Proverbs 6
1 My son, if thou have become surety for thy neighbour, —have struck for a stranger thy hands,
Me ba, sɛ woadi akagyinamu ama ɔyɔnko bi, sɛ wode wo biribi asi awowa ama obi,
2 Thou hast been snared by the sayings of thy mouth, —thou hast been caught by the sayings of thy mouth.
sɛ nea wokae ayi ka ama wo na sɛ wʼano asɛm afiri ayi wo a,
3 Do this then, my son, and deliver thyself, When thou hast come into the hand of thy neighbour, Go, haste thee, and urge thy neighbour;
ɛno de yɛ eyi, me ba, na fa tetew wo ho, sɛ ɔyɔnko nsa aka wo no nti: fa ahobrɛase kɔ nʼanim; na kɔ so pa wo yɔnko no kyɛw!
4 Do not give sleep to thine eyes, or slumber to thine eyelashes;
Mma wʼani nkum na ntɔ nko.
5 Deliver thyself, as a gazelle out of the hand, and as a bird, out of the hand of the fowler.
Gye wo ho, sɛnea ɔforote guan fi ɔbɔmmɔfo nsam anaa sɛnea anomaa guan fi ofirisumfo afiri mu no.
6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard, observe her ways, and be wise;
Ɔkwadwofo, kɔ ɔtɛtea nkyɛn; hwɛ nʼakwan, na hu nyansa!
7 Which, having no harvest, scribe, or ruler,
Onni ɔsahene, onni ɔhwɛfo anaa sodifo bi,
8 Prepareth, in the summer, her food, hath collected, in the harvest, her sustenance.
nanso ɔde aduan sie wɔ ahuhurubere mu, ɔboaboa nnuan ano wɔ twabere.
9 How long, O sluggard, wilt thou lie? how long ere thou rise from thy sleep?
Wo, ɔkwadwofo, wobɛda akosi da bɛn? Wubenyan bere bɛn?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest: —
Nna kakra, nkotɔ kakra, nsa a woabobɔw de rehome kakra,
11 So shall come in, as a highwayman, thy poverty, and, thy want, as one armed with a shield.
ɛbɛma ohia aba wo so sɛ ɔkwanmukafo na ahokyere atow akyere wo sɛnea okura otuo.
12 An abandoned man, a man of iniquity, [is he] who—goeth on in perversity of mouth;
Onipa teta ne ohuhuni a odi atoro kyin,
13 Winketh with his eyes, speaketh with his foot, pointeth with his fingers;
nea obu nʼani, na ɔde ne nan yɛ nsɛnkyerɛnne na ɔde ne nsateaa kyerɛkyerɛ ade,
14 [Hath] perverse things in his heart, deviseth mischief on every occasion, strifes, he sendeth forth.
nea ɔde ne koma mu nnaadaa bɔ pɔw bɔne, na ɔde mpaapaemu ba bere biara.
15 For this cause, suddenly cometh his doom, in a moment, shall he be torn in pieces and there be no mending.
Ɛno nti amanehunu bɛba no so prɛko pɛ; wɔbɛsɛe no mpofirim, a wɔrenya ano aduru.
16 These six things, doth Yahweh hate, yea, seven, are the abomination of his soul: —
Nneɛma asia na Awurade mpɛ, nneɛma ason na ɛyɛ nʼakyiwade:
17 Eyes that are lofty, a tongue that is false, and hands shedding innocent blood;
ani a ɛtra ntɔn, atoro tɛkrɛma, nsa a ɛka mogya a edi bem gu,
18 A heart contriving iniquitous devices, feet hasting to run into mischief;
koma a edwen amumɔyɛ ho, anan a etutu mmirika kɔyɛ bɔne,
19 One that uttereth lies—a false witness, and one sending forth strifes between brethren.
ɔdansekurumni a odi atoro ne onipa a ɔde mpaapaemu ba anuanom mu.
20 Observe thou, my son, the commandment of thy father, and do not decline from the instruction of thy mother:
Me ba, tie wʼagya ahyɛde na nnyaa wo na nkyerɛkyerɛ mu.
21 Bind them upon thy heart continually, fasten them upon thy neck;
Fa kyekyere wo koma ho daa; na fa kyekyere wɔ kɔn mu.
22 When thou walkest abroad, it shall guide thee, when thou sleepest, it shall watch over thee, when thou wakest, it shall speak to thee:
Wonantew a, ɛbɛkyerɛ wo kwan; sɛ woda a, ɛbɛwɛn wo; sɛ wunyan a, ɛbɛkasa akyerɛ wo.
23 For, a lamp, is the commandment, and, the instruction, a light, and, the way of life, are the reproofs of correction:
Na saa ahyɛde yi yɛ kanea saa nkyerɛkyerɛ yi yɛ hann, na ahohyɛso nteɛso yi yɛ nkwa kwan,
24 To keep thee from the wicked woman, from the flattery of the tongue of her that is a stranger.
ɛtwe wo fi ɔbea a onni suban pa no ho, fi ɔbeawarefo huhuni tɛkrɛmadɛ ho.
25 Do not covet her beauty, in thy heart, neither let her take thee, by her eyelashes;
Mma wo kɔn nnɔ nʼahoɔfɛ, mma nʼani akyideda no ntwetwe wo,
26 Because, for the sake of an impure woman, [a man may be brought] even to a cake of bread, —and, a man’s wife, for a precious soul, may hunt!
efisɛ oguamanfo ma wʼanuonyam yɛ sɛ brodosin, na obi yere gyigye wo kɔ owu mu.
27 Can a man snatch up fire in his bosom, and, his clothes, not be burned?
Obi betumi asɔ gya agu ne srɛ so a nhyew nʼatade ana?
28 Or can a man walk upon hot coals, and, his feet, not be burned?
Obi betumi anantew nnyansramma so a mpumpunnya mmobɔ nʼanan ho ana?
29 So, he that goeth in unto his neighbour’s wife, no man shall be guiltless who toucheth her!
Saa na ɔbarima a ɔne ɔbarima foforo yere da no te; obiara a ɔde ne nsa bɛka no no, remfa ne ho nni da.
30 Men despise not a thief, when he stealeth, to satisfy his appetite, because he is famished;
Nnipa mmu ɔkorɔmfo a wakowia ade animtiaa sɛ ɔkɔm de no na ɔde rekodwudwo ano nti.
31 Yet, if found, he must pay back sevenfold, All the substance of his house, must he give:
Mmom, sɛ wɔkyere no a, ɛsɛ sɛ otua mmɔho ason; sɛ ɛbɛma wahwere ne fi agyapade nyinaa mpo a.
32 He that committeth adultery with a woman, lacketh sense, A destroyer of his own life, is he that doeth it;
Ɔbarima a ɔsɛe aware no nni adwene; obiara a ɔyɛ saa no sɛe ne ho.
33 Smiting and shame, shall he find, and, his reproach, shall not be wiped out;
Ɔhwe ne animguase na obenya, na nʼahohora rempepa da.
34 For, jealousy, is the rage of a man, nor will he spare, in the day of avenging;
Ninkutwe hwanyan okunu abufuw na sɛ ɔtɔ were a, ahummɔbɔ biara nni mu.
35 He will not look, at any ransom, neither will he consent, though thou increase the bribe.
Ɔrennye mpata biara; na ɔbɛpo adanmude, sɛ ɛso sɛ dɛn mpo a.
