Proverbs 16
1 People plan what they want to do, but Yahweh is the one who decides [MTY] what really will happen.
Koma mu nhyehyɛe yɛ onipa de, na tɛkrɛma mmuae fi Awurade.
2 People may think that their actions are right, but Yahweh really knows why people do what they do.
Ɛyɛ onipa sɛ nʼakwan nyinaa yɛ kronkron, nanso Awurade na ɔpɛɛpɛɛ adwene mu.
3 (Request/Rely on) Yahweh to direct what you plan to do; [if you do that], you will succeed in what you plan.
Fa nea woyɛ nyinaa hyɛ Awurade nsam, na wo nhyehyɛe besi yiye.
4 Yahweh knows why he does everything that he does; he has even prepared the wicked for the time that he will punish them.
Awurade yɛ biribiara ma nʼankasa botae, mpo, ɔhwɛ omumɔyɛfo so kosi amanehunu da.
5 Yahweh hates/detests everyone who is proud [IDM]; you can be certain [IDM] that they will be punished [LIT].
Awurade kyi koma mu ahantanfo nyinaa. Nya saa ntease yi sɛ, wɔremfa wɔn ho nni.
6 Be loyal to Yahweh and faithfully [obey] him; if you do that, he will forgive you for having sinned. If we revere him, nothing evil will happen to us (OR, he will prevent evil things from happening to us).
Wɔnam ɔdɔ ne nokware so pata bɔne; onipa nam Awurade suro so yi bɔne akwa.
7 When our behavior pleases Yahweh, he even causes our enemies to act peacefully toward us.
Sɛ onipa akwan sɔ Awurade ani a, ɔma nʼatamfo mpo ne no tena asomdwoe mu.
8 It is better to have a small amount of money that is earned honestly than to have a lot of money that is acquired dishonestly.
Kakraa bi a wɔnam trenee kwan so nya no ye sen mfaso pii a wɔnam ntɛnkyew so nya.
9 People plan what they want to do, but Yahweh directs/determines what they will [really] be able to do.
Onipa yɛ ne nhyehyɛe wɔ ne koma mu, nanso Awurade na ɔhwɛ nʼanammɔntu.
10 [If] God directs what a king says, what he decides is [always] right/fair.
Ɔhene anom kasa te sɛ nkɔmhyɛ, enti ɛnsɛ sɛ nʼano ka nea ɛnyɛ atɛntrenee.
11 Yahweh wants us to use scales that are correct; the weights in his bag are correct, [because] he made them.
Nsania ne abrammo a asisi nni mu fi Awurade; nkaribo a ɛwɔ kotoku mu no, ɔno na ɔyɛe.
12 Kings detest those who do evil, because [it is people doing what] is fair/right that causes their governments to be [MTY] strong.
Ahemfo kyi bɔneyɛ, efisɛ ahengua si trenee so.
13 Kings are delighted to hear people say [MTY] what is true; they love those who say what is right/honest.
Ahemfo ani sɔ ano a ɛka nokware; na wobu onipa a ɔka nokware.
14 If a king becomes angry, he [may] command that someone be executed, [so] wise people will [try to] cause him to be calm.
Ɔhene abufuwhyew yɛ owu somafo, nanso onyansafo bedwudwo ano.
15 If a king has a smile [MTY] on his face, he will enable people to have a [long] life (OR, he will not order people to be executed); his being pleased [with people] is [as delightful] as rain in the springtime [when seeds are planted].
Sɛ ɔhene anim tew a, ɛyɛ nkwa, nʼadom te sɛ asusowbere mu omununkum.
16 Becoming wise is better than aquiring gold; getting good understanding/insight is better than acquiring silver.
Eye sɛ wubenya nyansa sen sɛ wubenya sikakɔkɔɔ, sɛ wubenya nhumu sen sɛ wubenya dwetɛ!
17 Those whose behavior [MET] is good/right turn away from doing evil; those who guard their conduct [MTY] protect their lives.
