Mmebusɛm 23
1 Sɛ wo ne ɔhene bi to nsa didi a, hwɛ nea esi wʼanim no yiye,
When thou sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently him who is before thee,
2 Sɛ woyɛ adidibrada a, hyɛ wo ho so.
and put a knife to thy throat if thou be a man given to appetite.
3 Nni nʼaduan akɔnnɔ akɔnnɔ no akyi, efisɛ saa aduan no daadaa nnipa.
Be not desirous of his dainties, since they are deceitful food.
4 Mmiri wo mogya ani mpɛ sika; hu nyansa na tɔ wo bo ase.
Weary not thyself to be rich. Out of thine own wisdom, cease.
5 Wʼani bɔɔ sika so ara pɛ, na atu ayera, ampa ara ebefuw ntaban na atu akɔ wim sɛ ɔkɔre.
Will thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For it certainly makes itself wings, like an eagle that flies toward heaven.
6 Nni obi a ɔyɛ pɛpɛe aduan, nni nʼakɔnnɔ aduan akyi;
Eat thou not the bread of an evil eye, nor desire thou his dainties.
7 efisɛ ɔyɛ obi a bere biara osusuw sika ho. Ɔka se, “Didi na nom,” nanso ɛnyɛ ne koma mu.
For as he thinks within himself, so is he. Eat and drink, he says to thee, but his heart is not with thee.
8 Kakra a woadi no wobɛfe, na ɛno nti wo nkamfo so remma mfaso.
The morsel which thou have eaten thou shall vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
9 Nkasa nkyerɛ ɔkwasea, efisɛ ɔremfa nyansa a ɛwɔ wo kasa mu no.
Speak not in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10 Ntutu tete abo a wɔde ato hye ngu, na ntra ɔhye nkɔ ayisaa mfuw mu,
Remove not the ancient landmark. And enter not into the fields of the fatherless,
11 efisɛ wɔn Gyefo yɛ den, na obedi wɔn asɛm ama wɔn.
for their Redeemer is strong. He will plead their cause against thee.
12 Ma wo koma mmra nkyerɛkyerɛ so, na wɛn wʼaso tie nimdeɛ.
Apply thy heart to instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Ntwentwɛn abofra nteɛso so; sɛ wode abaa teɛ no a, ɔrenwu.
Withhold not correction from the child, for if thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Thou shall beat him with the rod, and shall deliver his soul from Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
15 Me ba, sɛ wo koma hu nyansa a, ɛno de, me koma ani begye;
My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart will be glad, even mine.
16 sɛ wʼano ka nea ɛteɛ a me mu ade nyinaa ani begye.
Yea, my heart will rejoice when thy lips speak right things.
17 Mma wʼani mmere abɔnefo, mmom bɔ Awurade suro ho mmɔden bere biara.
Let not thy heart envy sinners, but be thou in the fear of Jehovah all the day long.
18 Ampa ara anidaso wɔ hɔ ma wo daakye, na wʼanidaso renyɛ ɔkwa.
For surely there is a reward, and thy hope shall not be cut off.
19 Me ba, tie, na hu nyansa, ma wo koma mfa ɔkwantrenee so.
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the way.
20 Mfa wo ho mmɔ akɔwensafo anaasɛ wɔn a wɔpɛ nam mmoroso ho,
Be not among winebibbers, among gluttonous eaters of flesh.
21 efisɛ, akɔwensafo ne adidibradafo bɛyɛ ahiafo, na anikum fura wɔn ntamagow.
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.
22 Tie wʼagya a ɔwoo wo no, na sɛ wo na bɔ aberewa a, mmu no animtiaa.
Hearken to thy father who begot thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
23 Tɔ nokware na ntɔn da; nya nyansa, ahohyɛso ne nhumu.
Buy the truth, and do not sell it, yea, wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24 Ɔtreneeni agya wɔ anigye bebree; nea ɔwɔ ɔba nyansafo no ani gye ne ho.
The father of a righteous man will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise son will have joy of him.
25 Ma wʼagya ne wo na ani nnye; ma ɔbea a ɔwoo wo no nnya ahosɛpɛw.
Let thy father and thy mother be glad, and let her who bore thee rejoice.
26 Me ba, fa wo koma ma me na ma wʼani nkɔ mʼakwan ho,
My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes delight in my ways.
27 na oguamanfo yɛ amoa donkudonku ɔyere huhuni yɛ ɔdaadaafo.
For a harlot is a deep ditch, and an interloping woman is a narrow pit.
28 Ɔtɛw, twɛn, te sɛ ɔkwanmukafo, na ɔma mmarima mu atorofo dɔɔso.
Yea, she lies in wait as a robber, and increases the treacherous among men.
29 Hena na wɔadome no? Hena na odi awerɛhow? Hena na odi aperepere? Hena na onwiinwii? Hena na ɔwɔ atape nko ara? Hena na mogya ada nʼani so?
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?
30 Wɔn a wɔkyɛ nsa ho, na wɔka nsa a wɔafrafra hwɛ.
Those who tarry long at the wine. Those who go to seek out mixed wine.
31 Nhwɛ nsa ani kɔkɔɔ no haa, bere a ɛretwa yerɛw yerɛw wɔ kuruwa mu, na ɛkɔ yɔɔ no.
Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.
32 Awiei no, ɛka te sɛ ɔwɔ na ɛwɔ bɔre te sɛ ahurutoa.
At the end it bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder.
33 Wʼani behu nneɛma a wunhuu da, na woadwene nneɛma basabasa ho.
Thine eyes shall behold strange things, and thy heart shall utter perverse things.
34 Wobɛtɔ ntintan te sɛ hyɛn mu dwumayɛni a, okura hyɛn dua a, ɛrehinhim mu den, na ehinhim wɔ po so.
Yea, thou shall be as he who lies down in the midst of the sea, or as he who lies upon the top of a mast.
35 Na wobɛka se, “Wɔbɔ me, nanso mimpira. Wɔboro me, nanso mente ɔyaw biara. Bere bɛn na menyan akɔpɛ nsa anom bio?”
They have stricken me, thou shall say, and I was not hurt. They have beaten me, and I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
