Mmebusɛm 1
1 Dawid babarima Salomo, Israelhene, mmebusɛm ni:
Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 Ne botae ne sɛ ɛbɛkyerɛ nnipa nyansa ne ahohyɛso; ne sɛ ɛbɛboa ama wɔate nsɛm a emu dɔ ase;
to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;
3 sɛ wobenya akwankyerɛ wɔ abrabɔ pa mu, a ɛbɛma wɔayɛ ade pa, nea ɛteɛ na ho nni asɛm;
to receive the instruction of wisdom, righteousness and judgment, and equity;
4 sɛ ɛbɛma nea nʼadwene mu nnɔ anya nyansa na mmabun anya nimdeɛ ne adwene,
to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
5 anyansafo ntie na wɔmfa nka nea wonim ho, na nea ɔwɔ nhumu nya akwankyerɛ a
He that is wise will hear, and will increase learning; and the intelligent will gain wise counsels:
6 ɛbɛma wate mmɛ ne kasammebu, anyansafo nsɛnka ne abisaa ase.
to understand a proverb and an allegory, the words of the wise and their enigmas.
7 Awurade suro yɛ nimdeɛ mfiase, na nkwaseafo bu nyansa ne ahohyɛso animtiaa.
The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge: fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 Me ba, tie wʼagya akwankyerɛ na mpo wo na nkyerɛkyerɛ.
Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;
9 Ɛbɛyɛ wo ti anuonyam abotiri ne wo kɔn mu atweaban.
for they shall be a garland of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
10 Me ba, sɛ nnebɔneyɛfo twetwe wo a, mma wɔn ho kwan.
My son, if sinners entice thee, consent not.
11 Sɛ wɔka se, “Bra ma yɛnkɔ; ma yɛnkɔtetɛw na yenkum obi, ma yɛnkɔtɛw ntwɛn mmɔborɔni bi;
If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, and whole, as those that go down into the pit; (Sheol h7585)
13 yebenya nneɛma a ɛsom bo ahorow na yɛde asade ahyɛ yɛn afi ma;
we shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
14 fa wo ho bɛhyɛ mu, na wubenya wo kyɛfa wɔ ahonyade no mu.”
cast in thy lot among us; we will all have one purse:
15 Me ba, wo ne wɔn nnantew, mfa wo nan nsi wɔn akwan so;
— my son, walk not in the way with them, keep back thy foot from their path;
16 Wɔn anan de ntɛmpɛ kɔ bɔne mu, na wɔde ahoɔhare ka mogya gu.
for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
17 So nni mfaso sɛ obi besum nnomaafiri wɔ beae a anomaa biara hu!
For in vain the net is spread in the sight of anything which hath wings.
18 Saa nnipa yi tetɛw pɛ wɔn ankasa mogya; wɔtetɛw wɔn ankasa wɔn ho!
And these lay wait for their own blood; they lurk secretly for their own lives.
19 Saa na wɔn a wodi akorɔnne akyi no awiei te; ɛma wɔhwere wɔn nkwa!
So are the paths of every one that is greedy of gain: it taketh away the life of its possessors.
20 Nyansa teɛ mu wɔ mmɔnten so, ɔma ne nne so wɔ aguabɔbea,
Wisdom crieth without; she raiseth her voice in the broadways;
21 ɔteɛ mu wɔ afasu no atifi, ɔkasa wɔ kuropɔn no apon ano se,
she calleth in the chief [place] of concourse, in the entry of the gates; in the city she uttereth her words:
22 “Mo adwenharefo, mobɛyɛ adwenhare akosi da bɛn? Fɛwdifo bedi fɛw akosi da bɛn? Nkwaseafo bekyi nimdeɛ akosi da bɛn?
How long, simple ones, will ye love simpleness, and scorners take pleasure in their scorning, and the foolish hate knowledge?
23 Sɛ mutiee mʼanimka a, anka mekaa me koma mu nsɛm nyinaa kyerɛɛ mo ma muhuu me nsusuwii.
Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour forth my spirit unto you, I will make known to you my words.
24 Nanso sɛ muyii mo aso, bere a mefrɛɛ mo na amfa obiara ho, bere a meteɛɛ me nsa mu,
Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one regarded;
25 sɛ mopoo mʼafotu, na moampɛ mʼanimka nti,
and ye have rejected all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
26 me nso mɛserew mo wɔ mo amanehunu mu; sɛ abɛbrɛsɛ bi bu fa mo so a, midi mo ho fɛw,
I also will laugh in your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh;
27 sɛ abɛbrɛsɛ bi bu fa mo so te sɛ ahum, na amanehunu bi bɔ fa mo so sɛ mfɛtɛ, na awerɛhow ne ɔhaw mene mo a,
when your fear cometh as sudden destruction, and your calamity cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come upon you:
28 “Afei wɔbɛfrɛ me, nanso meremmua; wɔbɛhwehwɛ me, nanso wɔrenhu me.
— then will they call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me early, and shall not find me.
29 Esiane sɛ wokyii nimdeɛ na wɔampɛ sɛ wobesuro Awurade,
Because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of Jehovah;
30 sɛ wɔpoo mʼafotu, na wobuu me nteɛso animtiaa nti,
they would none of my counsel, they despised all my reproof:
31 wobedi wɔn akwan so aba; na wɔn nhyehyɛe mu aduan bɛmee wɔn.
therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their way, and be filled with their own devices.
32 Na ntetekwaafo asoɔden bekum wɔn, na nkwaseafo tirimudɛ bɛsɛe wɔn;
For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of the foolish shall cause them to perish.
33 Nanso obiara a obetie me no, ɔbɛtena ase asomdwoe mu na ne ho bɛtɔ no a ɔrensuro ɔhaw biara.”
But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be at rest from fear of evil.