Ɔtreneeni tempɔn kwati bɔne; nea ɔhwɛ nʼakwan yiye no bɔ ne nkwa ho ban.
18 Being proud will (lead to your having/cause you to have) disasters; despising others will result in your being ruined.
Ahantan di ɔsɛe anim, na ahomaso honhom nso di asehwe anim.
19 It is better to be humble and poor than [to associate with] proud [people] and [to become rich by] dividing with them (plunder/goods captured in a battle).
Eye sɛ wobɛyɛ honhom mu hiani wɔ wɔn a wɔhyɛ wɔn so mu sen sɛ wo ne ahantanfo bɛkyɛ asade.
20 Those who heed good teaching/instruction will prosper; happy are those who trust in Yahweh.
Nea ɔyɛ osetie ma nkyerɛkyerɛ no nya nkɔso; nhyira nka nea ɔde ne ho to Awurade so.
21 People say that those who are wise learn what is right/good behavior, and those who talk pleasantly [are able to] influence others [to do what is right].
Wɔfrɛ koma mu anyansafo se nhumufo, na kasa pa ma nkyerɛkyerɛ kɔ so.
22 Being wise is [like having] a fountain that gives life [MET], but foolish people are punished as a result of their acting foolishly.
Ntease yɛ nkwa asuti ma wɔn a wɔwɔ bi, nanso agyimisɛm de asotwe brɛ nkwaseafo.
23 Those who are wise think carefully before they talk, and as a result they are able to influence/persuade others [to do what is right].
Onyansafo koma kyerɛ nʼano kwan, na nʼanofafa ma nkyerɛkyerɛ kɔ so.
24 Kind words are like honey [SIM]: We enjoy them both, and both cause our bodies to be healthy/strong.
Abodwosɛm te sɛ ɛwokyɛm; ɛyɛ ɔkra dɛ, na ɛsa nnompe yare.
25 There are some kinds of behavior [MET] that people think are right, but (walking on those roads [MET]/continually doing those things) causes those people to die.
Ɔkwan bi wɔ hɔ a ɛteɛ wɔ onipa ani so, nanso awiei no, ɛkɔ owu mu.
26 If a worker (has an appetite/is hungry), that urges him to work hard because he [SYN] wants to [earn money to buy things to] eat.
Apaafo akɔnnɔ ma wɔyɛ adwumaden; efisɛ wɔpɛ sɛ wokum wɔn kɔm.
27 Worthless people plan [ways to cause] trouble [for others], and [even] what they say [injures people] like a hot fire does [SIM].
Ohuhuni bɔ pɔw bɔne, ne kasa te sɛ ogya a ɛhyew ade.
28 Deceitful people cause strife/quarreling among other people; those who say false things about other people cause people who are friends to become enemies.
Onipa kɔntɔnkye de mpaapaemu ba, na ɔsututufo tetew nnamfonom ntam.
29 Those who act violently entice/encourage others [to also act violently] and lead them along a road that will end in disaster.
Kitikitiyɛni daadaa ne yɔnko, na ɔde no fa ɔkwammɔne so.
30 People [sometimes] show with [one of] their eyes [to signal to their friends that they are] planning to do something to harm [others]; they smirk when they are about to do something evil.
Nea obu nʼani no redwene bɔneyɛ ho; na nea omua nʼano no ani wɔ bɔne so.
31 Gray hair is [like] a glorious crown [MET] that is given to people who have always behaved righteously.
Dwen yɛ anuonyam abotiri; trenee mu asetena na ɛde ba.
32 Those who do not become angry quickly are better than those who are powerful; it is better to (control your temper/keep yourself from becoming very angry) than to conquer a city.
Nea ɔwɔ abodwokyɛre no ye sen ɔkofo, na nea ɔmfa abufuw ye sen nea ɔko fa kuropɔn.
33 People (cast lots/throw marked stones) [to decide what should be done], but God is the one who truly decides what will happen.
Wɔbɔ ntonto de hwehwɛ nea Awurade pɛ, nanso ne gyinaesi biara fi Awurade.
