Mmebusɛm 2
1 Me ba, sɛ wutie me nsɛm, na woma me mmaransɛm tena wo mu a,
[My] son, if thou wilt receive the utterance of my commandment, and hide it with thee;
2 sɛ wowɛn wʼaso ma nyansa na wode wo koma ma ntease,
thine ear shall hearken to wisdom; thou shalt also apply thine heart to understanding, and shalt apply it to the instruction of thy son.
3 na woma wo nne so frɛ nhumu na wusu frɛ ntease,
For it thou shalt call to wisdom, and utter thy voice for understanding;
4 na sɛ wohwehwɛ no te sɛnea wohwehwɛ dwetɛ na wohwehwɛ no sɛnea worepɛ ademude a ahintaw a,
and if thou shalt seek it as silver, and search diligently for it as for treasures;
5 ɛno na wobɛte Awurade suro ase na woahu Onyankopɔn ho nimdeɛ.
then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.
6 Awurade ma nimdeɛ, na nʼanom na nyansa ne ntease fi ba.
For the Lord gives wisdom; and from his presence [come] knowledge and understanding,
7 Ɔkora nkonimdi ma wɔn a wɔteɛ, ɔyɛ kyɛm ma wɔn a wɔn akwan yɛ pɛ,
and he treasures up salvation for them that walk uprightly: he will protect their way;
8 ɔwɛn nea ɔyɛ pɛ kwan, na ɔbɔ wɔn a wodi no nokware no akwan ho ban.
that he may guard the righteous ways: and he will preserve the way of them that fear him.
9 Ɛno na wobɛte nea eye ne nea ɛyɛ pɛ, ne nea ɛfata, ɔkwan biara a eye ase.
Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment; and shalt direct all thy course aright.
10 Afei nyansa bewura wo koma mu, na nimdeɛ ayɛ ahomeka ama wo kra.
For if wisdom shall come into thine understanding, and discernment shall seem pleasing to thy soul,
11 Adwene bɛbɔ wo ho ban na ntease ahwɛ wo so.
good counsel shall guard thee, and holy understanding shall keep thee;
12 Nyansa beyi wo afi amumɔyɛfo akwan mu, ebeyi wo afi nnipa a wɔn nsɛm yɛ basabasa nsam,
to deliver thee from the evil way, and from the man that speaks nothing faithfully.
13 wɔn a wɔaman afi akwan pa so akɔnantew sum akwan so no,
Alas [for those] who forsake right paths, to walk in ways of darkness;
14 wɔn a wɔn ani gye bɔneyɛ ho, na wodi ahurusi wɔ bɔne mu basabasayɛ ho,
who rejoice in evils, and delight in wicked perverseness;
15 wɔn a wɔn akwan yɛ kɔntɔnkye na wɔyɛ abonsam wɔ wɔn akwan mu.
whose paths are crooked, and their courses winding;
16 Nimdeɛ begye wo afi ɔbea waresɛefo no nsam, afi ɔbea warefo huhuni a ɔka nnaadaasɛm ho,
to remove thee far from the straight way, and to estrange thee from a righteous purpose. [My] son, let not evil counsel overtake thee,
17 nea wagyaa ne mmabaabere mu kunu na wapo apam a ɔyɛɛ wɔ Onyankopɔn anim no.
[of her] who has forsaken the instruction of her youth, and forgotten the covenant of God.
18 Ne fi yɛ ɔkwan a ɛkɔ owu mu na nʼakwan kɔ awufo honhom nkyɛn.
For she has fixed her house near death, and [guided] her wheels near Hades with the giants.
19 Obiara a ɔkɔ ne nkyɛn no nsan mma anaasɛ ɔrensi nkwa akwan so.
None that go by her shall return, neither shall they take hold of right paths, for they are not apprehended of the years of life.
20 Enti wubedi nnipa pa anammɔn akyi na woanantew atreneefo akwan so.
For had they gone in good paths, they would have found the paths of righteousness easy.
21 Efisɛ wɔn a wɔteɛ bɛtena asase no so, na wɔn a asɛm nni wɔn ho no na wɔbɛka hɔ;
For the upright shall dwell in the earth, and the holy shall be left behind in it.
22 na wobetwa amumɔyɛfo afi asase no so, na wɔatɔre atorofo ase.
The paths of the ungodly shall perish out of the earth, and transgressors shall be driven away from it.
