Mmebusɛm 1
1 Dawid babarima Salomo, Israelhene, mmebusɛm ni:
The Proverbs of Solomon son of David, who reigned in 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, and to perceive words of understanding;
3 sɛ wobenya akwankyerɛ wɔ abrabɔ pa mu, a ɛbɛma wɔayɛ ade pa, nea ɛteɛ na ho nni asɛm;
to receive also hard saying, and to understand true justice, and [how] to direct judgment;
4 sɛ ɛbɛma nea nʼadwene mu nnɔ anya nyansa na mmabun anya nimdeɛ ne adwene,
that he might give subtlety to the simple, and to the young man discernment and understanding.
5 anyansafo ntie na wɔmfa nka nea wonim ho, na nea ɔwɔ nhumu nya akwankyerɛ a
For by the hearing of these a wise man will be wiser, and man of understanding will gain direction;
6 ɛbɛma wate mmɛ ne kasammebu, anyansafo nsɛnka ne abisaa ase.
and will understand a parable, and a dark speech; the saying of the wise also, and riddles.
7 Awurade suro yɛ nimdeɛ mfiase, na nkwaseafo bu nyansa ne ahohyɛso animtiaa.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and [there is] good understanding to all that practise it: and piety toward God is the beginning of discernment; but the ungodly will set at nothing wisdom and instruction.
8 Me ba, tie wʼagya akwankyerɛ na mpo wo na nkyerɛkyerɛ.
Hear, [my] son, the instruction of your father, and reject not the rules of your mother.
9 Ɛbɛyɛ wo ti anuonyam abotiri ne wo kɔn mu atweaban.
For you shall receive for your head a crown of graces, and a chain of gold round your neck.
10 Me ba, sɛ nnebɔneyɛfo twetwe wo a, mma wɔn ho kwan.
[My] son, let not ungodly men lead you astray, neither consent you [to them].
11 Sɛ wɔka se, “Bra ma yɛnkɔ; ma yɛnkɔtetɛw na yenkum obi, ma yɛnkɔtɛw ntwɛn mmɔborɔni bi;
If they should exhort you, saying, Come with us, partake in blood, and let us unjustly hide the just man in the earth:
and let us swallow him alive, as Hades [would], and remove the memorial of him from the earth: (Sheol h7585)
13 yebenya nneɛma a ɛsom bo ahorow na yɛde asade ahyɛ yɛn afi ma;
let us seize on his valuable property, and let us fill our houses with spoils:
14 fa wo ho bɛhyɛ mu, na wubenya wo kyɛfa wɔ ahonyade no mu.”
but do you cast in your lot with us, and let us all provide a common purse, and let us have one pouch:
15 Me ba, wo ne wɔn nnantew, mfa wo nan nsi wɔn akwan so;
go not in the way with them, but turn aside your foot from their paths:
16 Wɔn anan de ntɛmpɛ kɔ bɔne mu, na wɔde ahoɔhare ka mogya gu.
[For their feet run to do evil, and are swift to shed blood. ]
17 So nni mfaso sɛ obi besum nnomaafiri wɔ beae a anomaa biara hu!
for nets are not without cause spread for birds.
18 Saa nnipa yi tetɛw pɛ wɔn ankasa mogya; wɔtetɛw wɔn ankasa wɔn ho!
For they that are concerned in murder store up evils for themselves; and the overthrow of transgressors is evil.
19 Saa na wɔn a wodi akorɔnne akyi no awiei te; ɛma wɔhwere wɔn nkwa!
These are the ways of all that perform lawless deeds; for by ungodliness they destroy their own life.
20 Nyansa teɛ mu wɔ mmɔnten so, ɔma ne nne so wɔ aguabɔbea,
Wisdom sings aloud in passages, and in the broad places speaks boldly.
21 ɔteɛ mu wɔ afasu no atifi, ɔkasa wɔ kuropɔn no apon ano se,
And she makes proclamation on the top of the walls, and sits by the gates of princes; and at the gates of the city boldly says,
22 “Mo adwenharefo, mobɛyɛ adwenhare akosi da bɛn? Fɛwdifo bedi fɛw akosi da bɛn? Nkwaseafo bekyi nimdeɛ akosi da bɛn?
So long as the simple cleave to justice, they shall not be ashamed: but the foolish being lovers of haughtiness, having become ungodly have hated knowledge, and are become subject to reproofs.
23 Sɛ mutiee mʼanimka a, anka mekaa me koma mu nsɛm nyinaa kyerɛɛ mo ma muhuu me nsusuwii.
Behold, I will bring forth to you the utterance of my breath, and I will instruct you in my speech.
24 Nanso sɛ muyii mo aso, bere a mefrɛɛ mo na amfa obiara ho, bere a meteɛɛ me nsa mu,
Since I called, and you did not listen; and I spoke at length, and you gave no heed;
25 sɛ mopoo mʼafotu, na moampɛ mʼanimka nti,
but you set at nothing my counsels, and disregarded my reproofs;
26 me nso mɛserew mo wɔ mo amanehunu mu; sɛ abɛbrɛsɛ bi bu fa mo so a, midi mo ho fɛw,
therefore I also will laugh at your destruction; and I will rejoice against [you] when ruin comes upon you:
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,
yes when dismay suddenly comes upon you, and [your] overthrow shall arrive like a tempest; and when tribulation and distress shall come upon you, or when ruin shall come upon you.
28 “Afei wɔbɛfrɛ me, nanso meremmua; wɔbɛhwehwɛ me, nanso wɔrenhu me.
For it shall be that when you call upon me, I will not listen to you: wicked men shall seek me, but shall not find [me].
29 Esiane sɛ wokyii nimdeɛ na wɔampɛ sɛ wobesuro Awurade,
For they hated wisdom, and did not choose the word of the Lord:
30 sɛ wɔpoo mʼafotu, na wobuu me nteɛso animtiaa nti,
neither would they attend to my counsels, but derided my reproofs.
31 wobedi wɔn akwan so aba; na wɔn nhyehyɛe mu aduan bɛmee wɔn.
Therefore shall they eat the fruits of their own way, and shall be filled with their own ungodliness.
32 Na ntetekwaafo asoɔden bekum wɔn, na nkwaseafo tirimudɛ bɛsɛe wɔn;
For because they wronged the simple, they shall be slain; and an inquisition shall ruin the ungodly.
33 Nanso obiara a obetie me no, ɔbɛtena ase asomdwoe mu na ne ho bɛtɔ no a ɔrensuro ɔhaw biara.”
But he that hearkens to me shall dwell in confidence, and shall rest securely from all evil.
