Mmebusɛm 1
1 Dawid babarima Salomo, Israelhene, mmebusɛm ni:
The proverbs of Solomon, the 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;
That one may learn wisdom and instruction, And receive words of understanding;
3 sɛ wobenya akwankyerɛ wɔ abrabɔ pa mu, a ɛbɛma wɔayɛ ade pa, nea ɛteɛ na ho nni asɛm;
That one may gain the instruction of prudence, Justice, equity, and uprightness;
4 sɛ ɛbɛma nea nʼadwene mu nnɔ anya nyansa na mmabun anya nimdeɛ ne adwene,
Which will give caution to the simple, To the young man wisdom and discretion;
5 anyansafo ntie na wɔmfa nka nea wonim ho, na nea ɔwɔ nhumu nya akwankyerɛ a
Let the wise man hear, and he will increase his knowledge, And the man of understanding will gain wise counsels;
6 ɛbɛma wate mmɛ ne kasammebu, anyansafo nsɛnka ne abisaa ase.
So as to understand a proverb and a deep maxim, The words of the wise and their dark sayings.
7 Awurade suro yɛ nimdeɛ mfiase, na nkwaseafo bu nyansa ne ahohyɛso animtiaa.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 Me ba, tie wʼagya akwankyerɛ na mpo wo na nkyerɛkyerɛ.
Hear, O my son! the instruction of thy father, And neglect not the teaching of thy mother!
9 Ɛbɛyɛ wo ti anuonyam abotiri ne wo kɔn mu atweaban.
For they shall be a graceful wreath for thy head, And a chain around thy neck.
10 Me ba, sɛ nnebɔneyɛfo twetwe wo a, mma wɔn ho kwan.
My son, if sinners entice thee, Consent thou 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 lie in wait for blood, Let us lurk secretly for him who is innocent in vain;
Let us swallow them up alive, like the underworld, Yea, in full health, 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 kinds of precious substance, We shall fill our houses with spoil;
14 fa wo ho bɛhyɛ mu, na wubenya wo kyɛfa wɔ ahonyade no mu.”
Thou shalt cast 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 thou not in their way, Refrain 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 make haste to shed blood.
17 So nni mfaso sɛ obi besum nnomaafiri wɔ beae a anomaa biara hu!
For as the net is spread in vain Before the eyes of any bird,
18 Saa nnipa yi tetɛw pɛ wɔn ankasa mogya; wɔtetɛw wɔn ankasa wɔn ho!
So they lie in 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!
Such are the ways of every one greedy of unjust gain; It taketh away the life of the possessor thereof.
20 Nyansa teɛ mu wɔ mmɔnten so, ɔma ne nne so wɔ aguabɔbea,
Wisdom crieth out in the highway; In the market-place she uttereth her voice;
21 ɔteɛ mu wɔ afasu no atifi, ɔkasa wɔ kuropɔn no apon ano se,
At the head of the noisy streets she crieth aloud; At the entrances of the gates, throughout the city, she proclaimeth her words [[saying]]:
22 “Mo adwenharefo, mobɛyɛ adwenhare akosi da bɛn? Fɛwdifo bedi fɛw akosi da bɛn? Nkwaseafo bekyi nimdeɛ akosi da bɛn?
How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? How long will scoffers delight themselves in scoffing, And fools hate knowledge?
23 Sɛ mutiee mʼanimka a, anka mekaa me koma mu nsɛm nyinaa kyerɛɛ mo ma muhuu me nsusuwii.
Turn ye at my reproof! Behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make known my words to 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 ye have refused, —Because I have stretched out my hand, and no one hath regarded.
25 sɛ mopoo mʼafotu, na moampɛ mʼanimka nti,
Because ye have rejected all my counsel, And have slighted my rebuke, —
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 at 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 upon you like a storm. And destruction overtaketh you like 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, But they shall not find me!
29 Esiane sɛ wokyii nimdeɛ na wɔampɛ sɛ wobesuro Awurade,
Because they have hated knowledge, And have not chosen the fear of the LORD, —
30 sɛ wɔpoo mʼafotu, na wobuu me nteɛso animtiaa nti,
Because they would not attend to my counsel, And have 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 own way, And be filled to the full with their own devices;
32 Na ntetekwaafo asoɔden bekum wɔn, na nkwaseafo tirimudɛ bɛsɛe wɔn;
Yea, the turning away of the simple shall slay them, And the carelessness of fools shall destroy them.
33 Nanso obiara a obetie me no, ɔbɛtena ase asomdwoe mu na ne ho bɛtɔ no a ɔrensuro ɔhaw biara.”
But whoso hearkeneth to me shall dwell securely, And shall not be disquieted with the fear of evil.”
