Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
Sɛ wo ne ɔhene bi to nsa didi a, hwɛ deɛ ɛsi wʼanim no yie,
2 For thou puttest a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man of a craving desire.
Sɛ woyɛ adidibrada a, hyɛ wo ho so.
3 Do not long for his savory meats; they are deceitful food.
Nni nʼaduane akɔnnɔ akɔnnɔ no akyi, ɛfiri sɛ saa aduane no daadaa nnipa.
4 Fatigue thyself not to become rich; because thou hast understanding, forbear.
Mmiri wo mogya ani mpɛ sika; hunu nyansa na to wo bo ase.
5 When thou lettest merely thy eyes fly over it, it is no more: for it will ever make itself wings: like an eagle will it fly toward heaven.
Wʼani bɔɔ sika so ara pɛ, na atu ayera, ampa ara ɛbɛfu ntaban na atu akɔ ewiem sɛ ɔkɔdeɛ.
6 Eat not the bread of a man with an evil eye, and do not long for his savory meats;
Nni obi a ɔyɛ pɛpɛɛ aduane nni nʼakɔnnɔ aduane akyi;
7 For as though there were a division in his soul, so doth he act: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
ɛfiri sɛ ɔyɛ obi a ɛberɛ biara ɔdwene sika ho. Ɔka sɛ, “Didi na nom,” nanso ɛnyɛ nʼakoma mu.
8 Thy morsel which thou hast eaten must thou spit out, and thou hast wasted thy pleasant words.
Kakra a woadi no wobɛfe na ɛno enti wo nkamfo ho remma mfasoɔ.
9 Speak not before the ears of a fool; for he will despise the intelligence of thy words.
Nkasa nkyerɛ ɔkwasea, ɛfiri sɛ ɔremfa nyansa a ɛwɔ wo kasa mu no.
10 Remove not the ancient landmark, and into the fields of the fatherless must thou not enter;
Ntutu tete aboɔ a wɔde ato hyeɛ ngu, na ntra hyeɛ nkɔ nwisiaa mfuo mu,
11 For their redeemer is strong; he will indeed plead their cause with thee.
ɛfiri sɛ, wɔn Gyefoɔ yɛ den, na ɔbɛdi wɔn asɛm ama wɔn.
12 Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thy ears to the sayings of knowledge.
Ma wʼakoma mmra nkyerɛkyerɛ so na wɛn wʼaso tie nimdeɛ.
13 Withhold not from a lad correction; for if thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Ntwentwɛne abɔfra ntenesoɔ so; sɛ wode abaa tene no a, ɔrenwu.
14 Thou wilt indeed beat him with the rod; but thou wilt deliver his soul from perdition. (Sheol h7585)
Fa abaa twe nʼaso na gye ne kra firi owuo mu. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, If thy heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
Me ba, sɛ wʼakoma hunu nyansa a, ɛnneɛ mʼakoma ani bɛgye;
16 And my reins shall exult when thy lips speak what is equitable.
sɛ wʼano ka deɛ ɛtene a me mu adeɛ nyinaa ani bɛgye.
17 Let not thy heart be envious against sinners; but [remain] in the fear of the lord all the time.
Mma wʼani mmerɛ abɔnefoɔ, mmom bɔ Awurade suro ho mmɔden ɛberɛ biara.
18 For surely there is a future, and thy hope will not be cut off.
Ampa ara anidasoɔ wɔ hɔ ma wo daakye, na wʼanidasoɔ renyɛ ɔkwa.
19 Hear thou, my son, and become wise, and guide thy heart on the right way.
Me ba, tie, na hunu nyansa, ma wʼakoma mfa ɛkwan tenenee so.
20 Be not among those that drink wine immoderately, among those that over-indulge in eating flesh:
Mfa wo ho mmɔ akɔwensafoɔ anaasɛ wɔn a wɔpɛ ɛnam mmorosoɔ,
21 For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty; and drowsiness clotheth a man in rags.
ɛfiri sɛ, akɔwensafoɔ ne adidibradafoɔ bɛyɛ ahiafoɔ, na anikum fira wɔn ntomago.
22 Hearken unto thy father that hath begotten thee, and despise not thy mother although she be old.
Tie wʼagya a ɔwoo woɔ no, na sɛ wo maame bɔ aberewa a, mmu no animtia.
23 Buy the truth and sell it not; [also] wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Tɔ nokorɛ na ntɔn da; nya nyansa, ahohyɛsoɔ ne nhunumu.
24 The father of the righteous will be greatly glad, and he that begetteth a wise child will have joy through him.
Ɔteneneeni agya wɔ anigyeɛ bebree; deɛ ɔwɔ ɔba nyansafoɔ no anigye ne ho.
25 Let [then] thy father and thy mother rejoice, and let her that hath born thee be glad.
Ma wʼagya ne wo maame ani nnye; ma ɔbaa a ɔwoo woɔ no nnya ahosɛpɛ.
26 Give, my son, thy heart unto me, and let thy eyes watch my ways.
Me ba, fa wʼakoma ma me na ma wʼani nkɔ mʼakwan ho,
27 For a harlot is a deep ditch, and a strange woman is a narrow well.
na odwamanfoɔ yɛ amena donkudonku ɔyere sansani yɛ ɔdaadaafoɔ.
28 She also lieth in wait like a robber, and she increaseth the treacherous among men.
Ɔtɛ, twɛn, te sɛ ɔkwanmukafoɔ na ɔma mmarima mu atorofoɔ dɔɔso.
29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath quarrels? who hath complaints? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
Hwan na wɔadome no? Hwan na ɔdi awerɛhoɔ? Hwan na ɔdi apereapereɛ? Hwan na ɔnwiinwii? Hwan na wapirapira hunaa? Hwan na mogya ada nʼani so?
30 They that tarry late over the wine: they that come to seek for mixed drink.
Wɔn a wɔkyɛre nsã ho, na wɔka nsã a wɔafrafra hwɛ.
31 Do not look on the wine when it looketh red, when it giveth its color in the cup, when it glideth down so readily.
Nhwɛ nsã ani kɔkɔɔ no haa, ɛberɛ a ɛretwa yerɛ yerɛ wɔ kuruwa mu, na ɛkɔ yɔɔ no.
32 At the last it will bite like a serpent, and like a basilisk will it sting.
Awieeɛ no ɛka te sɛ ɔwɔ na ɛwɔ borɔ te sɛ ahurutoa.
33 Thy eyes will see strange forms, and thy heart will speak perverse things.
Wʼani bɛhunu nneɛma a wonhunuu da, na woadwene nneɛma basabasa ho.
34 And thou wilt be like one that lieth down in the heart of the sea, or as he that lieth on the top of a mast.
Wobɛtɔ ntintan te sɛ hyɛn mu dwumayɛni a, ɔkura ɛhyɛn dua a, ɛrehinhim mu den, na ɛdenkye denkye wɔ ɛpo so.
35 “They smote me, [but] I suffered no pain; they struck me hard, [but] I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will continue to seek it again.”
Na wobɛka sɛ, “Wɔbɔ me, nanso mempira. Wɔboro me, nanso mente ɔyea biara. Ɛberɛ bɛn na menyane akɔpɛ nsã anom bio?”
