Mmebusɛm 14
1 Ɔbea nyansafo si ne dan, nanso ɔbea kwasea de nʼankasa ne nsa dwiriw ne de gu fam.
Wise women [PRS] hold their families together [by the wise things that they do], but foolish women ruin their families by the foolish things that they do.
2 Nea ne nantew teɛ no suro Awurade, na nea nʼakwan kyea no bu no animtiaa.
By [continually] behaving/acting righteously, [people show that they] greatly revere Yahweh; those who (walk on crooked paths/always deceive others) [show that they] despise him.
3 Ɔkwasea kasa ma wɔbɔ nʼakyi abaa, nanso anyansafo ano bɔ wɔn ho ban.
Foolish people will be punished [MTY] for what they say, but wise [people] will be protected by what they say [MTY].
4 Faako a anantwi nni no, adididaka no mu da mpan, na nantwi ahoɔden mu na nnɔbae pii fi ba.
If [a man has] no oxen [to plow his field], he does not [need to put] grain [in their feedbox], but if [he has] oxen, they will enable [him to produce] an abundant crop.
5 Ɔdanseni nokwafo rennaadaa, ɔdansekurumni hwie atoro gu hɔ.
Witnesses who are reliable [always] say what (is true/really happened), but witnesses who are not reliable constantly tell lies [about what happened].
6 Ɔfɛwdifo hwehwɛ nyansa nanso onya, nanso wɔn a wɔwɔ nhumu nya nimdeɛ ntɛm.
Those who make fun [of being wise] will never become wise, but those who understand [what is right] learn things easily.
7 Twe wo ho fi ɔkwasea ho, efisɛ, worennya nimdeɛ mfi nʼano.
Stay away from foolish people, because they will not be able to teach you anything [useful].
8 Anitewfo nyansa ne sɛ wɔbɛdwene wɔn akwan ho, na nkwaseafo agyimisɛm yɛ nnaadaa.
Those who have good sense are wise, so they know what they should do [and what they should not do]; foolish people do not know what is right to do, but because they think that they do, they are deceiving themselves.
9 Nkwaseafo de bɔne ho adwensakra di fɛw, na wɔn a wɔteɛ mu na anisɔ wɔ.
Foolish people make fun of their committing sins; but God is pleased with those who do what is right.
10 Koma biara nim ɔyaw wɔ ne mu, na obi foforo rentumi ne no nkyɛ nʼanigye.
If you are very sad or if you are joyful, only you know what you are experiencing; no one else [can] know what you are feeling.
11 Wɔbɛsɛe amumɔyɛfo fi, nanso teefo ntamadan bɛyɛ frɔmfrɔm.
Houses built by wicked [people] will be destroyed, but houses built by good/righteous [people] will last for a long time.
12 Ɔkwan bi wɔ hɔ a ɛteɛ wɔ onipa ani so, nanso awiei no, ɛkɔ owu mu.
There are some kinds of behavior [MET] that [some] people [falsely] think are right, but (walking on those roads/continually doing those things) causes [those people] to die.
13 Ɔserew mu mpo, koma tumi di yaw, na anigye tumi wie awerɛhow.
[Sometimes] when people laugh, they are [really] sad, and when they stop laughing, they are still sad.
14 Akyirisanfo benya akatua sɛnea wɔn akwan te, na onipa pa nso benya ne de.
Those who stubbornly continue to do what is wrong will get what they deserve, and those who continually do what is good will [also] get what they deserve.
15 Atetekwaa gye biribiara di, nanso onitefo dwene nʼanammɔntu ho.
Foolish people believe everything [that people tell them]; those who have good sense think carefully about what will be the result of their actions.
16 Onyansafo suro Awurade na oguan bɔne, nanso ɔkwasea yɛ asowui ne basabasa.
Wise people are careful and avoid [doing things that will give them] trouble; foolish people are careless and act (too quickly/without thinking).
17 Onipa a ne bo nkyɛ fuw no yɛ nkwaseade, na wɔtɔn nea ɔpam apam bɔne no.
Those who quickly become angry [IDM] do foolish things; [people] hate those who plan to do wicked things (OR, those who have good sense remain calm/patient).
18 Ntetekwaafo agyapade ne gyimi, na wɔde nimdeɛ bɔ anitewfo abotiri.
Foolish people get what they deserve for doing foolish things; those with good sense are rewarded [MET] by being able to learn a lot.
