Proverbs 23
1 When you sit to eat with a ruler, Diligently consider that which [is] before you,
Sɛ wo ne ɔhene bi to nsa didi a, hwɛ nea esi wʼanim no yiye,
2 And you have put a knife to your throat, If you [are] a man of appetite.
Sɛ woyɛ adidibrada a, hyɛ wo ho so.
3 Have no desire to his delicacies, seeing it [is] lying food.
Nni nʼaduan akɔnnɔ akɔnnɔ no akyi, efisɛ saa aduan no daadaa nnipa.
4 Do not labor to make wealth, Cease from your own understanding, Do you cause your eyes to fly on it? Then it is not.
Mmiri wo mogya ani mpɛ sika; hu nyansa na tɔ wo bo ase.
5 For wealth makes wings to itself, It flies to the heavens as an eagle.
Wʼani bɔɔ sika so ara pɛ, na atu ayera, ampa ara ebefuw ntaban na atu akɔ wim sɛ ɔkɔre.
6 Do not eat the bread of an evil eye, And have no desire to his delicacies,
Nni obi a ɔyɛ pɛpɛe aduan, nni nʼakɔnnɔ aduan akyi;
7 For as he has thought in his soul, so he [is]. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, And his heart [is] not with you.
efisɛ ɔyɛ obi a bere biara osusuw sika ho. Ɔka se, “Didi na nom,” nanso ɛnyɛ ne koma mu.
8 You vomit up your morsel you have eaten, And have marred your words that [are] sweet.
Kakra a woadi no wobɛfe, na ɛno nti wo nkamfo so remma mfaso.
9 Do not speak in the ears of a fool, For he treads on the wisdom of your words.
Nkasa nkyerɛ ɔkwasea, efisɛ ɔremfa nyansa a ɛwɔ wo kasa mu no.
10 Do not remove a border of ancient times, And do not enter into 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 pleads their cause with you.
efisɛ wɔn Gyefo yɛ den, na obedi wɔn asɛm ama wɔn.
12 Bring your heart to instruction, And your ear to sayings of knowledge.
Ma wo koma mmra nkyerɛkyerɛ so, na wɛn wʼaso tie nimdeɛ.
13 Do not withhold discipline from a youth, When you strike him with a rod he does 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 your heart has been wise, My heart rejoices, even mine,
Me ba, sɛ wo koma hu nyansa a, ɛno de, me koma ani begye;
16 And my reins exult when your lips speak uprightly.
sɛ wʼano ka nea ɛteɛ a me mu ade nyinaa ani begye.
17 Do not let your heart be envious at sinners, But—in the fear of YHWH all the day.
Mma wʼani mmere abɔnefo, mmom bɔ Awurade suro ho mmɔden bere biara.
18 For is there a posterity? Then your hope is not cut off.
Ampa ara anidaso wɔ hɔ ma wo daakye, na wʼanidaso renyɛ ɔkwa.
19 Hear, my son, and be wise, And make your heart blessed in the way,
Me ba, tie, na hu nyansa, ma wo koma mfa ɔkwantrenee so.
20 Do not become drunk with wine, Among gluttonous ones of flesh,
Mfa wo ho mmɔ akɔwensafo anaasɛ wɔn a wɔpɛ nam mmoroso ho,
21 For the drunkard and glutton become poor, And drowsiness clothes with rags.
efisɛ, akɔwensafo ne adidibradafo bɛyɛ ahiafo, na anikum fura wɔn ntamagow.
22 Listen to your father, who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she has become old.
Tie wʼagya a ɔwoo wo no, na sɛ wo na bɔ aberewa a, mmu no animtiaa.
23 Buy truth, and do not sell, Wisdom, and instruction, and understanding,
Tɔ nokware na ntɔn da; nya nyansa, ahohyɛso ne nhumu.
24 The father of the righteous rejoices greatly, The begetter of the wise rejoices in him.
Ɔtreneeni agya wɔ anigye bebree; nea ɔwɔ ɔba nyansafo no ani gye ne ho.
25 Your father and your mother rejoice, Indeed, she bearing you is joyful.
Ma wʼagya ne wo na ani nnye; ma ɔbea a ɔwoo wo no nnya ahosɛpɛw.
26 Give, my son, your heart to me, And let your eyes watch my ways.
Me ba, fa wo koma ma me na ma wʼani nkɔ mʼakwan ho,
27 For a harlot [is] a deep ditch, And a strange woman [is] a narrow pit.
na oguamanfo yɛ amoa donkudonku ɔyere huhuni yɛ ɔdaadaafo.
28 She also, as catching prey, lies in wait, And she increases the treacherous among men.
Ɔtɛw, twɛn, te sɛ ɔkwanmukafo, na ɔma mmarima mu atorofo dɔɔso.
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaint? Who has wounds without cause? Who has 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 Those lingering by the wine, Those going in to search out mixed wine.
Wɔn a wɔkyɛ nsa ho, na wɔka nsa a wɔafrafra hwɛ.
31 Do not see wine when it shows itself red, When it gives its color in the cup, It goes up and down through the upright.
Nhwɛ nsa ani kɔkɔɔ no haa, bere a ɛretwa yerɛw yerɛw wɔ kuruwa mu, na ɛkɔ yɔɔ no.
32 Its latter end—it bites as a serpent, And it stings as a viper.
Awiei no, ɛka te sɛ ɔwɔ na ɛwɔ bɔre te sɛ ahurutoa.
33 Your eyes see strange women, And your heart speaks perverse things.
Wʼani behu nneɛma a wunhuu da, na woadwene nneɛma basabasa ho.
34 And you have been as one lying down in the heart of the sea, And as one lying down on 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 struck me, I have not been sick, They beat me, I have not known. When I awake—I 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?”
