Proverbs 31
1 Words of Lemuel a king, a declaration that his mother taught him:
Ɔhene Lemuel nsɛm a ɛyɛ nkɔmhyɛ a ne maame kyerɛɛ no:
2 'What, my son? and what, son of my womb? And what, son of my vows?
Ao me babarima, me yafunu ba, Ao mebɔhyɛ ba,
3 Give not to women thy strength, And thy ways to wiping away of kings.
nsɛe wʼahoɔden wɔ mmaa ho, wɔn a wɔgu ahemfo asu no.
4 Not for kings, O Lemuel, Not for kings, to drink wine, And for princes a desire of strong drink.
Lemuel, nsã nyɛ mma ahemfo; asanom nyɛ mma ahemfo, ɛnsɛ sɛ sodifoɔ pere nsaden ho;
5 Lest he drink, and forget the decree, And change the judgment of any of the sons of affliction.
sɛ wɔnom nsã a, wɔn werɛ bɛfiri deɛ mmara no ka, na wɔn a wɔdi wɔn nya no rennya deɛ wɔwɔ ho ɛkwan.
6 Give strong drink to the perishing, And wine to the bitter in soul,
Fa nsaden ma wɔn a wɔresɛe, na fa nsã ma wɔn a wɔwɔ amanehunu mu;
7 He drinketh, and forgetteth his poverty, And his misery he remembereth not again.
Momma wɔnnom, na wɔn werɛ mfiri wɔn hia na wɔnnkae wɔn awerɛhoɔ bio.
8 Open thy mouth for the dumb, For the right of all sons of change.
Kasa ma wɔn a wɔntumi nkasa mma wɔn ho, kasa ma mmɔborɔfoɔ yiedie.
9 Open thy mouth, judge righteously, Both the cause of the poor and needy!'
Kasa na bu atɛntenenee; kasa ma ahiafoɔ ne onnibie yiedie.
10 A woman of worth who doth find? Yea, far above rubies [is] her price.
Ɔyere pa, hwan na ɔbɛnya? Ɔsom bo pa ara sene nhwene pa.
11 The heart of her husband hath trusted in her, And spoil he lacketh not.
Ne kunu wɔ ne mu ahotosoɔ pa ara na biribiara a ɛwɔ boɔ nhia no.
12 She hath done him good, and not evil, All days of her life.
Ɔde deɛ ɛyɛ brɛ no, na ɛnyɛ ɔhaw, ne nkwa nna nyinaa mu.
13 She hath sought wool and flax, And with delight she worketh [with] her hands.
Ɔhwehwɛ odwannwi ne asaawa na ɔde ne nsa nwono wɔ fɛ so.
14 She hath been as ships of the merchant, From afar she bringeth in her bread.
Ɔte sɛ adwadifoɔ ahyɛn, ɔde ne nnuane firi akyirikyiri ba.
15 Yea, she riseth while yet night, And giveth food to her household, And a portion to her damsels.
Adeɛ nnya nkyeeɛ no na wasɔre; ɔsiesie aduane ma nʼabusuafoɔ na ɔkyekyɛ nnwuma ma ne mmaawa.
16 She hath considered a field, and taketh it, From the fruit of her hands she hath planted a vineyard.
Ɔdwene afuo ho, na ɔtɔ; ɔfiri deɛ ɔnya mu yɛ bobefuo.
17 She hath girded with might her loins, And doth strengthen her arms.
Ɔde nsi yɛ nʼadwuma; nʼabasa mu wɔ ahoɔden ma nʼadwuma.
18 She hath perceived when her merchandise [is] good, Her lamp is not extinguished in the night.
Ɔhwɛ sɛ nʼadwadie ho wɔ mfasoɔ, na ne kanea ɛnnum anadwo.
19 Her hands she hath sent forth on a spindle, And her hands have held a distaff.
Daa, na ne nsa kura tadua mu a ne nsateaa nso retoatoa asaawa.
20 Her hand she hath spread forth to the poor, Yea, her hands she sent forth to the needy.
Ɔgo ne nsam ma ahiafoɔ na ne nsa so onibie so.
21 She is not afraid of her household from snow, For all her household are clothed [with] scarlet.
Sɛ sukyerɛmma tɔ a ne yam nhyehye no wɔ ne fiefoɔ ho; ɛfiri sɛ wɔn nyinaa wɔ aduradeɛ a wɔde ko awɔ.
22 Ornamental coverings she hath made for herself, Silk and purple [are] her clothing.
Ɔyɛ ne mpasotam; na ɔfira nwera ne serekye ntoma.
23 Known in the gates is her husband, In his sitting with elders of the land.
Ne kunu wɔ animuonyam wɔ kuropɔn ɛpono ano, baabi a ɔne asase no so mpanimfoɔ tena.
24 Linen garments she hath made, and selleth, And a girdle she hath given to the merchant.
Ɔpempam nwera ntadeɛ tontɔn, na ɔtu abɔwomu ma adwadifoɔ.
25 Strength and honour [are] her clothing, And she rejoiceth at a latter day.
Ɔwɔ ahoɔden ne animuonyam; na ɔnsuro nna a ɛwɔ nʼanim.
26 Her mouth she hath opened in wisdom, And the law of kindness [is] on her tongue.
Ɔkasa nyansa mu, na nokorɛ nkyerɛkyerɛ wɔ ne tɛkrɛma so.
27 She [is] watching the ways of her household, And bread of sloth she eateth not.
Ɔhwɛ ne fidua mu nnwuma so na ɔnnyegye aniha so.
28 Her sons have risen up, and pronounce her happy, Her husband, and he praiseth her,
Ne mma sɔre a wɔfrɛ no nhyira; ne kunu nso saa ara, na ɔkamfo no sɛ,
29 'Many [are] the daughters who have done worthily, Thou hast gone up above them all.'
“Mmaa pii yɛ nneɛma a ɛwɔ edin, na wo deɛ, wosene wɔn nyinaa.”
30 The grace [is] false, and the beauty [is] vain, A woman fearing Jehovah, she may boast herself.
Ɔbaa kɔnɔfoɔ yɛ nnaadaa, na ahoɔfɛ twam ntɛm so; nanso ɔbaa a ɔsuro Awurade no fata nkamfoɔ.
31 Give ye to her of the fruit of her hands, And her works do praise her in the gates!
Fa abasobɔdeɛ a wanya no ma no, na wɔnkamfo ne nnwuma wɔ kuropɔn ɛpono ano.
