Mmebusɛm 17
1 Aduan sakoo a asomdwoe wɔ ho ye sen ofi a aponto ahyɛ no ma nanso basabasayɛ wɔ mu.
Better a dry morsel in quietness than a house full of feasting with strife.
2 Ɔsomfo nyansafo bedi ɔba nimguasefo so, na obenya ne kyɛfa wɔ agyapade no mu sɛ anuanom no mu baako.
A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share his inheritance as one of the brothers.
3 Kyɛmfɛre wɔ hɔ ma dwetɛ na fononoo wɔ hɔ ma sikakɔkɔɔ nanso Awurade na ɔsɔ koma hwɛ.
A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but the LORD is the tester of hearts.
4 Omumɔyɛfo tie nsusuwii bɔne; ɔtorofo yɛ aso ma adwene bɔne tɛkrɛma.
A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.
5 Nea odi ahiafo ho fɛw no bu wɔn Yɛfo animtiaa; na nea ɔfoa amanehunu so no benya asotwe.
He who mocks the poor insults their Maker; whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.
6 Nananom yɛ mmasiriwa anuonyam, na awofo yɛ wɔn mma ahohoahoa.
Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of a son is his father.
7 Anotew nye mma ɔkwasea, saa ara na ano a edi atoro mfata ɔhene.
Eloquent words are unfit for a fool; how much worse are lying lips to a ruler!
8 Nea ɔma adanmude no hu sɛ ɛyɛ suman; osusuw sɛ nkonimdi bɛba bere biara.
A bribe is a charm to its giver; wherever he turns, he succeeds.
9 Nea obu nʼani gu mfomso so no ma ɔdɔ kwan, na nea ɔkɔ so bɔ so no tetew nnamfonom ntam.
Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but he who brings it up separates friends.
10 Animka sɔ onipa a ɔwɔ nhumu ani sen mmaa ɔha a wɔbɔ ɔkwasea.
A rebuke cuts into a man of discernment deeper than a hundred lashes cut into a fool.
11 Onipa bɔnefo ani wɔ atuatew nko ara so na wɔbɛsoma odwumayɛni tirimuɔdenfo akɔ no so.
An evil man seeks only rebellion; a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 Eye sɛ wubehyia sisi a wɔawia ne mma sen ɔkwasea a ɔregyimi.
It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.
13 Sɛ obi de bɔne tua papa so ka a, bɔne rempa ne fi da.
If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.
14 Ntɔkwaw mfiase te sɛ nea wɔretue suka; enti gyae ma ɛnka na ankɔfa ɔham amma.
To start a quarrel is to release a flood; so abandon the dispute before it breaks out.
15 Sɛ wobegyaa nea odi fɔ ne sɛ wobebu nea odi bem kumfɔ no, Awurade kyi nʼabien no nyinaa.
Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous— both are detestable to the LORD.
16 Sika a ɛwɔ ɔkwasea nsam so nni mfaso, efisɛ onni botae biara sɛ obehu nyansa.
Why should the fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom?
17 Adamfo kyerɛ ɔdɔ bere nyinaa mu, wɔwo onuabarima ma ahokyere bere.
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
18 Obi a onni adwene no na ɔde ne nsa hyɛ krataa ase di akagyinamu nam so de si awowa ma ne yɔnko.
A man lacking judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.
19 Nea ɔpɛ ntɔkwaw no dɔ bɔne; nea osi ɔpon tenten no frɛfrɛ ɔsɛe.
He who loves transgression loves strife; he who builds his gate high invites destruction.
20 Onipa a ɔwɔ porɔwee koma no nnya nkɔso; nea ɔwɔ nnaadaa tɛkrɛma no tɔ amane mu.
The one with a perverse heart finds no good, and he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.
21 Nea ɔwo ɔbakwasea no di awerɛhow, ɔbakwasea agya nni anigye.
A man fathers a fool to his own grief; the father of a fool has no joy.
22 Koma mu anigye yɛ aduru, ɛsa ɔyare, nanso honhom a abotow no yoyow nnompe.
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
23 Omumɔyɛfo gye adanmude wɔ sum ase de kyea atɛntrenee.
A wicked man takes a covert bribe to subvert the course of justice.
24 Onipa a ɔwɔ nhumu no ani kɔ nyansa so, na ɔkwasea toto nʼani kosi asase ano.
Wisdom is the focus of the discerning, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.
25 Ɔbakwasea hyɛ nʼagya awerɛhow, na ɔma nea onyinsɛn no no di yaw.
A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.
26 Enye sɛ wɔtwe nea odi bem aso, anaasɛ wotwa adwumayɛfo mmaa wɔ wɔn nokwaredi nti.
It is surely not good to punish the innocent or to flog a noble for his honesty.
27 Onimdefo dwene nʼanom kasa ho, na nea ɔwɔ nhumu no wɔ abodwo.
A man of knowledge restrains his words, and a man of understanding maintains a calm spirit.
28 Mpo sɛ ɔkwasea yɛ dinn a wobu no sɛ onyansafo, na sɛ omua nʼano a wobu no sɛ ɔwɔ nhumu.
Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent, and discerning when he holds his tongue.
