Proverbs 1
1 Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
Dawid babarima Salomo, Israelhene, mmebusɛm ni:
2 For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,
Ne botae ne sɛ ɛbɛkyerɛ nnipa nyansa ne ahohyɛso; ne sɛ ɛbɛboa ama wɔate nsɛm a emu dɔ ase;
3 For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,
sɛ wobenya akwankyerɛ wɔ abrabɔ pa mu, a ɛbɛma wɔayɛ ade pa, nea ɛteɛ na ho nni asɛm;
4 For giving to simple ones—prudence, To a youth—knowledge and discretion.
sɛ ɛbɛma nea nʼadwene mu nnɔ anya nyansa na mmabun anya nimdeɛ ne adwene,
5 (The wise hear and increase learning, And the intelligent obtain counsels.)
anyansafo ntie na wɔmfa nka nea wonim ho, na nea ɔwɔ nhumu nya akwankyerɛ a
6 For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.
ɛbɛma wate mmɛ ne kasammebu, anyansafo nsɛnka ne abisaa ase.
7 Fear of YHWH [is the] beginning of knowledge, Fools have despised wisdom and instruction!
Awurade suro yɛ nimdeɛ mfiase, na nkwaseafo bu nyansa ne ahohyɛso animtiaa.
8 Hear, my son, the instruction of your father, And do not leave the law of your mother,
Me ba, tie wʼagya akwankyerɛ na mpo wo na nkyerɛkyerɛ.
9 For they [are] a graceful wreath to your head, And chains to your neck.
Ɛbɛyɛ wo ti anuonyam abotiri ne wo kɔn mu atweaban.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not be willing.
Me ba, sɛ nnebɔneyɛfo twetwe wo a, mma wɔn ho kwan.
11 If they say, “Come with us, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly for the innocent without cause,
Sɛ wɔka se, “Bra ma yɛnkɔ; ma yɛnkɔtetɛw na yenkum obi, ma yɛnkɔtɛw ntwɛn mmɔborɔni bi;
ma yɛmmemene wɔn anikann sɛ ɔda, koraa, te sɛ wɔn a wɔkɔ ɔda mu; (Sheol h7585)
13 We find every precious substance, We fill our houses [with] spoil,
yebenya nneɛma a ɛsom bo ahorow na yɛde asade ahyɛ yɛn afi ma;
14 You cast your lot among us, One purse is—to all of us.”
fa wo ho bɛhyɛ mu, na wubenya wo kyɛfa wɔ ahonyade no mu.”
15 My son! Do not go in the way with them, Withhold your foot from their path,
Me ba, wo ne wɔn nnantew, mfa wo nan nsi wɔn akwan so;
16 For their feet run to evil, And they hurry to shed blood.
Wɔn anan de ntɛmpɛ kɔ bɔne mu, na wɔde ahoɔhare ka mogya gu.
17 Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.
So nni mfaso sɛ obi besum nnomaafiri wɔ beae a anomaa biara hu!
18 And they lay wait for their own blood, They watch secretly for their own lives.
Saa nnipa yi tetɛw pɛ wɔn ankasa mogya; wɔtetɛw wɔn ankasa wɔn ho!
19 So [are] the paths of every gainer of dishonest gain, It takes the life of its owners.
Saa na wɔn a wodi akorɔnne akyi no awiei te; ɛma wɔhwere wɔn nkwa!
20 Wisdom cries aloud in an out-place, She gives forth her voice in broad places,
Nyansa teɛ mu wɔ mmɔnten so, ɔma ne nne so wɔ aguabɔbea,
21 She calls at the head of the multitudes, In the openings of the gates, In the city she says her sayings:
ɔteɛ mu wɔ afasu no atifi, ɔkasa wɔ kuropɔn no apon ano se,
22 “Until when, you simple, do you love simplicity? And have scorners desired their scorning? And do 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 at my reproof, behold, I pour forth my spirit to you, I make known my words with you.
Sɛ mutiee mʼanimka a, anka mekaa me koma mu nsɛm nyinaa kyerɛɛ mo ma muhuu me nsusuwii.
24 Because I have called, and you refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,
Nanso sɛ muyii mo aso, bere a mefrɛɛ mo na amfa obiara ho, bere a meteɛɛ me nsa mu,
25 And you slight all my counsel, And you have not desired my reproof.
sɛ mopoo mʼafotu, na moampɛ mʼanimka nti,
26 I also laugh in your calamity, I deride when your fear comes,
me nso mɛserew mo wɔ mo amanehunu mu; sɛ abɛbrɛsɛ bi bu fa mo so a, midi mo ho fɛw,
27 When your fear comes as destruction, And your calamity comes as a windstorm, When adversity and distress come on you.
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 they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and do not find me.
“Afei wɔbɛfrɛ me, nanso meremmua; wɔbɛhwehwɛ me, nanso wɔrenhu me.
29 Because that they have hated knowledge, And have not chosen the fear of YHWH.
Esiane sɛ wokyii nimdeɛ na wɔampɛ sɛ wobesuro Awurade,
30 They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,
sɛ wɔpoo mʼafotu, na wobuu me nteɛso animtiaa nti,
31 And they eat of the fruit of their way, And they are filled from their own counsels.
wobedi wɔn akwan so aba; na wɔn nhyehyɛe mu aduan bɛmee wɔn.
32 For the turning of the simple slays them, And the security of the foolish destroys them.
Na ntetekwaafo asoɔden bekum wɔn, na nkwaseafo tirimudɛ bɛsɛe wɔn;
33 And whoever is listening to me dwells confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!”
Nanso obiara a obetie me no, ɔbɛtena ase asomdwoe mu na ne ho bɛtɔ no a ɔrensuro ɔhaw biara.”
