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 deɛ ɛsi wʼanim no yie,
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 nʼaduane akɔnnɔ akɔnnɔ no akyi, ɛfiri sɛ saa aduane no daadaa nnipa.
4 Labor not to be rich: cease from thy own wisdom.
Mmiri wo mogya ani mpɛ sika; hunu nyansa na to 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 ɛbɛfu ntaban na atu akɔ ewiem sɛ ɔkɔdeɛ.
6 Eat thou not the bread of [him that hath] an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties:
Nni obi a ɔyɛ pɛpɛɛ aduane nni nʼakɔnnɔ aduane 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.
ɛfiri sɛ ɔyɛ obi a ɛberɛ biara ɔdwene sika ho. Ɔka sɛ, “Didi na nom,” nanso ɛnyɛ nʼakoma mu.
8 The morsel [which] thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
Kakra a woadi no wobɛfe na ɛno enti wo nkamfo ho remma mfasoɔ.
9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Nkasa nkyerɛ ɔkwasea, ɛfiri sɛ 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 aboɔ a wɔde ato hyeɛ ngu, na ntra hyeɛ nkɔ nwisiaa mfuo mu,
11 For their redeemer [is] mighty; he will plead their cause with thee.
ɛfiri sɛ, wɔn Gyefoɔ yɛ den, na ɔbɛdi wɔn asɛm ama wɔn.
12 Apply thy heart to instruction, and thy ears to the words of knowledge.
Ma wʼakoma 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.
Ntwentwɛne abɔfra ntenesoɔ so; sɛ wode abaa tene no a, ɔrenwu.
Fa abaa twe nʼaso na gye ne kra firi owuo mu. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
Me ba, sɛ wʼakoma hunu nyansa a, ɛnneɛ mʼakoma ani bɛgye;
16 Yes, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
sɛ wʼano ka deɛ ɛtene a me mu adeɛ nyinaa ani bɛgye.
17 Let not thy heart envy sinners: but [be thou] in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
Mma wʼani mmerɛ abɔnefoɔ, mmom bɔ Awurade suro ho mmɔden ɛberɛ biara.
18 For surely there is an end; and thy expectation shall not be cut off.
Ampa ara anidasoɔ wɔ hɔ ma wo daakye, na wʼanidasoɔ renyɛ ɔkwa.
19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the way.
Me ba, tie, na hunu nyansa, ma wʼakoma mfa ɛkwan tenenee so.
20 Be not among wine-bibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
Mfa wo ho mmɔ akɔwensafoɔ anaasɛ wɔn a wɔpɛ ɛnam mmorosoɔ,
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe [a man] with rags.
ɛfiri sɛ, akɔwensafoɔ ne adidibradafoɔ bɛyɛ ahiafoɔ, na anikum fira wɔn ntomago.
22 Hearken to thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
Tie wʼagya a ɔwoo woɔ no, na sɛ wo maame bɔ aberewa a, mmu no animtia.
23 Buy the truth, and sell [it] not; [also] wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Tɔ nokorɛ na ntɔn da; nya nyansa, ahohyɛsoɔ ne nhunumu.
24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise [child] shall have joy of him.
Ɔteneneeni agya wɔ anigyeɛ bebree; deɛ ɔwɔ ɔba nyansafoɔ no anigye ne ho.
25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bore thee shall rejoice.
Ma wʼagya ne wo maame ani nnye; ma ɔbaa a ɔwoo woɔ no nnya ahosɛpɛ.
26 My son, give me thy heart, and let thy eyes observe my ways.
Me ba, fa wʼakoma 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 odwamanfoɔ yɛ amena donkudonku ɔyere sansani yɛ ɔdaadaafoɔ.
28 She also lieth in wait as [for] a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.
Ɔtɛ, twɛn, te sɛ ɔkwanmukafoɔ na ɔma mmarima mu atorofoɔ dɔɔso.
29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
Hwan na wɔadome no? Hwan na ɔdi awerɛhoɔ? Hwan na ɔdi apereapereɛ? Hwan na ɔnwiinwii? Hwan na wapirapira hunaa? Hwan na mogya ada nʼani so?
30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
Wɔn a wɔkyɛre nsã ho, na wɔka nsã 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 nsã ani kɔkɔɔ no haa, ɛberɛ a ɛretwa yerɛ yerɛ wɔ kuruwa mu, na ɛkɔ yɔɔ no.
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
Awieeɛ no ɛka te sɛ ɔwɔ na ɛwɔ borɔ te sɛ ahurutoa.
33 Thy eyes shall behold strange women, and thy heart shall utter perverse things.
Wʼani bɛhunu nneɛma a wonhunuu 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, ɔkura ɛhyɛn dua a, ɛrehinhim mu den, na ɛdenkye denkye wɔ ɛpo 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 sɛ, “Wɔbɔ me, nanso mempira. Wɔboro me, nanso mente ɔyea biara. Ɛberɛ bɛn na menyane akɔpɛ nsã anom bio?”
