Proverbs 25
1 Here are more wise sayings/words that Solomon [wrote]. Some men who worked for Hezekiah, the king of Judah, copied them [from a scroll that Solomon had written].
Eyinom yɛ Salomo mmebusɛm nkekaho a Yudahene Hesekia afotufo kyerɛwee:
2 [We consider] God to be great because he (acts in mysterious ways/does things that we cannot understand); [we consider] kings to be great because they explain things.
Ɛyɛ Onyankopɔn anuonyamhyɛ sɛ wɔde asɛm sie; sɛ wɔpɛɛpɛɛ asɛm mu nso hyɛ ahemfo anuonyam.
3 [It is not possible for anyone to measure] how high the sky is or how deep the earth/ocean is; likewise [SIM], it is not possible for us to know [all] that kings are thinking.
Sɛnea ɔsoro korɔn na asase mu dɔ no, saa ara na wɔrentumi nhwehwɛ ahemfo koma mu.
4 [If workers] burn out the impure bits that are in silver, a man who makes things from silver can make something beautiful from the silver.
Sɛ woyi dwetɛ ho fi a, na ato nea ɛkɔ dwetɛdwumfo nsam;
5 [Similarly, if] wicked [advisors] are taken away from a king, his government will remain secure, because [the king will be able to] act justly.
Yi amumɔyɛfo fi ɔhene anim, na trenee bɛma nʼahengua atim.
6 When you stand in front of a king, do not try to (impress him/honor yourself) and do not (act like you are important/ask to sit where important people sit; )
Mma wo ho so wɔ ɔhene anim, na mpere dibea wɔ atitiriw mu;
7 it is better if someone tells you to sit closer [to the king] than for [someone to tell you], while the king is listening, to sit further away in order that someone who is more important [may sit closer to the king].
Eye ma no sɛ ɔbɛka akyerɛ wo se, “Bra soro ha,” sen sɛ ɔbɛbrɛ wo ase wɔ otitiriw bi anim. Nea wode wʼani ahu no
8 Do not quickly go to a court [to tell the judge about] something that you have seen, because another witness may later [say something that proves that you are wrong, and as a result] you will be disgraced/ashamed. If that happens, (what will you do?/you will not know what to do.) [RHQ]
mpɛ ntɛm mfa nkɔ asennii, na sɛ awiei no wo yɔnko gu wʼanim ase a dɛn na wobɛyɛ?
9 If you and someone else think differently about some matter, settle it between yourselves, and do not tell others any secret [that he has told you].
Sɛ wo ne wo yɔnko di asɛm a nna obi foforo ahintasɛm adi,
10 If others find out that you have told secrets, you will be ashamed, and from that time on, (you will have a bad reputation/people will think badly about you).
anyɛ saa a, nea ɔbɛte no begu wʼanim ase na din bɔne a wubenya no rempepa da.
11 Something that is said that is [very] appropriate is [as delightful as seeing] [SIM] gold apples/ornaments in a silver bowl.
Asɛm a wɔka no sɛnea ɛfata no te sɛ sika kɔkɔɔ a wɔabɔ sɛ aprɛ de atuatua dwetɛ nsiesiei mu.
12 When a wise person rebukes/warns someone [SYN] who is willing to listen, that is [as valuable as] [SIM] a gold ring or a gold chain.
Sikakɔkɔɔ asokaa anaa sikakɔkɔɔ ankasa ahyehyɛde te sɛ onyansafo animka a ɔde ma nea ɔyɛ aso ma no.
13 A messenger who (is reliable/tells someone else exactly what he was told to say) refreshes [the spirits of] his bosses who sent him like [SIM] (snow/cold water) refreshes [the ground] at the time that [people] harvest crops.
Sɛnea sukyerɛmma ma wim dwo wɔ otwabere mu no, saa ara na ɔsomafo nokwafo te ma wɔn a wɔsoma no no; na ɔma ne wuranom akomatɔyam.
