Mmebusɛm 11
1 Awurade kyi asisi nsania, na nʼani gye nokware nkaribo ho.
Yahweh detests [people who use] scales that do not weigh correctly; he is delighted with [those who use] correct weights on the scales.
2 Ahantan ba a, animguase na edi so, nanso ahobrɛase de nyansa ba.
[People who are] proud will [eventually] be disgraced; it is wise to be humble.
3 Teefo nokwaredi kyerɛ wɔn kwan; nanso nkontompofo ano ntanta sɛe wɔn.
[People who are] good are guided by [doing what is] honest; those who are not honest will be ruined because of the wrong things that they do.
4 Ahonya nka hwee wɔ abufuwhyew da no, nanso trenee gye nkwa fi owu mu.
[Your] money will not help [you] on the day that [God] judges [and punishes people]; but if you live righteously, you will live a long time.
5 Wɔn a wonni bɔne no trenee bɔ kwan tee ma wɔn, nanso amumɔyɛfo amumɔyɛsɛm brɛ wɔn ase.
When people are honest and good, that will (direct their paths/show them what is right for them to do); but wicked [people will] experience disasters because of the evil things that they do.
6 Pɛyɛfo treneeyɛ gye wɔn, nanso akɔnnɔ bɔne afiri yi nkontompofo.
[God] rescues/protects righteous [people] because they (are honest/do what is right), but those who (are treacherous/cannot be trusted) will be trapped because of their being greedy.
7 Sɛ omumɔyɛfo wu a, nʼanidaso yera; nea osusuw sɛ obenya afi ne tumi mu nyinaa no yɛ ɔkwa.
When wicked [people] die, they cannot confidently expect to receive anything [that is good]; they expect that [their money] will help/save them, but it will not.
8 Wogye ɔtreneeni fi amane mu, na ɛba omumɔyɛfo so mmom.
[Yahweh] rescues righteous [people] from their troubles/difficulties; instead, it is the wicked who will have troubles.
9 Nea onsuro Onyame de nʼano sɛe ne yɔnko, nanso ɔtreneeni nam nimdeɛ so fi mu.
Godless people can ruin others by what they say [MTY], but righteous [people will] be saved by [their (own] good sense/being wise).
10 Sɛ atreneefo di yiye a, kuropɔn no di ahurusi; nanso amumɔyɛfo wu a, wɔbɔ ose.
When things go well for righteous [people], [the people in] [MTY] their city are happy, and they shout joyfully when wicked [people] die.
11 Pɛyɛfo nhyira ma kuropɔn no kɔ so, nanso amumɔyɛfo ano ma ɛbɔ.
When righteous [people request God to] bless a city, that city will become great, but cities are ruined by what wicked [people] say [MTY].
12 Onipa a onni adwene no bu ne yɔnko animtiaa, nanso nea ɔwɔ nhumu no to ne tɛkrɛma nnareka.
It is foolish to despise others; those who (have good sense/are wise) do not say anything [to criticize others].
13 Nsekudi sɛe ahotoso, nanso nea wɔwɔ ne mu ahotoso no kora ahintasɛm.
Those who (spread gossip/tell bad things about others) will tell your secrets [to others], but if there is someone whom you can trust, you can trust him to not tell your secrets [to others].
14 Ɔman a enni akwankyerɛ no bɔ, nanso afotufo dodow ma nkonimdi ba.
A nation will be destroyed/ruined if it does not have [leaders] who guide it [wisely]; but if there are many [good] advisors, the nation remains secure.
15 Nea odi akagyinamu ma ɔfoforo no behu amane, na nea ɔmmfa ne nsa nhyɛ awowasi ase no aso mu dwo no.
If you promise a stranger that you will pay his debt [if he cannot pay it himself], you will regret it. You will be safe if you refuse to guarantee that you will pay someone else’s debts.
16 Ɔbea a ne yam ye no, wɔde obu ma no, nanso mmarima atirimɔdenfo nya ahode nkutoo.
[People] honor/respect women who are kind/gracious; ruthless/violent people may get a lot of money, [but that is all that they will get].
