Proverbs 1
1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, the king of Israel:
Dawid babarima Salomo, Israelhene, mmebusɛm ni:
2 To know wisdom and instruction; to comprehend the sayings of understanding;
Ne botae ne sɛ ɛbɛkyerɛ nnipa nyansa ne ahohyɛso; ne sɛ ɛbɛboa ama wɔate nsɛm a emu dɔ ase;
3 To accept the instruction of intelligence, righteousness, and justice, and equity;
sɛ wobenya akwankyerɛ wɔ abrabɔ pa mu, a ɛbɛma wɔayɛ ade pa, nea ɛteɛ na ho nni asɛm;
4 To give to the simple prudence, to the youth knowledge and discretion.
sɛ ɛbɛma nea nʼadwene mu nnɔ anya nyansa na mmabun anya nimdeɛ ne adwene,
5 The wise will hear, and will increase [his] information; and the man of understanding will obtain wise counsels:
anyansafo ntie na wɔmfa nka nea wonim ho, na nea ɔwɔ nhumu nya akwankyerɛ a
6 To understand a proverb, and a sage sentence; the words of the wise, and their riddles.
ɛbɛma wate mmɛ ne kasammebu, anyansafo nsɛnka ne abisaa ase.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: wisdom and instruction fools [alone] despise.
Awurade suro yɛ nimdeɛ mfiase, na nkwaseafo bu nyansa ne ahohyɛso animtiaa.
8 Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and cast not off the teaching of thy mother;
Me ba, tie wʼagya akwankyerɛ na mpo wo na nkyerɛkyerɛ.
9 For a wreath of grace are they unto thy head, and chains for thy throat.
Ɛbɛyɛ wo ti anuonyam abotiri ne wo kɔn mu atweaban.
10 My son, if sinners wish to entice thee, consent thou not.
Me ba, sɛ nnebɔneyɛfo twetwe wo a, mma wɔn ho kwan.
11 If they should say, Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us watch in concealment for the uselessly innocent;
Sɛ wɔka se, “Bra ma yɛnkɔ; ma yɛnkɔtetɛw na yenkum obi, ma yɛnkɔtɛw ntwɛn mmɔborɔni bi;
12 We will swallow them up like the grave alive; and the men of integrity, 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 [kinds of] precious wealth, we will fill our houses with booty;
yebenya nneɛma a ɛsom bo ahorow na yɛde asade ahyɛ yɛn afi ma;
14 Thy lot must thou cast in our midst; one purse shall be for us all:
fa wo ho bɛhyɛ mu, na wubenya wo kyɛfa wɔ ahonyade no mu.”
15 My son, walk not thou on the way with them; withhold thy foot from their path;
Me ba, wo ne wɔn nnantew, mfa wo nan nsi wɔn akwan so;
16 For their feet run after evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
Wɔn anan de ntɛmpɛ kɔ bɔne mu, na wɔde ahoɔhare ka mogya gu.
17 For uselessly is the net spread out before the eyes of every winged bird:
So nni mfaso sɛ obi besum nnomaafiri wɔ beae a anomaa biara hu!
18 While they lie in wait for their [own] blood; they watch in concealment 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 after [unlawful] gain; it taketh away the life of those that own it.
Saa na wɔn a wodi akorɔnne akyi no awiei te; ɛma wɔhwere wɔn nkwa!
20 Wisdom crieth loudly without; in the public places she uttereth her voice;
Nyansa teɛ mu wɔ mmɔnten so, ɔma ne nne so wɔ aguabɔbea,
21 At the corner of noisy streets she calleth, at the entrances of gates; in the city she sayeth her speeches:
ɔteɛ mu wɔ afasu no atifi, ɔkasa wɔ kuropɔn no apon ano se,
22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners take their delight in scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
“Mo adwenharefo, mobɛyɛ adwenhare akosi da bɛn? Fɛwdifo bedi fɛw akosi da bɛn? Nkwaseafo bekyi nimdeɛ akosi da bɛn?
23 Turn back to my admonition: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
Sɛ mutiee mʼanimka a, anka mekaa me koma mu nsɛm nyinaa kyerɛɛ mo ma muhuu me nsusuwii.
24 Whereas I called, and ye refused; I stretched out my hand, and no man was attentive;
Nanso sɛ muyii mo aso, bere a mefrɛɛ mo na amfa obiara ho, bere a meteɛɛ me nsa mu,
25 And ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would not accept my admonition:
sɛ mopoo mʼafotu, na moampɛ mʼanimka nti,
26 [Therefore] I also will truly laugh at your calamity; I will deride [you] when your terror cometh;
me nso mɛserew mo wɔ mo amanehunu mu; sɛ abɛbrɛsɛ bi bu fa mo so a, midi mo ho fɛw,
27 When your terror cometh like the tempest-cloud, and your calamity hasteneth like a whirlwind; when there come upon you distress and affliction.
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 me, but I will not answer; they will seek me earnestly, but they shall not find me;
“Afei wɔbɛfrɛ me, nanso meremmua; wɔbɛhwehwɛ me, nanso wɔrenhu me.
29 For the reason that they hated knowledge, and the fear of the Lord they did not choose;
Esiane sɛ wokyii nimdeɛ na wɔampɛ sɛ wobesuro Awurade,
30 [That] they would not attend to my counsel: [that] they rejected all my admonition.
sɛ wɔpoo mʼafotu, na wobuu me nteɛso animtiaa nti,
31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and from their own counsels shall they be satisfied.
wobedi wɔn akwan so aba; na wɔn nhyehyɛe mu aduan bɛmee wɔn.
32 For the defection of the simple will slay them, and the prosperity of fools will cause them to be lost.
Na ntetekwaafo asoɔden bekum wɔn, na nkwaseafo tirimudɛ bɛsɛe wɔn;
33 But he that hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be at rest from the dread of evil.
Nanso obiara a obetie me no, ɔbɛtena ase asomdwoe mu na ne ho bɛtɔ no a ɔrensuro ɔhaw biara.”
