Proverbs 7
1 My son! Keep my sayings, And lay up my commands with you.
Me ba, fa me nsɛm sie na kora mʼahyɛdeɛ wɔ wo mu.
2 Keep my commands, and live, And my law as the pupil of your eye.
Di mʼahyɛdeɛ so na wobɛnya nkwa; bɔ me nkyerɛkyerɛ ho ban sɛ deɛ wodɔ noɔ.
3 Bind them on your fingers, Write them on the tablet of your heart.
Kyekyere bɔ wo nsateaa ho; twerɛ no yie gu wʼakoma ɛpono so.
4 Say to wisdom, “You [are] my sister.” And cry to understanding, “Relative!”
Ka kyerɛ nyansa sɛ, “Wo yɛ me nuabaa,” na frɛ nteaseɛ wo busuani;
5 To preserve you from a strange woman, From a stranger who has made her sayings smooth.
Wɔbɛtwe wo afiri ɔbaawaresɛefoɔ ho, afiri ɔbaawarefoɔ sansani nsɛmmɔdɛ ho.
6 For at a window of my house, I have looked out through my casement,
Me fie mpomma ano mede mʼani faa ntokua mu.
7 And I see among the simple ones, I discern among the sons, A young man lacking understanding,
Mehunuu wɔ ntetekwaafoɔ mu, mehyɛɛ mmeranteɛ no mu baako nso, ɔbabunu a ɔnni adwene.
8 Passing on in the street, near her corner, And the way [to] her house he steps,
Na ɔnam borɔno a ɛbɛn ɔbaa no fie so a nʼani kyerɛ ɔbaa no fie
9 In the twilight—in the evening of day, In the darkness of night and blackness.
ɛberɛ a ɔnwunu redwoɔ, na animu rebiribiri no.
10 And behold, a woman to meet him—(A harlot’s dress, and watchful of heart,
Afei ɔbaa bi firi bɛhyiaa no a wasiesie ne ho sɛ odwamanfoɔ a nnaadaa wɔ nʼakomam.
11 She [is] noisy, and stubborn, her feet do not rest in her house.
(Ɔyɛ hyirenn na hwee mfa ne ho, ɔntena efie koraa;
12 Now in an out-place, now in broad places, And she lies in wait near every corner)—
ɛnnɛ wɔhunu no mmɔntene so, ɔkyena na ɔte adwaberem, ɔtetɛ wɔ mmantwea mmantwea.)
13 And she laid hold on him and kissed him, She has hardened her face and says to him,
Ɔsɔɔ ne mu fee nʼano wamfɛre, na ɔkaa sɛ,
14 “Sacrifices of peace-offerings [are] by me, Today I have completed my vows.
“Mewɔ ayɔnkofa ayɛyɛdeɛ wɔ efie; ɛnnɛ madi me bɔhyɛ so.
15 Therefore I have come forth to meet you, To earnestly seek your face, and I find you.
Enti mebaeɛ sɛ merebɛhyia wo; mehwehwɛɛ wo na mahunu wo!
16 I decked my bed [with] ornamental coverings, Carved works—cotton of Egypt.
Mato me mpa mede nwera a wɔahyɛ no aduro a ɛfiri Misraim.
17 I sprinkled my bed [with] myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
Mede nnuhwam apete me mpa so: kurobo, pɛperɛ ne sinamon.
18 Come, we are filled [with] love until the morning, We delight ourselves in loves.
Bra, ma yɛmfa ɔdɔ mmɔ ɔdɔ mu nkɔsi anɔpa;
19 For the man is not in his house, He has gone on a long journey.
Me kunu nni efie; watu kwan na ɔbɛkyɛre.
20 He has taken a bag of money in his hand, At the day of the new moon he comes to his house.”
Ɔde sika a ɛdɔɔso hyɛɛ ne sikabɔtɔ ma na ɔremma kɔsi ɔsrane no korokumatwa berɛ mu.”
21 She turns him aside with the abundance of her speech, She forces him with the flattery of her lips.
Ɔde akorɔkorɔ bɔɔ no asɔn; ɔde nnaadaa nyaa no ne no daeɛ.
22 He is going after her straight away, he comes as an ox to the slaughter, And as a chain to the discipline of a fool,
Ɔdii nʼakyi prɛko pɛ te sɛ nantwie a ɔrekɔ akumiiɛ, anaa ɔwansane a ɔde ne tiri rekɔhyɛ hankrafidie mu
23 Until an arrow splits his liver, As a bird has hurried to a snare, And has not known that it [is] for its life.
kɔsi sɛ bɛmma bɛhwire ne brɛboɔ mu, te sɛ anomaa a ɔrekɔtɔ anomaa afidie mu na ɔnnim sɛ ɔbɛhwere ne nkwa.
24 And now, you sons, listen to me, And give attention to sayings of my mouth.
Na afei, me mma, montie me; monyɛ aso mma deɛ meka.
25 Do not let your heart turn to her ways, Do not wander in her paths,
Mommma mo akoma mpatere nkɔ ne so na mommane mfa nʼakwan so.
26 For many [are] the wounded she caused to fall, And mighty [are] all her slain ones.
Bebree na wɔnam ne so ahwehwe ase; wɔn a wakum wɔn dɔɔso pa ara.