14 When someone promises to give a gift to us but never gives it, [that disappoints us] as much as [SIM] clouds and wind that come but do not bring any rain.
Omununkum ne mframa a ɛmfa osu mma no te sɛ onipa a ɔde akyɛde a ɔmmfa mma hoahoa ne ho.
15 If someone keeps requesting a ruler long enough to do something, he will [often] agree to do it; similarly, by speaking [MTY] gently we can [often] convince [others that what we say is right] [IDM].
Ntoboase ma sodifo ti da, na tɛkrɛmabere tumi bu dompe mu.
16 If you find some honey, do not eat a lot of it, because doing that may cause you to vomit.
Sɛ wunya ɛwo a, nni ntra so, ne bebrebe bɛma woafe.
17 Do not go to your neighbor’s house very often [to talk with him]; if you go [very] often, he will get tired of listening to you and start to hate you.
Ntaa nkɔ wo yɔnko fi, wo ho fono no a, ɔbɛtan wo.
18 To falsely accuse others [in court] is like [SIM] [attacking them with] a war-club or a sword or a sharp arrow.
Onipa a odi adansekurum tia ne yɔnko no te sɛ kontibaa, afoa anaa bɛmma a ano yɛ nnam.
19 Depending on unreliable people when you have troubles is [as bad] as [trying to eat when] you have a bad/hurting tooth or [trying to walk when] your foot is crippled.
Ɛse a ɛyare ɔkekaw anaa nan a ɛyɛ apakye te sɛ nea wode wo ho to ɔtorofo so hiada mu.
20 Singing to someone who is depressed [just causes him to feel worse]; it is like [SIM] taking off clothes on a very cold day or like putting vinegar on a wound.
Nea ɔto dwom kyerɛ ɔwerɛhowni no, te sɛ nea ɔpa ntama gu awɔwbere mu anaa te sɛ nsa nyinyanyinya a wohwie gu apirakuru so.
21 If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink;
Sɛ ɔkɔm de wo tamfo a, ma no aduan nni; sɛ osukɔm de no a, ma no nsu nnom.
22 doing that will cause them to feel ashamed [IDM], and Yahweh will reward you for doing that.
Sɛ woyɛ saa a, wobɛsosɔ nnyansramma agu nʼatifi, na Awurade bɛma wo akatua.
23 When wind blows from the right direction, it will rain; [similarly] [SIM], if we gossip about others, that causes them to look at us very angrily.
Sɛnea atifi fam mframa de osu ba no, saa ara na tɛkrɛma a edi nseku de omuna ba.
24 It is better to live ([alone/by yourself]) in the corner of an attic/housetop than to live inside the house with a wife who is [always] nagging.
Eye sɛ wobɛtena suhyɛ twɔtwɔw ase baabi, sen sɛ wo ne ɔyere tɔkwapɛfo bɛtena fie.
25 Receiving good news from a country far away refreshes our spirits like [SIM] cold water refreshes us when we are very thirsty.
Nsuonwini a ɔkra a atɔ beraw nya no te sɛ anigyesɛm a efi akyirikyiri.
26 When a righteous/good person (gives in/yields) to wicked [people], that is [as bad] as [SIM] a spring that becomes muddied or a fountain that becomes polluted.
Asuti a afono anaa abura a ayɛ pɔtɔɔ te sɛ ɔtreneeni a ogyaa ne ho ma amumɔyɛfo.
27 It is not good to eat too much honey, and trying to get people to praise you is also not good.
Enye sɛ wodi ɛwo ntraso, saa ara na ɛnyɛ anuonyam sɛ obi bɛhwehwɛ nsɛm a mu dɔ mu.
28 People who (cannot control their tempers/quickly become very angry) [are unable to defend their behavior]; that is like [having] a city without a wall around it, [with the result that no one can defend it].
Onipa a onni ahohyɛso no te sɛ kuropɔn a nʼafasu abubu agu fam.
