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 deɛ ɛsi wʼanim no yie,
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 nʼaduane akɔnnɔ akɔnnɔ no akyi, ɛfiri sɛ saa aduane no daadaa nnipa.
4 Toil not to become rich; Cease from this, thy wisdom.
Mmiri wo mogya ani mpɛ sika; hunu nyansa na to 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 ɛbɛfu ntaban na atu akɔ ewiem sɛ ɔkɔdeɛ.
6 Eat not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, And long not for his dainties;
Nni obi a ɔyɛ pɛpɛɛ aduane nni nʼakɔnnɔ aduane 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.
ɛfiri sɛ ɔyɛ obi a ɛberɛ biara ɔdwene sika ho. Ɔka sɛ, “Didi na nom,” nanso ɛnyɛ nʼakoma 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 enti wo nkamfo ho remma mfasoɔ.
9 Speak not in the ears of a fool; For he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Nkasa nkyerɛ ɔkwasea, ɛfiri sɛ 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 aboɔ a wɔde ato hyeɛ ngu, na ntra hyeɛ nkɔ nwisiaa mfuo mu,
11 For their avenger is mighty; He will maintain their cause against thee.
ɛfiri sɛ, wɔn Gyefoɔ yɛ den, na ɔbɛdi wɔn asɛm ama wɔn.
12 Apply thy heart to instruction, And thine ears to the words of knowledge.
Ma wʼakoma 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.
Ntwentwɛne abɔfra ntenesoɔ so; sɛ wode abaa tene no a, ɔrenwu.
Fa abaa twe nʼaso na gye ne kra firi owuo mu. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if thy heart be wise, My heart shall rejoice, even mine;
Me ba, sɛ wʼakoma hunu nyansa a, ɛnneɛ mʼakoma ani bɛgye;
16 Yea, my reins shall exult, When thy lips speak right things.
sɛ wʼano ka deɛ ɛtene a me mu adeɛ nyinaa ani bɛgye.
17 Let not thy heart envy sinners, But continue thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long;
Mma wʼani mmerɛ abɔnefoɔ, mmom bɔ Awurade suro ho mmɔden ɛberɛ biara.
18 For surely there shall be a reward, And thine expectation shall not be cut off.
Ampa ara anidasoɔ wɔ hɔ ma wo daakye, na wʼanidasoɔ renyɛ ɔkwa.
19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise; And let thy heart go forward in the way!
Me ba, tie, na hunu nyansa, ma wʼakoma mfa ɛkwan tenenee so.
20 Be not thou among winebibbers, And riotous eaters of flesh;
Mfa wo ho mmɔ akɔwensafoɔ anaasɛ wɔn a wɔpɛ ɛnam mmorosoɔ,
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.
ɛfiri sɛ, akɔwensafoɔ ne adidibradafoɔ bɛyɛ ahiafoɔ, na anikum fira wɔn ntomago.
22 Hearken to thy father, who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she is old.
Tie wʼagya a ɔwoo woɔ no, na sɛ wo maame bɔ aberewa a, mmu no animtia.
23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; Buy wisdom and instruction and understanding.
Tɔ nokorɛ na ntɔn da; nya nyansa, ahohyɛsoɔ ne nhunumu.
24 The father of a righteous man shall greatly rejoice; Yea, he who begetteth a wise child shall have joy in him.
Ɔteneneeni agya wɔ anigyeɛ bebree; deɛ ɔwɔ ɔba nyansafoɔ no anigye ne ho.
25 Let thy father and thy mother have joy; Yea, let her that bore thee rejoice!
Ma wʼagya ne wo maame ani nnye; ma ɔbaa a ɔwoo woɔ no nnya ahosɛpɛ.
26 My son, give me thy heart, And let thine eyes observe my ways!
Me ba, fa wʼakoma 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 odwamanfoɔ yɛ amena donkudonku ɔyere sansani yɛ ɔdaadaafoɔ.
28 Like a robber she lieth in wait, And increaseth the treacherous among men.
Ɔtɛ, twɛn, te sɛ ɔkwanmukafoɔ na ɔma mmarima mu atorofoɔ dɔɔso.
29 Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who contentions? Who anxiety? Who wounds without cause? Who dimness of eyes?
Hwan na wɔadome no? Hwan na ɔdi awerɛhoɔ? Hwan na ɔdi apereapereɛ? Hwan na ɔnwiinwii? Hwan na wapirapira hunaa? Hwan na mogya ada nʼani so?
30 They that tarry long at the wine; They that go in to seek mixed wine.
Wɔn a wɔkyɛre nsã ho, na wɔka nsã 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 nsã ani kɔkɔɔ no haa, ɛberɛ a ɛretwa yerɛ yerɛ wɔ kuruwa mu, na ɛkɔ yɔɔ no.
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, And stingeth like an adder.
Awieeɛ no ɛka te sɛ ɔwɔ na ɛwɔ borɔ te sɛ ahurutoa.
33 Thine eyes will look upon strange women, And thy heart will utter perverse things.
Wʼani bɛhunu nneɛma a wonhunuu 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, ɔkura ɛhyɛn dua a, ɛrehinhim mu den, na ɛdenkye denkye wɔ ɛpo 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 sɛ, “Wɔbɔ me, nanso mempira. Wɔboro me, nanso mente ɔyea biara. Ɛberɛ bɛn na menyane akɔpɛ nsã anom bio?”