19 Nnipa bɔnefo bɛkotow nnipa pa anim, na amumɔyɛfo akotow atreneefo apon ano.
[Some day] evil [people] will bow down in front of righteous [people to show that they respect them]; they [will humbly stand] at the gates of [the houses of] righteous [people and request their help].
20 Ahiafo de, wɔn yɔnkonom mpo mpɛ wɔn anim ahwɛ, nanso adefo wɔ nnamfonom bebree.
[No one likes] poor [people]; even their friends/neighbors do not like them; rich [people] have many friends, but [only while the rich people still have money].
21 Nea obu ne yɔnko animtiaa yɛ bɔne, na nhyira nka nea ne yam ye ma ohiani.
It is sinful to despise your [poor] neighbors; [God] is pleased with those who do kind things for the poor.
22 So wɔn a wɔbɔ pɔw bɔne nyera kwan ana? Nanso wɔn a wɔhyehyɛ nea eye no nya adɔe ne nokware.
Those who plan to do things that are evil/wrong are walking on the wrong road; people faithfully love, respect and are loyal to those who plan to do what is good.
23 Adwumadenyɛ nyinaa de mfaso ba, na kasahunu de, ɛkɔ ohia mu.
If you work hard, you will (accomplish something good/get a good income), but if all you do is to talk [and not work], you will remain poor.
24 Anyansafo ahonya ne wɔn abotiri, na nkwaseafo agyimisɛm sow gyimi aba.
One of the rewards [MET] of being wise is to become rich; the reward of acting foolishly is to become more foolish.
25 Ɔdanseni nokwafo gye nkwa, nanso ɔdansekurumni yɛ ɔdaadaafo.
By saying [in court] what is true, you [can] save the life [of the one who is being falsely accused]; if you tell lies, you are abandoning someone who needs your help [to defend him].
26 Nea osuro Awurade no wɔ bammɔ a mu yɛ den, na ɛbɛyɛ guankɔbea ama ne mma.
Those who revere Yahweh are confident [that he will protect them], and their family will [also] be protected.
27 Awurade suro yɛ nkwa asuti, eyi onipa fi owu afiri mu.
Having an awesome respect for Yahweh is [like] [MET] [having] a fountain that gives life; it will help you to escape when something dangerous is threatening to kill you [MET].
28 Ɔman mu nnipa dodow yɛ ɔhene anuonyam, nanso sɛ asomfo nni hɔ a mmapɔmma no sɛe.
If a king rules over many people, many people will [be able to] honor him; if he has only a few people in his kingdom, he will have very little [HYP] power.
29 Onipa a ɔwɔ abodwokyɛre wɔ ntease a mu dɔ, na nea ne bo fu ntɛm no da agyimisɛm adi.
Those who do not quickly become angry are very wise; by quickly becoming angry, people show that they are foolish.
30 Koma mu asomdwoe ma nipadua nkwa, na anibere ma nnompe porɔw.
Having a mind that is peaceful results in having a healthy body; having a mind that is [often] in turmoil is [like] [MET] cancer in [a person’s] bones.
31 Nea ɔhyɛ ahiafo so no bu wɔn Yɛfo animtiaa, nanso nea ohu ohiani mmɔbɔ no hyɛ Onyankopɔn anuonyam.
Those who oppress poor people are insulting God, the one who made those poor people, but acting kindly toward them is respecting God.
32 Sɛ amanehunu ba a amumɔyɛfo hwe ase, nanso owu mu mpo atreneefo wɔ guankɔbea.
Wicked [people] ruin themselves by the evil things that they do, but righteous/good [people] are kept safe/protected even when they die (OR, because of their continually doing what is right).
33 Nyansa te ntease koma mu, na nkwaseafo mu mpo, oyi ne ho adi.
Those who have good sense always think what is wise; foolish people do not know anything about being wise.
34 Trenee pagyaw ɔman, na bɔne yɛ animguase ma nnipa nyinaa.
[When] the people of a nation [continually act] righteously, it causes that nation to be great; [continually doing what is] evil causes a nation to be disgraced.
35 Ɔhene ani sɔ ɔsomfo nyansani, na ɔsomfo nimguasefo hyɛ no abufuw.
Kings are pleased with officials who do their work competently/skillfully, but they punish [MTY] those who [do their work in a manner that] causes the kings to be disgraced.
