Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Thou considerest diligently that which [is] before thee,
Sɛ wo ne ɔhene bi to nsa didi a, hwɛ nea esi wʼanim no yiye,
2 And thou hast put a knife to thy throat, If thou [art] a man of appetite.
Sɛ woyɛ adidibrada a, hyɛ wo ho so.
3 Have no desire to his dainties, seeing it [is] lying food.
Nni nʼaduan akɔnnɔ akɔnnɔ no akyi, efisɛ saa aduan no daadaa nnipa.
4 Labour not to make wealth, From thine own understanding cease, Dost thou cause thine eyes to fly upon it? Then it is not.
Mmiri wo mogya ani mpɛ sika; hu nyansa na tɔ wo bo ase.
5 For wealth maketh to itself wings, As an eagle it flieth to the heavens.
Wʼani bɔɔ sika so ara pɛ, na atu ayera, ampa ara ebefuw ntaban na atu akɔ wim sɛ ɔkɔre.
6 Eat not the bread of an evil eye, And have no desire to his dainties,
Nni obi a ɔyɛ pɛpɛe aduan, nni nʼakɔnnɔ aduan akyi;
7 For as he hath thought in his soul, so [is] he, 'Eat and drink,' saith he to thee, And 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 Thy morsel thou hast eaten thou dost vomit up, And hast marred thy words that [are] sweet.
Kakra a woadi no wobɛfe, na ɛno nti wo nkamfo so remma mfaso.
9 In the ears of a fool speak not, For he treadeth on the wisdom of thy words.
Nkasa nkyerɛ ɔkwasea, efisɛ ɔremfa nyansa a ɛwɔ wo kasa mu no.
10 Remove not a border of olden times, And into fields of the fatherless enter not,
Ntutu tete abo a wɔde ato hye ngu, na ntra ɔhye nkɔ ayisaa mfuw mu,
11 For their Redeemer [is] strong, He doth plead their cause with thee.
efisɛ wɔn Gyefo yɛ den, na obedi wɔn asɛm ama wɔn.
12 Bring in to instruction thy heart, And thine ear to sayings of knowledge.
Ma wo koma mmra nkyerɛkyerɛ so, na wɛn wʼaso tie nimdeɛ.
13 Withhold not from a youth chastisement, When thou smitest him with a rod he dieth not.
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 hath been wise, My heart rejoiceth, even mine,
Me ba, sɛ wo koma hu nyansa a, ɛno de, me koma ani begye;
16 And my reins exult when thy lips speak uprightly.
sɛ wʼano ka nea ɛteɛ a me mu ade nyinaa ani begye.
17 Let not thy heart be envious at sinners, But — in the fear of Jehovah all the day.
Mma wʼani mmere abɔnefo, mmom bɔ Awurade suro ho mmɔden bere biara.
18 For, is there a posterity? Then thy hope is not cut off.
Ampa ara anidaso wɔ hɔ ma wo daakye, na wʼanidaso renyɛ ɔkwa.
19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, And make happy in the way thy heart,
Me ba, tie, na hu nyansa, ma wo koma mfa ɔkwantrenee so.
20 Be not thou among quaffers of wine, Among gluttonous ones of flesh,
Mfa wo ho mmɔ akɔwensafo anaasɛ wɔn a wɔpɛ nam mmoroso ho,
21 For the quaffer and glutton become poor, And drowsiness clotheth with rags.
efisɛ, akɔwensafo ne adidibradafo bɛyɛ ahiafo, na anikum fura wɔn ntamagow.
22 Hearken to thy father, who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she hath become old.
Tie wʼagya a ɔwoo wo no, na sɛ wo na bɔ aberewa a, mmu no animtiaa.
23 Truth buy, and sell not, Wisdom, and instruction, and understanding,
Tɔ nokware na ntɔn da; nya nyansa, ahohyɛso ne nhumu.
24 The father of the righteous rejoiceth greatly, The begetter of the wise rejoiceth in him.
Ɔtreneeni agya wɔ anigye bebree; nea ɔwɔ ɔba nyansafo no ani gye ne ho.
25 Rejoice doth thy father and thy mother, Yea, she that bare thee is joyful.
Ma wʼagya ne wo na ani nnye; ma ɔbea a ɔwoo wo no nnya ahosɛpɛw.
26 Give, my son, thy heart to me, And let thine eyes watch my ways.
Me ba, fa wo koma ma me na ma wʼani nkɔ mʼakwan ho,
27 For a harlot [is] a deep ditch, And a strange woman [is] a strait pit.
na oguamanfo yɛ amoa donkudonku ɔyere huhuni yɛ ɔdaadaafo.
28 She also, as catching prey, lieth in wait, And the treacherous among men she increaseth.
Ɔtɛw, twɛn, te sɛ ɔkwanmukafo, na ɔma mmarima mu atorofo dɔɔso.
29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? who hath plaint? 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 Those tarrying by the wine, Those going in to search out mixed wine.
Wɔn a wɔkyɛ nsa ho, na wɔka nsa a wɔafrafra hwɛ.
31 See not wine when it showeth itself red, When it giveth in the cup its colour, It goeth up and down through the upright.
Nhwɛ nsa ani kɔkɔɔ no haa, bere a ɛretwa yerɛw yerɛw wɔ kuruwa mu, na ɛkɔ yɔɔ no.
32 Its latter end — as a serpent it biteth, And as a basilisk it stingeth.
Awiei no, ɛka te sɛ ɔwɔ na ɛwɔ bɔre te sɛ ahurutoa.
33 Thine eyes see strange women, And thy heart speaketh perverse things.
Wʼani behu nneɛma a wunhuu da, na woadwene nneɛma basabasa ho.
34 And thou hast been as one lying down in the heart of the sea, And as one lying down on 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 smote me, I have not been sick, They beat me, I have not known. When I awake — I 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?”
