Mmebusɛm 15
1 Mmuae pa sianka abufuwhyew, nanso asɛm a ano yɛ den hwanyan abufuw mu.
When people are angry with you, reply to them gently, and it will calm them; but if you reply harshly to them, it causes them to become more angry.
2 Onyansafo tɛkrɛma yi nimdeɛ ayɛ, nanso ɔkwasea ano woro agyimisɛm.
When wise [people] speak [MTY], it causes those who hear what they say to want to know more; foolish people continually say [MTY] what is foolish.
3 Awurade ani hu baabiara, na ɛhwɛ amumɔyɛfo ne apapafo.
Yahweh sees [MTY] [what is happening] everywhere; he observes what bad [people do] as well as what good [people do].
4 Tɛkrɛma a ɛde abodwo ba yɛ nkwadua, nanso nnaadaa tɛkrɛma dwerɛw honhom.
Those who speak [MTY] kindly to people are [like] [MET] trees [whose fruit gives] life; speaking what is false causes people to (despair/feel very discouraged).
5 Ɔkwasea mfa nʼagya nteɛso nyɛ hwee, na nea otie nteɛso no kyerɛ sɛ ɔyɛ onitefo.
Foolish children despise their parents when their parents correct/discipline them; wise children accept it.
6 Ahonya bebree wɔ ɔtreneeni fi, nanso amumɔyɛfo adenya de ɔhaw brɛ wɔn.
There are many valuable things in the houses of righteous [people]; the wealth of wicked [people] causes them to have troubles/difficulties.
7 Anyansafo ano trɛtrɛw nimdeɛ mu, nanso ɛnyɛ saa na nkwaseafo koma te.
What wise [people] teach [MTY] causes others to know much more, [but] foolish people cannot teach others what is useful.
8 Awurade kyi amumɔyɛfo afɔrebɔ, nanso teefo mpaebɔ sɔ nʼani.
Yahweh detests the sacrifices that are offered by wicked [people]; what delights/pleases him very much are the prayers of righteous/good [people].
9 Awurade kyi amumɔyɛfo akwan, nanso ɔdɔ wɔn a wotiw trenee.
Yahweh hates/detests the behavior of wicked [people], but he loves those who always do what is righteous/just/fair.
10 Asotwe dennen wɔ hɔ ma nea ɔman fi ɔkwan no so, nea ɔtan nteɛso no bewu.
Those who do what is wrong will be severely punished; those who do not want to be corrected will die.
Yahweh knows [what is happening in] the place where dead people [DOU] are, so he certainly knows [RHQ] what people are thinking. (Sheol h7585)
12 Ɔfɛwdifo mpɛ nteɛso; onkobisa anyansafo hwee.
Some people do not want to be corrected; they never go to wise [people to seek good advice from them].
13 Anigye koma ma anim yɛ sereserew, na koma a abotow dwerɛw honhom.
When people are happy, they have smiles on their faces; but when they are sad, [by looking at their faces we can see that] they are sad.
14 Nhumufo koma hwehwɛ nimdeɛ, nanso ɔkwasea ano ka agyimisɛm.
Those who have good sense want to learn more; foolish people [MTY] are very satisfied with being foolish/ignorant.
15 Wɔn a wɔhyɛ wɔn so nna nyinaa yɛ mmɔbɔmmɔbɔ, nanso anigye koma wɔ daa ahosɛpɛw mu.
Those who are oppressed constantly have difficulties, but those who (OR, if they) are happy, [it is as though] [MET] they are having a big feast every day.
16 Ketewa bi a yenya a Awurade suro ka ho no ye sen ahonyade bebree a ɔhaw bata ho.
Being poor and revering Yahweh is better than being rich and having a lot of troubles.
17 Nhabamma aduan a ɔdɔ wɔ mu no ye sen nantwi sradenam a ɔtan bata ho.
Eating meals with [people whom you] love and having only vegetables to eat is better than eating with [people who] hate [each other and] having lots of good meat [to eat].
18 Nea ne bo fuw ntɛm no de mpaapaemu ba, nanso nea ɔwɔ ntoboase pata ntɔkwaw.
Those who quickly become angry cause arguments/quarreling, but those who do not quickly become angry cause people to act peacefully.
19 Nsɔe ama onihawfo kwan asiw, nanso teefo kwan yɛ ɔtempɔn.
Lazy people constantly [have difficulties] [MET]; [it is as though they are] walking through thorns; but those who are honest and hard-working [will have few difficulties; it is as though they are walking] on a level highway [MET].
20 Ɔba nyansafo ma nʼagya ani gye, nanso ɔba kwasea bu ne na animtiaa.
Children who are wise cause their parents to be happy; it is foolish children who despise their parents.
21 Agyimisɛm ma nea onni adwene ani gye, nanso nea ɔwɔ ntease no fa ɔkwan a ɛteɛ so.
Foolish people are happy to [continually] act foolishly; those who have good sense do what is right.
22 Nhyehyɛe a enni afotu no sɛe, nanso afotufo bebree ma ɛyɛ yiye.
If there is no one to give us good advice, we will not accomplish what we are planning to do; but when we have many [good] advisors, we will succeed.
23 Onipa a ɔma mmuae a ɛfata no ani gye, asɛm a ɛba bere pa mu no nso ye.
People rejoice when they are able to reply well to what others have asked them; [truly], it is very delightful to be able to say the right thing at the right time.
Wise people walk on a road that leads up to a long life; they do not walk on a road that leads down to the place where dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
25 Awurade sɛe ɔhantanni fi, na ɔma akunafo ahye yɛ pɛpɛɛpɛ.
Yahweh tears down the houses of proud [people], but he protects the property of widows.
26 Awurade kyi amumɔyɛfo nsusuwii, nanso nʼani sɔ wɔn a wɔyɛ kronkron no de.
Yahweh detests what wicked [people] are thinking [about doing]; [but] when people say what is kind, he considers those words to be pure.
27 Odifudepɛfo de ɔhaw brɛ nʼabusua, nanso nea okyi kɛtɛasehyɛ no benya nkwa.
Those who try hard to get money by acting dishonestly cause trouble for their family; those who refuse to accept bribes will live [for a long time].
28 Ɔtreneeni koma kari ne mmuae, nanso omumɔyɛfo ano woro bɔne.
Righteous/Good [people] think carefully before they answer [what others ask them]; wicked [people] very quickly say what is evil.
29 Awurade mmɛn amumɔyɛfo koraa, nanso ɔte ɔtreneeni mpaebɔ.
Yahweh does not listen [MTY] to what wicked [people request him to do]; he listens to righteous [people] when they pray.
30 Anim a ɛtew ma koma nya ahomeka, na asɛm pa ma nnompe ahoɔden.
If people have a smile on their faces, it makes them/others happy, and [when people hear] good news, it refreshes their spirits [MTY].
31 Nea otie animka a ɛma nkwa no ne anyansafo bɛbɔ mu atena ase.
If people pay attention when [people] correct/warn them, they will become wise.
32 Nea ɔmfa ahohyɛso no bu ne ho animtiaa, na nea otie nteɛso no nya nhumu.
If people refuse to listen [when others try] to correct them, they are despising/hurting themselves; those who (pay attention/heed) when [others] warn them (become wiser/acquire good sense).
33 Awurade suro kyerɛ onipa nyansa, ahobrɛase di anuonyam anim.
If you revere Yahweh, you will learn how to become wise, but [only] after you become humble will [people] honor you.
