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;
For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,
3 sɛ wobenya akwankyerɛ wɔ abrabɔ pa mu, a ɛbɛma wɔayɛ ade pa, nea ɛteɛ na ho nni asɛm;
For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,
4 sɛ ɛbɛma nea nʼadwene mu nnɔ anya nyansa na mmabun anya nimdeɛ ne adwene,
For giving to simple ones—prudence, To a youth—knowledge and discretion.
5 anyansafo ntie na wɔmfa nka nea wonim ho, na nea ɔwɔ nhumu nya akwankyerɛ a
(The wise hear and increase learning, And the intelligent obtain counsels.)
6 ɛbɛma wate mmɛ ne kasammebu, anyansafo nsɛnka ne abisaa ase.
For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.
7 Awurade suro yɛ nimdeɛ mfiase, na nkwaseafo bu nyansa ne ahohyɛso animtiaa.
Fear of YHWH [is the] beginning of knowledge, Fools have despised wisdom and instruction!
8 Me ba, tie wʼagya akwankyerɛ na mpo wo na nkyerɛkyerɛ.
Hear, my son, the instruction of your father, And do not leave the law of your mother,
9 Ɛbɛyɛ wo ti anuonyam abotiri ne wo kɔn mu atweaban.
For they [are] a graceful wreath to your head, And chains to your neck.
10 Me ba, sɛ nnebɔneyɛfo twetwe wo a, mma wɔn ho kwan.
My son, if sinners entice you, do not be willing.
11 Sɛ wɔka se, “Bra ma yɛnkɔ; ma yɛnkɔtetɛw na yenkum obi, ma yɛnkɔtɛw ntwɛn mmɔborɔni bi;
If they say, “Come with us, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly for the innocent without cause,
We swallow them as Sheol—alive, And whole—as those going down [to] the pit, (Sheol h7585)
13 yebenya nneɛma a ɛsom bo ahorow na yɛde asade ahyɛ yɛn afi ma;
We find every precious substance, We fill our houses [with] spoil,
14 fa wo ho bɛhyɛ mu, na wubenya wo kyɛfa wɔ ahonyade no mu.”
You cast your lot among us, One purse is—to all of us.”
15 Me ba, wo ne wɔn nnantew, mfa wo nan nsi wɔn akwan so;
My son! Do not go in the way with them, Withhold your 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 hurry to shed blood.
17 So nni mfaso sɛ obi besum nnomaafiri wɔ beae a anomaa biara hu!
Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.
18 Saa nnipa yi tetɛw pɛ wɔn ankasa mogya; wɔtetɛw wɔn ankasa wɔn ho!
And they lay wait for their own blood, They watch 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 gainer of dishonest gain, It takes the life of its owners.
20 Nyansa teɛ mu wɔ mmɔnten so, ɔma ne nne so wɔ aguabɔbea,
Wisdom cries aloud in an out-place, She gives forth her voice in broad places,
21 ɔteɛ mu wɔ afasu no atifi, ɔkasa wɔ kuropɔn no apon ano se,
She calls at the head of the multitudes, In the openings of the gates, In the city she says her sayings:
22 “Mo adwenharefo, mobɛyɛ adwenhare akosi da bɛn? Fɛwdifo bedi fɛw akosi da bɛn? Nkwaseafo bekyi nimdeɛ akosi da bɛn?
“Until when, you simple, do you love simplicity? And have scorners desired their scorning? And do fools hate knowledge?
23 Sɛ mutiee mʼanimka a, anka mekaa me koma mu nsɛm nyinaa kyerɛɛ mo ma muhuu me nsusuwii.
Turn back at my reproof, behold, I pour forth my spirit to you, I make known my words with you.
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 you refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,
25 sɛ mopoo mʼafotu, na moampɛ mʼanimka nti,
And you slight all my counsel, And you have not desired 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 laugh in your calamity, I deride when your fear comes,
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 comes as destruction, And your calamity comes as a windstorm, When adversity and distress come on you.
28 “Afei wɔbɛfrɛ me, nanso meremmua; wɔbɛhwehwɛ me, nanso wɔrenhu me.
Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and do not find me.
29 Esiane sɛ wokyii nimdeɛ na wɔampɛ sɛ wobesuro Awurade,
Because that they have hated knowledge, And have not chosen the fear of YHWH.
30 sɛ wɔpoo mʼafotu, na wobuu me nteɛso animtiaa nti,
They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,
31 wobedi wɔn akwan so aba; na wɔn nhyehyɛe mu aduan bɛmee wɔn.
And they eat of the fruit of their way, And they are filled from their own counsels.
32 Na ntetekwaafo asoɔden bekum wɔn, na nkwaseafo tirimudɛ bɛsɛe wɔn;
For the turning of the simple slays them, And the security of the foolish destroys them.
33 Nanso obiara a obetie me no, ɔbɛtena ase asomdwoe mu na ne ho bɛtɔ no a ɔrensuro ɔhaw biara.”
And whoever is listening to me dwells confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!”
