Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Consider well what is before thee;
Sɛ wo ne ɔhene bi to nsa didi a, hwɛ nea esi wʼanim no yiye,
2 For thou wilt put a knife to thy throat, If thou art a man given to appetite!
Sɛ woyɛ adidibrada a, hyɛ wo ho so.
3 Long not for his dainties. For they are deceitful meat.
Nni nʼaduan akɔnnɔ akɔnnɔ no akyi, efisɛ saa aduan no daadaa nnipa.
4 Toil not to become rich; Cease from this, thy wisdom.
Mmiri wo mogya ani mpɛ sika; hu nyansa na tɔ wo bo ase.
5 Wilt thou let thine eyes fly toward them? They are gone! For riches truly make to themselves wings; They fly away like the eagle toward heaven.
Wʼani bɔɔ sika so ara pɛ, na atu ayera, ampa ara ebefuw ntaban na atu akɔ wim sɛ ɔkɔre.
6 Eat not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, And long not for his dainties;
Nni obi a ɔyɛ pɛpɛe aduan, nni nʼakɔnnɔ aduan akyi;
7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” saith he to thee; But his heart is not with thee.
efisɛ ɔyɛ obi a bere biara osusuw sika ho. Ɔka se, “Didi na nom,” nanso ɛnyɛ ne koma mu.
8 The morsel, which thou hast eaten, thou shalt vomit up; And thou wilt have thrown away thy sweet words.
Kakra a woadi no wobɛfe, na ɛno nti wo nkamfo so remma mfaso.
9 Speak not in the ears of a fool; For he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Nkasa nkyerɛ ɔkwasea, efisɛ ɔremfa nyansa a ɛwɔ wo kasa mu no.
10 Remove not the ancient landmark, And enter not into the fields of the fatherless!
Ntutu tete abo a wɔde ato hye ngu, na ntra ɔhye nkɔ ayisaa mfuw mu,
11 For their avenger is mighty; He will maintain their cause against thee.
efisɛ wɔn Gyefo yɛ den, na obedi wɔn asɛm ama wɔn.
12 Apply thy heart to instruction, And thine ears to the words of knowledge.
Ma wo koma mmra nkyerɛkyerɛ so, na wɛn wʼaso tie nimdeɛ.
13 Withhold not correction from a child; If thou beat him with the rod, he will 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 thy heart be wise, My heart shall rejoice, even mine;
Me ba, sɛ wo koma hu nyansa a, ɛno de, me koma ani begye;
16 Yea, my reins shall exult, When thy lips speak right things.
sɛ wʼano ka nea ɛteɛ a me mu ade nyinaa ani begye.
17 Let not thy heart envy sinners, But continue thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long;
Mma wʼani mmere abɔnefo, mmom bɔ Awurade suro ho mmɔden bere biara.
18 For surely there shall be a reward, And thine expectation shall not be cut off.
Ampa ara anidaso wɔ hɔ ma wo daakye, na wʼanidaso renyɛ ɔkwa.
19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise; And let thy heart go forward in the way!
Me ba, tie, na hu nyansa, ma wo koma mfa ɔkwantrenee so.
20 Be not thou among winebibbers, And riotous eaters of flesh;
Mfa wo ho mmɔ akɔwensafo anaasɛ wɔn a wɔpɛ nam mmoroso ho,
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.
efisɛ, akɔwensafo ne adidibradafo bɛyɛ ahiafo, na anikum fura wɔn ntamagow.
22 Hearken to thy father, who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she is old.
Tie wʼagya a ɔwoo wo no, na sɛ wo na bɔ aberewa a, mmu no animtiaa.
23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; Buy wisdom and instruction and understanding.
Tɔ nokware na ntɔn da; nya nyansa, ahohyɛso ne nhumu.
24 The father of a righteous man shall greatly rejoice; Yea, he who begetteth a wise child shall have joy in him.
Ɔtreneeni agya wɔ anigye bebree; nea ɔwɔ ɔba nyansafo no ani gye ne ho.
25 Let thy father and thy mother have joy; Yea, let her that bore thee rejoice!
Ma wʼagya ne wo na ani nnye; ma ɔbea a ɔwoo wo no nnya ahosɛpɛw.
26 My son, give me thy heart, And let thine eyes observe my ways!
Me ba, fa wo koma ma me na ma wʼani nkɔ mʼakwan ho,
27 For a harlot is a deep ditch; Yea, a strange woman is a narrow pit.
na oguamanfo yɛ amoa donkudonku ɔyere huhuni yɛ ɔdaadaafo.
28 Like a robber she lieth in wait, And increaseth the treacherous among men.
Ɔtɛw, twɛn, te sɛ ɔkwanmukafo, na ɔma mmarima mu atorofo dɔɔso.
29 Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who contentions? Who anxiety? Who wounds without cause? Who dimness 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 They that tarry long at the wine; They that go in to seek mixed wine.
Wɔn a wɔkyɛ nsa ho, na wɔka nsa a wɔafrafra hwɛ.
31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, When it sparkleth in the cup, When it goeth down smoothly.
Nhwɛ nsa ani kɔkɔɔ no haa, bere a ɛretwa yerɛw yerɛw wɔ kuruwa mu, na ɛkɔ yɔɔ no.
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, And stingeth like an adder.
Awiei no, ɛka te sɛ ɔwɔ na ɛwɔ bɔre te sɛ ahurutoa.
33 Thine eyes will look upon strange women, And thy heart will utter perverse things.
Wʼani behu nneɛma a wunhuu da, na woadwene nneɛma basabasa ho.
34 Yea, thou shalt be as one that lieth down in the midst of the sea, And as one that lieth down upon 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 have stricken me [[shalt thou say]], —I suffered no pain! They have beaten me, —I felt it not! When shall I awake? I will 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?”
