< Mmebusɛm 22 >

1 Din pa ye sen ahonya bebrebe; sɛ wobedi wo ni ye sen dwetɛ anaa sikakɔkɔɔ.
A [good] name is rather to be chosen than great riches; loving favour rather than silver and gold.
2 Ɔdefo ne ohiani wɔ ade baako, Awurade ne wɔn nyinaa Yɛfo.
The rich and poor meet together; Jehovah is the maker of them all.
3 Onitefo hu amanehunu a ɛreba na ohintaw ne ho, nanso atetekwaa kɔ nʼanim konya amane.
A prudent [man] seeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.
4 Ahobrɛase ne Awuradesuro ɛma ahonya ne anuonyam ne nkwa.
The reward of humility [and] the fear of Jehovah is riches, and honour, and life.
5 Nsɔe ne mfiri wɔ amumɔyɛfo akwan so, nanso nea ɔbɔ ne kra ho ban no mmɛn ho.
Thorns [and] snares are in the way of the perverse: he that keepeth his soul holdeth himself far from them.
6 Kyerɛ abofra ɔkwan a ɔmfa so, na sɛ onyin a ɔremfi so.
Train up the child according to the tenor of his way, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
7 Adefo di ahiafo so, na boseagyefo yɛ nea ɔde fɛm somfo.
The rich ruleth over the poor; and the borrower is servant to the lender.
8 Nea odua amumɔyɛsɛm no twa ɔhaw na wɔbɛsɛe nʼabufuwhyew abaa.
He that soweth unrighteousness shall reap iniquity, and the rod of his wrath shall have an end.
9 Ɔyamyefo benya nhyira efisɛ ɔne ahiafo kyɛ nʼaduan.
He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed, for he giveth of his bread to the poor.
10 Pam ɔfɛwdifo na basabasayɛ nso bɛkɔ; ntɔkwaw ne animka to atwa.
Cast out the scorner, and contention will depart, and strife and ignominy shall cease.
11 Obi a ɔdɔ koma a mu tew na ne kasa ho yɛ nyam no, benya ɔhene afa no adamfo.
He that loveth pureness of heart, upon whose lips is grace, the king is his friend.
12 Awurade ani wɛn nimdeɛ, na ɔsɛe ɔtorofo nsɛm.
The eyes of Jehovah preserve knowledge; but he overthroweth the words of the unfaithful.
13 Ɔkwadwofo ka se, “Gyata bi wɔ mfikyiri hɔ!” anaasɛ, “Wobekum me wɔ mmɔnten so.”
The sluggard saith, There is a lion without, I shall be killed in the streets!
14 Ɔbea waresɛefo anom yɛ amoa donkudonku; nea ɔhyɛ Awurade abufuw ase no bɛtɔ mu.
The mouth of strange women is a deep ditch: he with whom Jehovah is displeased shall fall therein.
15 Agyimisɛm kyekyere abofra koma ho, nanso nteɛso abaa bɛpam no akɔ akyiri.
Folly is bound in the heart of a child; the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
16 Obi besisi ohiani de apɛ ahonya, anaa ɔbɛkyɛ ɔdefo ade, ne nyinaa de no kɔ ohia mu.
He that oppresseth the poor, it is to enrich him; he that giveth to the rich, [bringeth] only to want.
17 Yɛ aso na tie anyansasɛm yi; fa wo koma di me nkyerɛkyerɛ akyi,
Incline thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thy heart unto my knowledge.
18 efisɛ eye sɛ wokora saa nsɛm yi wɔ wo koma mu, na ne nyinaa ada wʼano.
For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee: they shall be together fitted on thy lips.
19 Sɛ ɛbɛyɛ a wode wo ho bɛto Awurade so, merekyerɛkyerɛ wo nnɛ, yiw ɛyɛ wo.
That thy confidence may be in Jehovah, I have made [them] known to thee this day, even to thee.
20 Menkyerɛw mmɛ aduasa mmaa wo, nea ɛyɛ afotusɛm ne nimdeɛ,
Have not I written to thee excellent things, in counsels and knowledge,
21 a ɛkyerɛkyerɛ wo nokware ne nea akyinnye nni ho, sɛnea wubenya mmuae pa ama nea ɔsomaa wo no ana?
that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest carry back words of truth to them that send thee?
22 Mmɔ ahiafo korɔn, sɛ wɔyɛ ahiafo nti, na nsisi wɔn a wonni bi wɔ asennii,
Rob not the poor, because he is poor, neither oppress the afflicted in the gate;
23 efisɛ Awurade bedi wɔn asɛm ama wɔn, na wafom afa wɔn a wɔfom ahiafo fa.
for Jehovah will plead their cause, and despoil the soul of those that despoil them.
24 Mfa obi a ne koma yɛ den no adamfo, na mfa wo ho mmɔ nea ne bo nkyɛ fuw,
Make no friendship with an angry man, and go not with a furious man;
25 anyɛ saa a, wubesua nʼakwan na woakɔtɔ afiri mu.
lest thou learn his paths, and get a snare to thy soul.
26 Nyɛ nea ɔde ne nsa hyɛ krataa ase di akagyinamu anaasɛ odi akagyinamu;
Be not of them that strike hands, of them that are sureties for debts:
27 na sɛ wunni nea wɔde tua a wobehuam wo mpa mpo afi wʼase.
if thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?
28 Ntutu tete abo a wɔde ato hye, nea wo nenanom de sisii hɔ no.
Remove not the ancient landmark which thy fathers have set.
29 Wuhu obi a ne nsa akokwaw nʼadwuma ho ana? Ahemfo anim na ɔbɛsom, na ɔrensom wɔ mpapahwekwa anim.
Hast thou seen a man diligent in his work? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before the mean.

< Mmebusɛm 22 >