Proverbs 17
1 It is better [to eat] a dry piece [of bread] and not have strife/quarrels than to have a big feast in a house where [everyone] is quarreling.
Aduan sakoo a asomdwoe wɔ ho ye sen ofi a aponto ahyɛ no ma nanso basabasayɛ wɔ mu.
2 A slave who acts wisely will [some day] be the boss of his master’s disgraceful son and when his master dies, the slave will receive part of his master’s possessions.
Ɔsomfo nyansafo bedi ɔba nimguasefo so, na obenya ne kyɛfa wɔ agyapade no mu sɛ anuanom no mu baako.
3 [Workers put] silver and gold in a very hot furnace [to burn out what is impure], and Yahweh [similarly] examines people’s inner beings [to see if they are pure].
Kyɛmfɛre wɔ hɔ ma dwetɛ na fononoo wɔ hɔ ma sikakɔkɔɔ nanso Awurade na ɔsɔ koma hwɛ.
4 Those who do what is evil pay attention to people who say [MTY] what is evil, and liars pay attention to [other people’s] lies.
Omumɔyɛfo tie nsusuwii bɔne; ɔtorofo yɛ aso ma adwene bɔne tɛkrɛma.
5 Those who make fun of poor [people] insult God, the one who made the poor [people], [and] those who are happy when [someone else has] troubles will certainly be punished [LIT] [by God].
Nea odi ahiafo ho fɛw no bu wɔn Yɛfo animtiaa; na nea ɔfoa amanehunu so no benya asotwe.
6 Old [people] are [usually] proud of [MET] their grandchildren, [just like] children are [usually] proud of their parents.
Nananom yɛ mmasiriwa anuonyam, na awofo yɛ wɔn mma ahohoahoa.
7 Fine/Eloquent speech is not suitable for foolish people to say, just like lies are not suitable for rulers [to say].
Anotew nye mma ɔkwasea, saa ara na ano a edi atoro mfata ɔhene.
8 People think that a bribe is like a magic stone [to persuade someone to do what they want him to do]; they think that because of the bribe, that person will do whatever they want him to do.
Nea ɔma adanmude no hu sɛ ɛyɛ suman; osusuw sɛ nkonimdi bɛba bere biara.
9 If you want people to like/love you, forgive them for the wrong things that they do to you. If you continue to remind them about those wrong things, they will no longer be your friends.
Nea obu nʼani gu mfomso so no ma ɔdɔ kwan, na nea ɔkɔ so bɔ so no tetew nnamfonom ntam.
10 Rebuking people who have good sense will accomplish more for them than hitting them 100 times [with a stick].
Animka sɔ onipa a ɔwɔ nhumu ani sen mmaa ɔha a wɔbɔ ɔkwasea.
11 [Because] wicked people are always trying to cause trouble, someone will be sent to severely punish them.
Onipa bɔnefo ani wɔ atuatew nko ara so na wɔbɛsoma odwumayɛni tirimuɔdenfo akɔ no so.
12 A mother bear whose cubs have been taken away from her is dangerous, but it is more dangerous to confront a foolish person who is doing something foolish.
Eye sɛ wubehyia sisi a wɔawia ne mma sen ɔkwasea a ɔregyimi.
13 If someone does something evil in return for something good being done to him, evil/trouble will never leave that person’s family.
Sɛ obi de bɔne tua papa so ka a, bɔne rempa ne fi da.
14 Starting a quarrel is like allowing water to start to leak out of a dam; they both need to be stopped before they get worse.
Ntɔkwaw mfiase te sɛ nea wɔretue suka; enti gyae ma ɛnka na ankɔfa ɔham amma.
15 There are two things that Yahweh hates: (Condemning innocent [people]/Saying that people who have done nothing wrong must be punished), and declaring that people who have done wicked things should not be punished.
Sɛ wobegyaa nea odi fɔ ne sɛ wobebu nea odi bem kumfɔ no, Awurade kyi nʼabien no nyinaa.
16 It is useless to allow foolish people [RHQ] to try to become wise by paying for it, because they do not have enough good sense to become wise.
Sika a ɛwɔ ɔkwasea nsam so nni mfaso, efisɛ onni botae biara sɛ obehu nyansa.
17 Friends love [others] all the time, and relatives are able to help us when we have troubles.
Adamfo kyerɛ ɔdɔ bere nyinaa mu, wɔwo onuabarima ma ahokyere bere.
18 [If someone borrows money from another person], it is foolish for you to promise [IDM] that you will pay the money back if that other person is unable to pay back the money that he borrowed.
Obi a onni adwene no na ɔde ne nsa hyɛ krataa ase di akagyinamu nam so de si awowa ma ne yɔnko.
19 Those who like to sin [also] like to cause strife/trouble; [and] those who build fancy doors in their houses [to show that they are very wealthy] (OR, speak proudly) are inviting disaster.
Nea ɔpɛ ntɔkwaw no dɔ bɔne; nea osi ɔpon tenten no frɛfrɛ ɔsɛe.
20 Those who (have perverse minds/are always thinking about doing evil things) will not prosper, and disasters will happen to those who always tell lies.
Onipa a ɔwɔ porɔwee koma no nnya nkɔso; nea ɔwɔ nnaadaa tɛkrɛma no tɔ amane mu.
21 Children who are foolish [soon] cause their parents to be very sad; their parents will not be joyful at all.
Nea ɔwo ɔbakwasea no di awerɛhow, ɔbakwasea agya nni anigye.
22 Being cheerful is [like swallowing] good medicine; being discouraged/gloomy [all the time will] (drain away your energy/cause you to become weak) [MTY].
Koma mu anigye yɛ aduru, ɛsa ɔyare, nanso honhom a abotow no yoyow nnompe.
23 Wicked people/judges accept bribes that are given to them secretly, and as a result they do not decide matters justly/fairly.
Omumɔyɛfo gye adanmude wɔ sum ase de kyea atɛntrenee.
24 Those who have good sense determine to do what is wise, but foolish people are always thinking about many different things [and never decide what they should do].
Onipa a ɔwɔ nhumu no ani kɔ nyansa so, na ɔkwasea toto nʼani kosi asase ano.
25 Children who are foolish cause their father to be sad and [also] cause their mother to be very sorrowful.
Ɔbakwasea hyɛ nʼagya awerɛhow, na ɔma nea onyinsɛn no no di yaw.
26 It is not right to force someone who has done nothing wrong to pay a fine; it is wrong to punish good/respected people.
Enye sɛ wɔtwe nea odi bem aso, anaasɛ wotwa adwumayɛfo mmaa wɔ wɔn nokwaredi nti.
27 Those who have good sense do not talk a lot, and those who (control their tempers/keep themselves from becoming very angry) are [truly] wise.
Onimdefo dwene nʼanom kasa ho, na nea ɔwɔ nhumu no wɔ abodwo.
28 People [may] think that foolish people who do not say anything are wise; if foolish people (do not say anything/keep their mouths shut), others will think that they are [very] intelligent.
Mpo sɛ ɔkwasea yɛ dinn a wobu no sɛ onyansafo, na sɛ omua nʼano a wobu no sɛ ɔwɔ nhumu.
