down by disaster.
Ɛwom sɛ ɔteneneeni hwe ase mpɛn nson deɛ, nanso ɔsɔre bio, na amumuyɛfoɔ deɛ, amanehunu baako ma wɔhwe ase.
17 Don't celebrate when your enemies fall; don't be glad when they trip up,
Sɛ wo ɔtamfoɔ hwe ase a mma ɛnyɛ wo dɛ; na sɛ ɔsunti a mma wʼakoma nni ahurisie,
18 otherwise when the Lord sees it, he'll be unhappy with you and won't punish your enemies as he planned.
ɛfiri sɛ Awurade bɛhunu wʼadwene na ɔrempɛ na ɔbɛyi nʼabufuhyeɛ afiri ne so.
19 Don't get all upset over the wicked, or be jealous of those who do wrong,
Ɛnha wo ho wɔ abɔnefoɔ enti na ɛmma wʼani mmere amumuyɛfoɔ nso,
20 for evil people have no future—the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
ɛfiri sɛ, ɔbɔnefoɔ nni anidasoɔ biara daakye, na wɔbɛdum amumuyɛfoɔ 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 adɔnyɛfoɔ ho,
22 for disaster will suddenly fall on them. Who knows how the Lord and king will punish them?
ɛfiri sɛ saa baanu yi de ɔsɛeɛ bɛba wɔn so mpofirim, na hwan na ɔnim amanehunu ko a wɔbɛtumi de aba?
23 These are more sayings of the wise: Showing favoritism when passing judgment is wrong.
Yeinom nso yɛ anyansafoɔ Nsɛnka: Atemmuo a animhwɛ wɔ mu no nyɛ:
24 Those who tell the guilty, “You're innocent,” will be cursed by the people and hated by the nation,
Obiara a ɔbɛka akyerɛ deɛ ɔdi fɔ sɛ, “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 wɔbu afɔdifoɔ fɔ no ɛbɛsi wɔn yie, na nhyira bɛba wɔn so.
26 An honest answer is a kiss on the lips.
Mmuaeɛ pa te sɛ mfeano.
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 mfuo; ɛno akyi, si wo fie.
28 Don't testify against your neighbors without having a good reason, and don't tell lies.
Nni adanseɛ 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 sɛ, “Deɛ wayɛ me no me nso mɛyɛ no bi; deɛ ɔyɛeɛ no metua ne so ka.”
30 I walked past the field of a lazy man, past a vineyard of someone with no sense.
Menante faa onihafoɔ afuo ho twaa mu wɔ deɛ ɔnni adwene bobefuo nso ho;
31 It was all overgrown with thorns, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall had fallen down.
nkasɛɛ afu wɔ baabiara, wira afu akata asase no so, na aboɔ afasuo no nso abubu.
32 As I looked I thought about it, and what I saw taught me a lesson:
Mede mʼadwene kɔɔ deɛ mehunuiɛ no so na mesuaa biribi firii 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 woabobɔ de rehome kakra,
34 and poverty will attack you like a robber, destitution like an armed warrior.
bɛma ohia aba wo so sɛ ɔkwanmukafoɔ na nneɛma ho nna bɛba wo so sɛ obi a ɔkura akodeɛ. Na ohia bɛto akyere wo sɛ ɔkwanmukafoɔ; ahokyere bɛtoa wo sɛ ɔkorɔmfoɔ.
