Mmebusɛm 19
1 Ohiani a ne nantew ho nni asɛm no ye sen ɔkwasea a nʼasɛm mfa kwan mu.
Conducting our lives as we should [even though] we are poor is better than being foolish and telling lies.
2 Mmɔdemmɔ a nimdeɛ nka ho no nye, saa ara na ntɛmpɛ a ɛma obi yera kwan nso nye.
Being enthusiastic but not thinking carefully [about what we are about to do] is not good; doing things hastily can cause us a lot of trouble [IDM].
3 Onipa agyimisɛm sɛe nʼabrabɔ, nanso ne koma huru tia Awurade.
Some people are ruined as a result of their [own] foolish actions, and when that happens, they [SYN] angrily say that it is Yahweh’s fault.
4 Ahonya frɛfrɛ nnamfonom bebree; nanso ohiani adamfo gyaw no hɔ.
Those who are rich easily find people who want to be their friends, but when [people become] poor, their friends [often] desert them.
5 Adansekurumni benya nʼakatua, na nea otwa nkontompo remfa ne ho nni.
Those who tell lies in court will surely be punished [LIT]; they will not escape it.
6 Nnipa pii pɛ adom fi sodifo nkyɛn, na nea ɔkyɛ ade yɛ obiara adamfo.
Many [people] try to persuade important people to do favors for them; everyone [wants to] be a friend of those who give gifts.
7 Ohiani abusuafo nyinaa po no, na saa ara na ne nnamfonom po no! Mpo ɔhwehwɛ wɔn, pɛ sɛ ɔpa wɔn kyɛw, nanso onhu wɔn baabiara.
[Even] the relatives of someone who becomes poor hate him, and his friends certainly stay away from him, too; [even] if he tries to talk with them, they will not be his friends [again].
8 Nea onya nyansa no dɔ ne kra; nea ɔpɛ nhumu no nya nkɔso.
Those who become wise [IDM] are doing a favor for themselves; those who get good sense will prosper.
9 Adansekurumni benya asotwe, na nea otwa nkontompo no bɛyera.
Those who tell lies in court will certainly be punished [LIT]; they will be ruined.
10 Ɛmfata sɛ ɔkwasea bedi taamu, anaasɛ akoa bedi mmapɔmma so!
It is not appropriate for foolish people to live (luxuriously/like rich people), and it is even less appropriate for slaves to rule important officials.
11 Onipa nyansa ma no ntoboase; ɛyɛ anuonyam ma obi sɛ obebu nʼani gu mfomso bi so.
Those who have good sense do not quickly become angry; people respect those who ignore offensive [things that people say to them].
12 Ɔhene abufuw te sɛ gyata mmubomu, na nʼadom te sɛ sare so bosu.
When a king is angry, [that causes people to be afraid of him], like the roar of a lion [causes people to be afraid] [SIM], but if he acts kindly toward people, [they like it just] like [they like] dew on the grass [in the morning].
13 Ɔba kwasea yɛ nʼagya ɔsɛe, ɔyere tɔkwapɛfo te sɛ ɔdan a ne nwini to ntwa da.
Foolish children [can] cause disasters to happen to their parents. A wife who constantly (nags/quarrels with) [her husband is as annoying as] water that continually drips [MET].
14 Afi ne ahonyade yɛ agyapade a efi awofo, na ɔyere nimdefo fi Awurade.
We [can] inherit a house or money from our parents [when they die], but only Yahweh [can] give someone a sensible wife.
15 Akwadworɔ de nnahɔɔ ba, na ɔkɔm de ɔkwadwofo.
Those who are lazy sleep soundly, but if they are lazy, they will be hungry [because of not earning money to buy food].
16 Nea odi nkyerɛkyerɛ so no bɔ ne nkwa ho ban, na nea ogyaagyaa ne ho no bewu.
Those who obey [God’s] commandments will remain alive [for a long time]; those who despise/disobey them (OR, those who do not control their own conduct) will die [while they are still young].
17 Nea ɔyɛ adɔe ma ohiani no yɛ de fɛm Awurade, na obetua no nea ɔyɛ no so ka.
When we give things to poor [people], [it is as though] we are lending to Yahweh, and he will (pay us back/reward us for what we did).
18 Teɛ wo ba, na ɛno mu na anidaso wɔ, na nyɛ wɔn a wɔde no kɔ owu mu no mu baako.
Discipline your children while [they are young], while you still hope that [they will learn to behave as they should]; [if you do not discipline them], you are helping them to destroy [themselves].
19 Ɛsɛ sɛ onipa a ne koma haw no no nya so asotwe; sɛ woka ma no a, wobɛyɛ bio.
Those who (do not control their temper/quickly become very angry) will have to endure what happens as a result; [but] if we rescue them [from those troubles once], we will have to continue rescuing them.
20 Tie afotu na gye nkyerɛkyerɛ to mu, na awiei no, wubehu nyansa.
Pay attention when [people give you good] advice and learn from them, in order that you will become wise for the rest of your life.
21 Nhyehyɛe bebree wɔ onipa koma mu, nanso nea Awurade pɛ no na ɛba mu.
People plan to do many [kinds of things], but what will happen is what Yahweh has decided will happen.
22 Nea onipa pɛ ne nokware dɔ; eye sɛ wobɛyɛ ohiani sen sɛ wobɛyɛ ɔtorofo.
People want others to be loyal to them; it is better to be poor than to tell a lie [to a judge in court in order to get money].
23 Awurade suro kɔ nkwa mu; na onipa de abotɔyam home a ɔhaw bi nni mu.
[Those who have] an awesome respect for Yahweh will live [a long life]; they rest peacefully and are not harmed [during the night].
24 Ɔkwadwofo de ne nsa si aduan mu, na ɛyɛ no anihaw sɛ obeyi akɔ nʼano.
Some people are extremely lazy; they put their hand in a dish [to take some food] but do not even lift the food up to their mouths.
25 Twa ɔfɛwdifo mmaa, na atetekwaa bɛfa adwene; ka nea ɔwɔ nhumu anim, na obenya nimdeɛ.
If you punish someone who makes fun of those who are wise, those who (are naive/need to be instructed) will learn to do what is smart; if you rebuke those who are wise, they will [listen to what you say and] become wiser.
26 Nea ɔbɔ nʼagya korɔn na ɔpam ne na no yɛ ɔba a ɔde aniwu ne animguase ba.
Anyone who mistreats/abuses his father or forces his mother to leave the home is a child who is acting shamefully and disgracefully.
27 Me ba, sɛ wugyae nkyerɛkyerɛ tie a, wobɛman afi nimdeɛ nsɛm ho.
My son, if you stop learning things, you will [soon] forget what [you already] know.
28 Adansekurumni di atɛntrenee ho fɛw; na omumɔyɛfo ano mene bɔne.
Worthless witnesses [in court] make fun of [judges who try to] make fair decisions, and wicked people [enjoy] doing evil [like] they enjoy eating [good food] [MET].
29 Wɔasiesie asotwe ama fɛwdifo, ne mmaabɔ ama nkwaseafo akyi.
[God] is ready to punish those who make fun [of him/religion]; those who do foolish things deserve to be flogged/whipped.
