Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, thou shalt consider well, what is before thee;
Sɛ wo ne ɔhene bi to nsa didi a, hwɛ nea esi wʼanim no yiye,
2 And shalt put a knife to thy throat, if, of great appetite, thou art:
Sɛ woyɛ adidibrada a, hyɛ wo ho so.
3 Do not crave his dainties, for, the same, are deceitful food.
Nni nʼaduan akɔnnɔ akɔnnɔ no akyi, efisɛ saa aduan no daadaa nnipa.
4 Do not toil to get wealth, of thine own understanding, forbear:
Mmiri wo mogya ani mpɛ sika; hu nyansa na tɔ wo bo ase.
5 Wilt thou let thine eye fly thereupon, when it is nothing? for it will, surely make, itself wings, Like an eagle, will it wing its way across the heavens.
Wʼani bɔɔ sika so ara pɛ, na atu ayera, ampa ara ebefuw ntaban na atu akɔ wim sɛ ɔkɔre.
6 Do not eat the food of him that hath a begrudging eye, neither crave thou his dainties;
Nni obi a ɔyɛ pɛpɛe aduan, nni nʼakɔnnɔ aduan akyi;
7 For, just as he hath thought in his own mind, so, he is: Eat and drink! he may say 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 As for thy morsel thou hast eaten, thou shalt vomit it, so shalt thou waste thy things so sweet.
Kakra a woadi no wobɛfe, na ɛno nti wo nkamfo so remma mfaso.
9 In the ears of a dullard, do not speak, for he will despise the good sense of thy words.
Nkasa nkyerɛ ɔkwasea, efisɛ ɔremfa nyansa a ɛwɔ wo kasa mu no.
10 Do not move back the ancient boundary, and, into the fields of the fatherless, do not enter;
Ntutu tete abo a wɔde ato hye ngu, na ntra ɔhye nkɔ ayisaa mfuw mu,
11 For, their near of kin, is strong, he, will plead their cause with thee.
efisɛ wɔn Gyefo yɛ den, na obedi wɔn asɛm ama wɔn.
12 Bring, to correction, thy heart, and thine ears, to the sayings of knowledge.
Ma wo koma mmra nkyerɛkyerɛ so, na wɛn wʼaso tie nimdeɛ.
13 Do not withhold, from a child, correction, When thou smitest him with the rod, he shall 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 So shall my reins exult, when thy lips speak the things that are right.
sɛ wʼano ka nea ɛteɛ a me mu ade nyinaa ani begye.
17 Let not thy heart be envious of sinners, only of the reverence of Yahweh, all day long;
Mma wʼani mmere abɔnefo, mmom bɔ Awurade suro ho mmɔden bere biara.
18 For surely there is a future, 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 lead forward, in duty, thy heart.
Me ba, tie, na hu nyansa, ma wo koma mfa ɔkwantrenee so.
20 Do not be among them who tipple with wine, —among them who are gluttons;
Mfa wo ho mmɔ akɔwensafo anaasɛ wɔn a wɔpɛ nam mmoroso ho,
21 For, the tippler and the glutton, shall come to poverty, and, rags, shall Slumber put on!
efisɛ, akɔwensafo ne adidibradafo bɛyɛ ahiafo, na anikum fura wɔn ntamagow.
22 Hearken to thy father here, who begat thee, and despise not, when she is old, thy mother.
Tie wʼagya a ɔwoo wo no, na sɛ wo na bɔ aberewa a, mmu no animtiaa.
23 Truth, buy thou, but do not sell, wisdom, and correction, and understanding.
Tɔ nokware na ntɔn da; nya nyansa, ahohyɛso ne nhumu.
24 Greatly shall exult, the father of a righteous man, and, he that begetteth a wise son, shall rejoice in him:
Ɔtreneeni agya wɔ anigye bebree; nea ɔwɔ ɔba nyansafo no ani gye ne ho.
25 Rejoice shall thy father and thy mother, yea she, shall exult, who bare thee.
Ma wʼagya ne wo na ani nnye; ma ɔbea a ɔwoo wo no nnya ahosɛpɛw.
26 Oh give, my son, thy mind unto me, and let, thine eyes, observe, my ways;
Me ba, fa wo koma ma me na ma wʼani nkɔ mʼakwan ho,
27 For, a deep chasm, is the unchaste woman, and, a narrow pit, the female unknown;
na oguamanfo yɛ amoa donkudonku ɔyere huhuni yɛ ɔdaadaafo.
28 Yea, she, as for prey, lieth in wait, and, the treacherous among mankind, she causeth to abound.
Ɔtɛw, twɛn, te sɛ ɔkwanmukafo, na ɔma mmarima mu atorofo dɔɔso.
29 Who hath woe? Who hath outcry of pain? Who hath contentions? Who hath complaining? Who hath needless wounds? Who hath dullness 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 who tarry over wine, they who go in to search for mixed wine.
Wɔn a wɔkyɛ nsa ho, na wɔka nsa a wɔafrafra hwɛ.
31 Do not look on wine when it becometh red, when it giveth in the cup its sparkle, glideth down smoothly.
Nhwɛ nsa ani kɔkɔɔ no haa, bere a ɛretwa yerɛw yerɛw wɔ kuruwa mu, na ɛkɔ yɔɔ no.
32 Its after effect, is that, like a serpent, it biteth, and, like a viper, it doth sting.
Awiei no, ɛka te sɛ ɔwɔ na ɛwɔ bɔre te sɛ ahurutoa.
33 Thine eyes, will see strange women, and, thy heart, will speak perverse things:
Wʼani behu nneɛma a wunhuu da, na woadwene nneɛma basabasa ho.
34 So shalt thou become, as one lying down in the heart of the sea, —or as one lying down on the top of the mastgear:
Wobɛtɔ ntintan te sɛ hyɛn mu dwumayɛni a, okura hyɛn dua a, ɛrehinhim mu den, na ehinhim wɔ po so.
35 They smote me—I felt no pain, They struck me down—I noticed it not, —When shall I wake up? I will go on, I will seek it, again!
Na wobɛka se, “Wɔbɔ me, nanso mimpira. Wɔboro me, nanso mente ɔyaw biara. Bere bɛn na menyan akɔpɛ nsa anom bio?”
