Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
Me ba, fa me nsɛm sie na kora mʼahyɛde wɔ wo mu.
2 Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thy eye.
Di mʼahyɛde so na wubenya nkwa; bɔ me nkyerɛkyerɛ ho ban sɛ nea wodɔ no.
3 Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thy heart.
Kyekyere bɔ wo nsateaa ho; kyerɛw no yiye gu wo koma pon so.
4 Say to wisdom, Thou [art] my sister; and call understanding [thy] kinswoman:
Ka kyerɛ nyansa se, “Woyɛ me nuabea,” na frɛ ntease wo busuani;
5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger [which] flattereth with her words.
Wɔbɛtwe wo afi ɔbeawaresɛefo ho, afi ɔbeawarefo huhuni nsɛmmɔdɛ ho.
6 For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,
Me fi mfɛnsere ano, mede mʼani faa mfɛnsere mu.
7 And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
Mihuu wɔ ntetekwaafo mu, mehyɛɛ mmerante no mu baako nsow, ɔbabun a onni adwene.
8 Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house.
Na ɔnam borɔn a ɛbɛn ɔbea no fi so a nʼani kyerɛ ɔbea no fi
9 In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:
bere a onwini redwo, na anim rebiribiri no.
10 And behold, there met him a woman [with] the attire of a harlot, and subtil of heart.
Afei ɔbea bi fi behyiaa no a wasiesie ne ho sɛ oguamanfo a nnaadaa wɔ ne koma mu.
11 (She [is] loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:
(Ɔyɛ hyirenn na hwee mfa ne ho, ɔntena fie koraa;
12 Now [is she] without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)
nnɛ wohu no mmɔnten so, ɔkyena na ɔte aguabɔbea, ɔtetɛw wɔ mmantwea mmantwea.)
13 So she caught him, and kissed him, [and] with an impudent face said to him,
Osoo ne mu few nʼano, wamfɛre, na ɔkae se,
14 [I have] peace-offerings with me; this day have I paid my vows.
“Mewɔ asomdwoe afɔrebɔde wɔ fie; nnɛ madi me bɔhyɛ so.
15 Therefore I came forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
Enti mebae sɛ merebehyia wo; mehwehwɛɛ wo na mahu wo!
16 I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved [works], with fine linen of Egypt.
Mato me mpa, mede nwera a wɔahyɛ no aduru a efi Misraim.
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
Mede nnuhuam apete me mpa so: kurobow, pɛprɛ ne dupapo.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.
Bra, ma yɛmfa ɔdɔ mmɔ ɔdɔ mu nkosi anɔpa;
19 For the good-man [is] not at home, he is gone a long journey:
Me kunu nni fie; watu kwan na ɔbɛkyɛ.
20 He hath taken a bag of money with him, [and] will come home at the day appointed.
Ɔde sika a ɛdɔɔso hyɛɛ ne sika kotoku ma na ɔremma kosi ɔsram no kurokumatwa bere mu.”
21 With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she impelled him.
Ɔde tɛkrɛmakyene bɔɔ no adafa; ɔde nnaadaa nyaa no ne no dae.
22 He goeth after her quickly, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
Odii nʼakyi prɛko pɛ te sɛ nantwi a ɔrekɔ akumii, anaa ɔwansan a ɔde ne ti rekɔhyɛ hankare fi mu
23 Till a dart striketh through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it [is] for his life.
kosi sɛ bɛmma bɛwɔ ne brɛbo mu, te sɛ anomaa a ɔrekɔtɔ anomaa afiri mu na onnim sɛ ɔbɛhwere ne nkwa.
24 Now therefore hearken to me, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.
Na afei, me mma, muntie me; monyɛ aso mma nea meka.
25 Let not thy heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
Mommma mo koma mpatiri nkɔ no so na momman mmfa nʼakwan so.
26 For she hath cast down many wounded: yes, many strong [men] have been slain by her.
Bebree na wɔnam no so ahwehwe ase; wɔn a wakum wɔn dɔɔso pa ara.
