Proverbs 5
1 My son, attend unto my wisdom; to my understanding incline thou thy ear:
Me ba, yɛ aso ma me nyansa; tie me nhunumu nsɛm no yie,
2 That thou mayest observe discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.
sɛdeɛ ɛbɛma woahwɛ yie, na wʼano akora nimdeɛ.
3 For as of fine honey drop the lips of an adulterous woman, and smoother than oil is her palate;
Ɛfiri sɛ ɔbaa dwamanfoɔ ano sosɔ ɛwoɔ, na ne kasa kɔ yɛɛ sene ngo;
4 But her end is bitter as wormwood, it is sharp as a two-edged sword.
nanso, awieeɛ no ɛyɛ nwono sene bɔnwoma, ɛyɛ nam sɛ akofena anofanu.
Ne nan kɔ owuo mu; nʼanammɔntutuo kɔ ɛda mu tee. (Sheol h7585)
6 So that she cannot balance the path of life; her tracks are unsteady, and she knoweth it not.
Ɔnnwene ɛkwan a ɛkɔ nkwa mu ho; nʼakwan yɛ kɔntɔnkye, nanso ɔnnim.
7 And now, O ye children, hearken unto me, and depart not from the sayings of my mouth.
Enti, afei, me mma, montie me; Monntwe mo ho mfiri deɛ meka ho.
8 Remove far from her thy way, and come not nigh to the door of her house;
Ɛkwan a ɛmmɛn noɔ no na momfa so mommmɛn ne fie ɛpono ano,
9 That thou mayest not give up unto others thy vigor, and thy years unto the cruel;
anyɛ saa a, mode mo ahoɔden bɛma afoforɔ na mode mo mfeɛ ama otirimuɔdenfoɔ,
10 That strangers may not satisfy themselves with thy strength, and with thy exertions, in the house of an alien:
anyɛ saa a, ahɔhoɔ bɛfom mo ahonyadeɛ na mobrɛ de ahonya akɔ afoforɔ fie.
11 While thou moanest at thy end, when thy flesh and thy body are coming to their end,
Mo nkwanna akyi, mobɛsi apinie ɛberɛ a mo honam ne mo onipadua asa no.
12 And thou sayest, How have I hated correction, and how hath my heart rejected reproof;
Na moaka sɛ, “Na mekyiri ahohyɛsoɔ! Mʼakoma ampɛ ntenesoɔ!
13 While I hearkened not to the voice of my instructors, and to my teachers I inclined not my ear;
Manyɛ ɔsetie amma mʼakyerɛkyerɛfoɔ na mantie mʼakwankyerɛfoɔ asɛm.
14 But little more was wanting, and I had been in all [kinds of] unhappiness in the midst of the congregation and assembly.
Maduru ɔsɛeɛ ntɛntɛnoa wɔ asafo no nyinaa mu.”
15 Drink water out of thy own cistern, and running waters out of thy own well.
Nom nsuo firi wʼankasa ankorɛ mu, nsuo a ɛtene firi wʼankasa abura mu.
16 So will thy springs overflow abroad; and in the open streets will be thy rivulets of water;
Ɛsɛ sɛ wo nsutire yiri fa mmɔntene so na wo nsuwa kokɔ ɔman adwaberem anaa?
17 They will be thy own only, and not those of strangers with thee.
Ma ɛnyɛ wo nko ara dea, a wone ahɔhoɔ nnkyɛ da.
18 Thy fountain will be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth, —
Nhyira nka wʼasubura na wʼani nka wʼababunuberɛ mu yere ho.
19 The lovely gazelle and the graceful chamois: let her bosom satisfy thee abundantly at all times; with her love be thou ravished continually.
Ɔte sɛ ɔtwe bereɛ dɔfoɔ, ɔwansane animuonyamfoɔ. Ma ne nufoɔ nsɔ wʼani daa na ne dɔ nkyekyere wo.
20 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with an adulteress, and embrace the bosom of an alien woman?
Me ba, adɛn enti na woma ɔbaa dwamanfoɔ kyekyere wo? Adɛn enti na woda ɔbarima foforɔ bi yere kokom?
21 For before the eyes of the Lord are the ways of man, and all his tracks doth he weigh in the balance.
Awurade hunu onipa akwan nyinaa, na ɔhwehwɛ ne nyinaa mu.
22 His own iniquities will truly catch the wicked, and with the cords of his sin will he be held firmly.
Omumuyɛfoɔ nnebɔne sum no afidie; na ne bɔne nhoma kyekyere no papee.
23 He will indeed die for want of correction; and through the abundance of his folly will he sink into error.
Ɔbɛwu ɛsiane ahohyɛsoɔ a ɔnni enti, na wayera ɛsiane nʼagyegyentwisɛm enti.