17 Ɔyamyefo ye ma ne ho, na otirimɔdenfo de ɔhaw ba nʼankasa so.
Those who are kind benefit themselves [because others will be kind to them], but those who are cruel will hurt themselves [because others will be cruel to them].
18 Omumɔyɛfo nya akatua a ennyina, nanso nea ogu trenee aba no twa aba a edi mu.
If wicked people earn a lot of money, that will deceive them [because they will not keep it for very long], but those who do what is right will surely be rewarded [by God forever].
19 Nea ɔyɛ nokware treneeni no nya nkwa, nanso nea ɔkɔ so yɛ bɔne no kɔ owu mu.
Those who always do what is right will live [a long/happy life], but those who insist on doing what is wrong will not live [very long].
20 Awurade kyi nnipa a wɔn koma akyea, na nʼani gye wɔn a wɔn akwan ho nni asɛm no ho.
Yahweh hates those who are always thinking about doing evil things, but he is delighted with those who always do what is right.
21 Gye to mu sɛ, amumɔyɛfo benya wɔn akatua, na atreneefo benya wɔn ti adidi mu.
It is certain that [Yahweh] will punish evil people and that righteous people will escape [from being punished].
22 Ɔbea hoɔfɛfo a ontumi nsi gyinae no te sɛ sika kaa a ɛhyɛ prako hwene mu.
[It is] ([unsuitable/not proper/disgusting]) for a beautiful woman not to know what is right to do, like [SIM] [it is unsuitable/disgusting] for a pig to have a gold ring in its snout/nose.
23 Atreneefo apɛde wie yiye, nanso amumɔyɛfo anidaso wie abufuwhyew.
When the things that righteous people want happen, it brings good [to them and to others], but when the wicked get what they want, it causes everyone else to become angry.
24 Obi yɛ adɔe, na onya ne ho bebree; obi nso yɛ pɛpɛe, nanso ehia no.
Some people give [their money] generously [to poor people], but they become richer [in spite of that], and some people hold tightly to their money, but they still become poor [in spite of that].
25 Ɔyamyefo bɛkɔ so anya ne ho; na nea ɔma ebinom mee no nso bɛmee.
Those who give generously [to others] will prosper; if you help others, [they/someone] will help you, too.
26 Nnipa dome nea ɔde atoko sie, na nhyira ba nea ɔtɔn ne de so.
People curse/despise someone who hoards his grain [and does not sell it], waiting to get a higher/bigger price for it, but they praise someone who sells it [when people need it, even when the price is not high].
27 Nea ɔhwehwɛ papa akyi kwan no nya anisɔ, na nea ɔhwehwɛ bɔne no, bɔne ba ne so.
If you sincerely want to [do what is] right, [people] will respect you, but if you are wanting to cause trouble, trouble is what you will get.
28 Nea ɔde ne ho to nʼahonyade so no bɛhwe ase, na ɔtreneeni bɛyɛ frɔmfrɔm sɛ ahabammono.
Those who trust in their money will [disappear like the] withered [leaves that fall from the trees], but righteous [people] will keep going strong, like green leaves [in the summer].
29 Nea ɔde ɔhaw bɛto nʼabusua so no bedi mframa ade, na ɔkwasea bɛyɛ onyansafo somfo.
Those who bring troubles to their families will inherit nothing [MET] [from them], and those who do foolish things [like that] will [some day] become the servants of wise [people].
30 Ɔtreneeni aba yɛ nkwadua, na nea ogye akra no yɛ onyansafo.
Those who live righteously will live [for a long time], but [those who act] violently will destroy [their own] lives (OR, those who are wise will have many people come and live with them).
31 Kyerɛwsɛm no ka se, “Ɛyɛ den sɛ wobegye onipa pa nkwa; na wɔn a wonnye asɛm no nni ne nnebɔneyɛfo no de, dɛn na ɛbɛba wɔn so?”
[Sometimes] righteous [people] are rewarded [here] on the earth, but it is much more certain that very wicked people [DOU] [will be rewarded by being punished].
