Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider well him that is before thee;
Sɛ wo ne ɔhene bi to nsa didi a, hwɛ nea esi wʼanim no yiye,
2 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
Sɛ woyɛ adidibrada a, hyɛ wo ho so.
3 Be not desirous of his dainties; seeing they are deceitful food.
Nni nʼaduan akɔnnɔ akɔnnɔ no akyi, efisɛ saa aduan no daadaa nnipa.
4 Weary not thyself to be rich; cease from thine own wisdom.
Mmiri wo mogya ani mpɛ sika; hu nyansa na tɔ wo bo ase.
5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon it? it is gone; for riches certainly make themselves wings, like an eagle that flieth toward heaven.
Wʼani bɔɔ sika so ara pɛ, na atu ayera, ampa ara ebefuw ntaban na atu akɔ wim sɛ ɔkɔre.
6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties;
Nni obi a ɔyɛ pɛpɛe aduan, nni nʼakɔnnɔ aduan akyi;
7 For as one that hath reckoned within himself, so is he: 'Eat and drink', saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
efisɛ ɔyɛ obi a bere biara osusuw sika ho. Ɔka se, “Didi na nom,” nanso ɛnyɛ ne koma mu.
8 The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
Kakra a woadi no wobɛfe, na ɛno nti wo nkamfo so remma mfaso.
9 Speak not in the ears of a fool; for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Nkasa nkyerɛ ɔkwasea, efisɛ ɔremfa nyansa a ɛwɔ wo kasa mu no.
10 Remove not the ancient landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless;
Ntutu tete abo a wɔde ato hye ngu, na ntra ɔhye nkɔ ayisaa mfuw mu,
11 For their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their cause with thee.
efisɛ wɔn Gyefo yɛ den, na obedi wɔn asɛm ama wɔn.
12 Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
Ma wo koma mmra nkyerɛkyerɛ so, na wɛn wʼaso tie nimdeɛ.
13 Withhold not correction from the child; for though thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Ntwentwɛn abofra nteɛso so; sɛ wode abaa teɛ no a, ɔrenwu.
Fa abaa twe nʼaso na gye ne kra fi owu mu. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart will be glad, even mine;
Me ba, sɛ wo koma hu nyansa a, ɛno de, me koma ani begye;
16 Yea, my reins will rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
sɛ wʼano ka nea ɛteɛ a me mu ade nyinaa ani begye.
17 Let not thy heart envy sinners, but be in the fear of the LORD all the day;
Mma wʼani mmere abɔnefo, mmom bɔ Awurade suro ho mmɔden bere biara.
18 For surely there is a future; and thy hope shall not be cut off.
Ampa ara anidaso wɔ hɔ ma wo daakye, na wʼanidaso renyɛ ɔkwa.
19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the way.
Me ba, tie, na hu nyansa, ma wo koma mfa ɔkwantrenee so.
20 Be not among winebibbers; among gluttonous eaters of flesh;
Mfa wo ho mmɔ akɔwensafo anaasɛ wɔn a wɔpɛ nam mmoroso ho,
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
efisɛ, akɔwensafo ne adidibradafo bɛyɛ ahiafo, na anikum fura wɔn ntamagow.
22 Hearken unto thy father that begot thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
Tie wʼagya a ɔwoo wo no, na sɛ wo na bɔ aberewa a, mmu no animtiaa.
23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Tɔ nokware na ntɔn da; nya nyansa, ahohyɛso ne nhumu.
24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; and he that begetteth a wise child will have joy of him.
Ɔtreneeni agya wɔ anigye bebree; nea ɔwɔ ɔba nyansafo no ani gye ne ho.
25 Let thy father and thy mother be glad, and let her that bore thee rejoice.
Ma wʼagya ne wo na ani nnye; ma ɔbea a ɔwoo wo no nnya ahosɛpɛw.
26 My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
Me ba, fa wo koma ma me na ma wʼani nkɔ mʼakwan ho,
27 For a harlot is a deep ditch; and an alien woman is a narrow pit.
na oguamanfo yɛ amoa donkudonku ɔyere huhuni yɛ ɔdaadaafo.
28 She also lieth in wait as a robber, and increaseth the faithless among men.
Ɔtɛw, twɛn, te sɛ ɔkwanmukafo, na ɔma mmarima mu atorofo dɔɔso.
29 Who crieth: 'Woe'? who: 'Alas'? who hath contentions? who hath raving? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
Hena na wɔadome no? Hena na odi awerɛhow? Hena na odi aperepere? Hena na onwiinwii? Hena na ɔwɔ atape nko ara? Hena na mogya ada nʼani so?
30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to try mixed wine.
Wɔn a wɔkyɛ nsa ho, na wɔka nsa a wɔafrafra hwɛ.
31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth its colour in the cup, when it glideth down smoothly;
Nhwɛ nsa ani kɔkɔɔ no haa, bere a ɛretwa yerɛw yerɛw wɔ kuruwa mu, na ɛkɔ yɔɔ no.
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like a basilisk.
Awiei no, ɛka te sɛ ɔwɔ na ɛwɔ bɔre te sɛ ahurutoa.
33 Thine eyes shall behold strange things, and thy heart shall utter confused things.
Wʼani behu nneɛma a wunhuu da, na woadwene nneɛma basabasa ho.
34 Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
Wobɛtɔ ntintan te sɛ hyɛn mu dwumayɛni a, okura hyɛn dua a, ɛrehinhim mu den, na ehinhim wɔ po so.
35 'They have struck me, and I felt it not, they have beaten me, and I knew it not; when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.'
Na wobɛka se, “Wɔbɔ me, nanso mimpira. Wɔboro me, nanso mente ɔyaw biara. Bere bɛn na menyan akɔpɛ nsa anom bio?”
