Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what [is] before thee:
Sɛ wo ne ɔhene bi to nsa didi a, hwɛ nea esi wʼanim no yiye,
2 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou [art] a man given to appetite.
Sɛ woyɛ adidibrada a, hyɛ wo ho so.
3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they [are] deceitful food.
Nni nʼaduan akɔnnɔ akɔnnɔ no akyi, efisɛ saa aduan no daadaa nnipa.
4 Labor not to be rich: cease from thy own wisdom.
Mmiri wo mogya ani mpɛ sika; hu nyansa na tɔ wo bo ase.
5 Wilt thou set thy eyes upon that which is not? for [riches] certainly make to themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle towards heaven.
Wʼani bɔɔ sika so ara pɛ, na atu ayera, ampa ara ebefuw ntaban na atu akɔ wim sɛ ɔkɔre.
6 Eat thou not the bread of [him that hath] an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties:
Nni obi a ɔyɛ pɛpɛe aduan, nni nʼakɔnnɔ aduan akyi;
7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so [is] he: Eat and drink, saith he 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 The morsel [which] thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
Kakra a woadi no wobɛfe, na ɛno nti wo nkamfo so remma mfaso.
9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Nkasa nkyerɛ ɔkwasea, efisɛ ɔremfa nyansa a ɛwɔ wo kasa mu no.
10 Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
Ntutu tete abo a wɔde ato hye ngu, na ntra ɔhye nkɔ ayisaa mfuw mu,
11 For their redeemer [is] mighty; he will plead their cause with thee.
efisɛ wɔn Gyefo yɛ den, na obedi wɔn asɛm ama wɔn.
12 Apply thy heart to instruction, and thy ears to the words of knowledge.
Ma wo koma mmra nkyerɛkyerɛ so, na wɛn wʼaso tie nimdeɛ.
13 Withhold not correction from the child: for [if] thou beatest 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 Yes, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
sɛ wʼano ka nea ɛteɛ a me mu ade nyinaa ani begye.
17 Let not thy heart envy sinners: but [be thou] in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
Mma wʼani mmere abɔnefo, mmom bɔ Awurade suro ho mmɔden bere biara.
18 For surely there is an end; and thy 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 guide thy heart in the way.
Me ba, tie, na hu nyansa, ma wo koma mfa ɔkwantrenee so.
20 Be not among wine-bibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
Mfa wo ho mmɔ akɔwensafo anaasɛ wɔn a wɔpɛ nam mmoroso ho,
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe [a man] with rags.
efisɛ, akɔwensafo ne adidibradafo bɛyɛ ahiafo, na anikum fura wɔn ntamagow.
22 Hearken to thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
Tie wʼagya a ɔwoo wo no, na sɛ wo na bɔ aberewa a, mmu no animtiaa.
23 Buy the truth, and sell [it] not; [also] wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Tɔ nokware na ntɔn da; nya nyansa, ahohyɛso ne nhumu.
24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise [child] shall have joy of him.
Ɔtreneeni agya wɔ anigye bebree; nea ɔwɔ ɔba nyansafo no ani gye ne ho.
25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bore thee shall rejoice.
Ma wʼagya ne wo na ani nnye; ma ɔbea a ɔwoo wo no nnya ahosɛpɛw.
26 My son, give me thy heart, and let thy eyes observe my ways.
Me ba, fa wo koma ma me na ma wʼani nkɔ mʼakwan ho,
27 For a lewd woman [is] a deep ditch; and a strange woman [is] a narrow pit.
na oguamanfo yɛ amoa donkudonku ɔyere huhuni yɛ ɔdaadaafo.
28 She also lieth in wait as [for] a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.
Ɔtɛw, twɛn, te sɛ ɔkwanmukafo, na ɔma mmarima mu atorofo dɔɔso.
29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness 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 that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
Wɔn a wɔkyɛ nsa ho, na wɔka nsa a wɔafrafra hwɛ.
31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth its color in the cup, [when] it moveth itself aright.
Nhwɛ nsa ani kɔkɔɔ no haa, bere a ɛretwa yerɛw yerɛw wɔ kuruwa mu, na ɛkɔ yɔɔ no.
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
Awiei no, ɛka te sɛ ɔwɔ na ɛwɔ bɔre te sɛ ahurutoa.
33 Thy eyes shall behold strange women, and thy heart shall utter perverse things.
Wʼani behu nneɛma a wunhuu da, na woadwene nneɛma basabasa ho.
34 And thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
Wobɛtɔ ntintan te sɛ hyɛn mu dwumayɛni a, okura hyɛn dua a, ɛrehinhim mu den, na ehinhim wɔ po so.
35 They have stricken me, [wilt thou say], [and] I was not sick; they have beaten me, [and] I felt [it] not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
Na wobɛka se, “Wɔbɔ me, nanso mimpira. Wɔboro me, nanso mente ɔyaw biara. Bere bɛn na menyan akɔpɛ nsa anom bio?”
