Proverbs 1
1 The Proverbs of Solomon son of David, who reigned in Israel;
Dawid babarima Salomo, Israelhene, mmɛbusɛm nie:
2 to know wisdom and instruction, and to perceive words of understanding;
Ne botaeɛ ne sɛ ɛbɛkyerɛ nnipa nyansa ne ahohyɛsoɔ; ne sɛ ɛbɛboa ma wɔate nsɛm a emu dɔ ase;
3 to receive also hard saying, and to understand true justice, and [how] to direct judgment;
sɛ wɔbɛnya ahohyɛsoɔ na wɔabɔ ɔbra pa, a ɛbɛma wɔayɛ ade pa, deɛ ɛtene na ɛho nni asɛm;
4 that he might give subtlety to the simple, and to the young man discernment and understanding.
sɛ ɛbɛma deɛ nʼadwene mu nnɔ anya nyansa na mmabunu anya nimdeɛ ne adwene.
5 For by the hearing of these a wise man will be wiser, and man of understanding will gain direction;
Anyansafoɔ ntie na wɔmfa nka deɛ wɔnim ho, na deɛ ɔwɔ nhunumu nya akwankyerɛ a
6 and will understand a parable, and a dark speech; the saying of the wise also, and riddles.
ɛbɛma woate mmɛ ne akasabɛbuo, anyansafoɔ nsɛnka ne aborɔme ase.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and [there is] good understanding to all that practise it: and piety toward God is the beginning of discernment; but the ungodly will set at nothing wisdom and instruction.
Awurade suro yɛ nimdeɛ ahyɛaseɛ, na nkwaseafoɔ bu nyansa ne ahohyɛsoɔ animtiaa.
8 Hear, [my] son, the instruction of your father, and reject not the rules of your mother.
Me ba, tie wʼagya akwankyerɛ na mpo wo maame nkyerɛkyerɛ.
9 For you shall receive for your head a crown of graces, and a chain of gold round your neck.
Ɛbɛyɛ wo tiri animuonyam abotire ne wo kɔn mu ntweaban.
10 [My] son, let not ungodly men lead you astray, neither consent you [to them].
Me ba, sɛ nnebɔneyɛfoɔ daadaa wo a, mma wɔn ho ɛkwan.
11 If they should exhort you, saying, Come with us, partake in blood, and let us unjustly hide the just man in the earth:
Sɛ wɔka sɛ, “Bra ma yɛnkɔ; ma yɛnkɔtetɛ na yɛnkum obi, ma yɛnkɔtɛ ntwɛn mmɔborɔni bi;
12 and let us swallow him alive, as Hades [would], and remove the memorial of him from the earth: (Sheol h7585)
ma yɛmmemmene wɔn anikann sɛ ɛda, yɛmmene wɔn sɛ wɔn a wɔkɔ damena mu; (Sheol h7585)
13 let us seize on his valuable property, and let us fill our houses with spoils:
yɛbɛnya nneɛma a ɛsom bo ahodoɔ na yɛde afodeɛ ahyɛ yɛn afie ma;
14 but do you cast in your lot with us, and let us all provide a common purse, and let us have one pouch:
enti, fa wo ho bɛhyɛ mu, na wobɛnya wo kyɛfa wɔ ahonyadeɛ no mu” a,
15 go not in the way with them, but turn aside your foot from their paths:
Me ba, wo ne wɔn nnante, mfa wo nan nsi wɔn akwan so;
16 [For their feet run to do evil, and are swift to shed blood. ]
Wɔn nan de ntɛmpɛ kɔ bɔne mu, na wɔde ahoɔherɛ ka mogya gu.
17 for nets are not without cause spread for birds.
Ɛho nni mfasoɔ sɛ obi bɛsum nnomaafidie wɔ ɛberɛ a nnomaa nyinaa hwɛ!
18 For they that are concerned in murder store up evils for themselves; and the overthrow of transgressors is evil.
Saa nnipa yi tetɛ pɛ wɔn ankasa mogya; wɔtetɛ wɔn ankasa wɔn ho!
19 These are the ways of all that perform lawless deeds; for by ungodliness they destroy their own life.
Saa na wɔn a wɔdi korɔnodeɛ akyi no awieeɛ teɛ; ɛma wɔhwere wɔn nkwa!
20 Wisdom sings aloud in passages, and in the broad places speaks boldly.
Nyansa team wɔ mmɔntene so, ɔma ne nne so wɔ adwaberem,
21 And she makes proclamation on the top of the walls, and sits by the gates of princes; and at the gates of the city boldly says,
ɔteaam wɔ afasuo no atifi, ɔkasa wɔ kuropɔn no apono ano sɛ,
22 So long as the simple cleave to justice, they shall not be ashamed: but the foolish being lovers of haughtiness, having become ungodly have hated knowledge, and are become subject to reproofs.
“Mo adwenemherɛfoɔ, mobɛyɛ adwenemherɛ akɔsi da bɛn? Fɛdifoɔ bɛdi fɛ akɔsi da bɛn? Nkwaseafoɔ bɛkyiri nimdeɛ akɔsi da bɛn?
23 Behold, I will bring forth to you the utterance of my breath, and I will instruct you in my speech.
Sɛ motiee mʼaninka a, anka mekaa mʼakoma mu nsɛm nyinaa kyerɛɛ mo maa mo hunuu me nsusuiɛ.
24 Since I called, and you did not listen; and I spoke at length, and you gave no heed;
Nanso, sɛ moyii mo aso ɛberɛ a mefrɛɛ mo na amfa obiara ho ɛberɛ a metenee me nsa mu,
25 but you set at nothing my counsels, and disregarded my reproofs;
sɛ mopoo mʼafotuo, na moampɛ mʼanimka enti,
26 therefore I also will laugh at your destruction; and I will rejoice against [you] when ruin comes upon you:
me nso mɛsere mo wɔ mo amanehunu mu; sɛ abɛbrɛsɛ bi bu fa mo so a, medi mo ho fɛw,
27 yes when dismay suddenly comes upon you, and [your] overthrow shall arrive like a tempest; and when tribulation and distress shall come upon you, or when ruin shall come upon 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 For it shall be that when you call upon me, I will not listen to you: wicked men shall seek me, but shall not find [me].
“Afei mobɛfrɛ me, nanso meremmua mo; mobɛhwehwɛ me, nanso morenhunu me.
29 For they hated wisdom, and did not choose the word of the Lord:
Esiane sɛ wɔkyirii nimdeɛ na wɔampɛ sɛ wobɛsuro Awurade.
30 neither would they attend to my counsels, but derided my reproofs.
Esiane sɛ w ɔpoo mʼafotuo, na wɔbuu me ntenesoɔ animtiaa enti,
31 Therefore shall they eat the fruits of their own way, and shall be filled with their own ungodliness.
wɔbɛdi wɔn akwan so aba na wɔn nhyehyɛeɛ mu aduane bɛmee wɔn.
32 For because they wronged the simple, they shall be slain; and an inquisition shall ruin the ungodly.
Na ntetekwaafoɔ asoɔden bɛkum wɔn, na nkwaseafoɔ tirimudɛ bɛsɛe wɔn;
33 But he that hearkens to me shall dwell in confidence, and shall rest securely from all evil.
Nanso, obiara a ɔbɛtie me no, ɔbɛtena ase asomdwoeɛ mu na ne ho bɛtɔ no a ɔrensuro ɔhaw biara.”
