Proverbs 7
1 My son! keep my sayings, And my commands lay up with thee.
Me ba, fa me nsɛm sie na kora mʼahyɛde wɔ wo mu.
2 Keep my commands, and live, And my law as the pupil of thine eye.
Di mʼahyɛde so na wubenya nkwa; bɔ me nkyerɛkyerɛ ho ban sɛ nea wodɔ no.
3 Bind them on thy fingers, Write them on the tablet of thy heart.
Kyekyere bɔ wo nsateaa ho; kyerɛw no yiye gu wo koma pon so.
4 Say to wisdom, 'My sister Thou [art].' And cry to understanding, 'Kinswoman!'
Ka kyerɛ nyansa se, “Woyɛ me nuabea,” na frɛ ntease wo busuani;
5 To preserve thee from a strange woman, From a stranger who hath made smooth her sayings.
Wɔbɛtwe wo afi ɔbeawaresɛefo ho, afi ɔbeawarefo huhuni nsɛmmɔdɛ ho.
6 For, at a window of my house, Through my casement I have looked out,
Me fi mfɛnsere ano, mede mʼani faa mfɛnsere mu.
7 And I do see among the simple ones, I discern among the sons, A young man lacking understanding,
Mihuu wɔ ntetekwaafo mu, mehyɛɛ mmerante no mu baako nsow, ɔbabun a onni adwene.
8 Passing on in the street, near her corner, And the way [to] her house he doth step,
Na ɔnam borɔn a ɛbɛn ɔbea no fi so a nʼani kyerɛ ɔbea no fi
9 In the twilight — in the evening of day, In the darkness of night and blackness.
bere a onwini redwo, na anim rebiribiri no.
10 And, lo, a woman to meet him — (A harlot's dress, and watchful of heart,
Afei ɔbea bi fi behyiaa no a wasiesie ne ho sɛ oguamanfo a nnaadaa wɔ ne koma mu.
11 Noisy she [is], and stubborn, In her house her feet rest not.
(Ɔyɛ hyirenn na hwee mfa ne ho, ɔntena fie koraa;
12 Now in an out-place, now in broad places, And near every corner she lieth in wait) —
nnɛ wohu no mmɔnten so, ɔkyena na ɔte aguabɔbea, ɔtetɛw wɔ mmantwea mmantwea.)
13 And she laid hold on him, and kissed him, She hath hardened her face, and saith to him,
Osoo ne mu few nʼano, wamfɛre, na ɔkae se,
14 'Sacrifices of peace-offerings [are] by me, To-day I have completed my vows.
“Mewɔ asomdwoe afɔrebɔde wɔ fie; nnɛ madi me bɔhyɛ so.
15 Therefore I have come forth to meet thee, To seek earnestly thy face, and I find thee.
Enti mebae sɛ merebehyia wo; mehwehwɛɛ wo na mahu wo!
16 [With] ornamental coverings I decked my couch, Carved works — cotton of Egypt.
Mato me mpa, mede nwera a wɔahyɛ no aduru a efi Misraim.
17 I sprinkled my bed — myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
Mede nnuhuam apete me mpa so: kurobow, pɛprɛ ne dupapo.
18 Come, we are filled [with] loves till the morning, We delight ourselves in loves.
Bra, ma yɛmfa ɔdɔ mmɔ ɔdɔ mu nkosi anɔpa;
19 For the man is not in his house, He hath gone on a long journey.
Me kunu nni fie; watu kwan na ɔbɛkyɛ.
20 A bag of money he hath taken in his hand, At the day of the new moon he cometh to his house.'
Ɔde sika a ɛdɔɔso hyɛɛ ne sika kotoku ma na ɔremma kosi ɔsram no kurokumatwa bere mu.”
21 She turneth him aside with the abundance of her speech, With the flattery of her lips she forceth him.
Ɔde tɛkrɛmakyene bɔɔ no adafa; ɔde nnaadaa nyaa no ne no dae.
22 He is going after her straightway, As an ox unto the slaughter he cometh, And as a fetter unto the chastisement of a fool,
Odii nʼakyi prɛko pɛ te sɛ nantwi a ɔrekɔ akumii, anaa ɔwansan a ɔde ne ti rekɔhyɛ hankare fi mu
23 Till an arrow doth split his liver, As a bird hath hastened unto a snare, And hath not known that it [is] for its life.
kosi sɛ bɛmma bɛwɔ ne brɛbo mu, te sɛ anomaa a ɔrekɔtɔ anomaa afiri mu na onnim sɛ ɔbɛhwere ne nkwa.
24 And now, ye sons, hearken to me, And give attention to sayings of my mouth.
Na afei, me mma, muntie me; monyɛ aso mma nea meka.
25 Let not thy heart turn unto her ways, Do not wander in her paths,
Mommma mo koma mpatiri nkɔ no so na momman mmfa nʼakwan so.
26 For many [are] the wounded she caused to fall, And mighty [are] all her slain ones.
Bebree na wɔnam no so ahwehwe ase; wɔn a wakum wɔn dɔɔso pa ara.
