Mmebusɛm 23
1 Sɛ wo ne ɔhene bi to nsa didi a, hwɛ nea esi wʼanim no yiye,
When thou sittest to eate with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee,
2 Sɛ woyɛ adidibrada a, hyɛ wo ho so.
And put the knife to thy throte, if thou be a man giuen to the appetite.
3 Nni nʼaduan akɔnnɔ akɔnnɔ no akyi, efisɛ saa aduan no daadaa nnipa.
Be not desirous of his deintie meates: for it is a deceiuable meate.
4 Mmiri wo mogya ani mpɛ sika; hu nyansa na tɔ wo bo ase.
Trauaile not too much to be rich: but cease from thy wisdome.
5 Wʼani bɔɔ sika so ara pɛ, na atu ayera, ampa ara ebefuw ntaban na atu akɔ wim sɛ ɔkɔre.
Wilt thou cast thine eyes vpon it, which is nothing? for riches taketh her to her wings, as an eagle, and flyeth into the heauen.
6 Nni obi a ɔyɛ pɛpɛe aduan, nni nʼakɔnnɔ aduan akyi;
Eate thou not the bread of him that hath an euil eye, neither desire his deintie meates.
7 efisɛ ɔyɛ obi a bere biara osusuw sika ho. Ɔka se, “Didi na nom,” nanso ɛnyɛ ne koma mu.
For as though he thought it in his heart, so will hee say vnto thee, Eate and drinke: but his heart is not with thee.
8 Kakra a woadi no wobɛfe, na ɛno nti wo nkamfo so remma mfaso.
Thou shalt vomit thy morsels that thou hast eaten, and thou shalt lose thy sweete wordes.
9 Nkasa nkyerɛ ɔkwasea, efisɛ ɔremfa nyansa a ɛwɔ wo kasa mu no.
Speake not in the eares of a foole: for hee will despise the wisdome of thy wordes.
10 Ntutu tete abo a wɔde ato hye ngu, na ntra ɔhye nkɔ ayisaa mfuw mu,
Remooue not the ancient boundes, and enter not into the fieldes of the fatherlesse.
11 efisɛ wɔn Gyefo yɛ den, na obedi wɔn asɛm ama wɔn.
For he that redeemeth them, is mightie: he will defend their cause against thee.
12 Ma wo koma mmra nkyerɛkyerɛ so, na wɛn wʼaso tie nimdeɛ.
Apply thine heart to instruction, and thine eares to the wordes of knowledge.
13 Ntwentwɛn abofra nteɛso so; sɛ wode abaa teɛ no a, ɔrenwu.
Withhold not correction from the childe: if thou smite him with the rodde, he shall not die.
Thou shalt smite him with the rodde, and shalt deliuer his soule from hell. (Sheol h7585)
15 Me ba, sɛ wo koma hu nyansa a, ɛno de, me koma ani begye;
My sonne, if thine heart be wise, mine heart shall reioyce, and I also.
16 sɛ wʼano ka nea ɛteɛ a me mu ade nyinaa ani begye.
And my reynes shall reioyce, when thy lips speake righteous things.
17 Mma wʼani mmere abɔnefo, mmom bɔ Awurade suro ho mmɔden bere biara.
Let not thine heart bee enuious against sinners: but let it bee in the feare of the Lord continually.
18 Ampa ara anidaso wɔ hɔ ma wo daakye, na wʼanidaso renyɛ ɔkwa.
For surely there is an ende, and thy hope shall not be cut off.
19 Me ba, tie, na hu nyansa, ma wo koma mfa ɔkwantrenee so.
O thou my sonne, heare, and bee wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
20 Mfa wo ho mmɔ akɔwensafo anaasɛ wɔn a wɔpɛ nam mmoroso ho,
Keepe not company with drunkards, nor with gluttons.
21 efisɛ, akɔwensafo ne adidibradafo bɛyɛ ahiafo, na anikum fura wɔn ntamagow.
For the drunkard and the glutton shall bee poore, and the sleeper shalbe clothed with ragges.
22 Tie wʼagya a ɔwoo wo no, na sɛ wo na bɔ aberewa a, mmu no animtiaa.
Obey thy father that hath begotten thee, and despise not thy mother when she is olde.
23 Tɔ nokware na ntɔn da; nya nyansa, ahohyɛso ne nhumu.
Bye the trueth, but sell it not: likewise wisdome, and instruction, and vnderstanding.
24 Ɔtreneeni agya wɔ anigye bebree; nea ɔwɔ ɔba nyansafo no ani gye ne ho.
The father of the righteous shall greatly reioyce, and hee that begetteth a wise childe, shall haue ioy of him.
25 Ma wʼagya ne wo na ani nnye; ma ɔbea a ɔwoo wo no nnya ahosɛpɛw.
Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall reioyce.
26 Me ba, fa wo koma ma me na ma wʼani nkɔ mʼakwan ho,
My sonne, giue mee thine heart, and let thine eyes delite in my wayes.
27 na oguamanfo yɛ amoa donkudonku ɔyere huhuni yɛ ɔdaadaafo.
For a whore is as a deepe ditche, and a strange woman is as a narrowe pitte.
28 Ɔtɛw, twɛn, te sɛ ɔkwanmukafo, na ɔma mmarima mu atorofo dɔɔso.
Also she lyeth in wait as for a praye, and she increaseth the transgressers 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?
To whome is woe? to whome is sorowe? to whom is strife? to whom is murmuring? to whom are woundes without cause? and to whome is the rednesse of the eyes?
30 Wɔn a wɔkyɛ nsa ho, na wɔka nsa a wɔafrafra hwɛ.
Euen to them that tarie long at the wine, to them that goe, and seeke mixt wine.
31 Nhwɛ nsa ani kɔkɔɔ no haa, bere a ɛretwa yerɛw yerɛw wɔ kuruwa mu, na ɛkɔ yɔɔ no.
Looke not thou vpon the wine, when it is red, and when it sheweth his colour in the cup, or goeth downe pleasantly.
32 Awiei no, ɛka te sɛ ɔwɔ na ɛwɔ bɔre te sɛ ahurutoa.
In the ende thereof it will bite like a serpent, and hurt like a cockatrise.
33 Wʼani behu nneɛma a wunhuu da, na woadwene nneɛma basabasa ho.
Thine eyes shall looke vpon strange women, and thine heart shall speake lewde things.
34 Wobɛtɔ ntintan te sɛ hyɛn mu dwumayɛni a, okura hyɛn dua a, ɛrehinhim mu den, na ehinhim wɔ po so.
And thou shalt bee as one that sleepeth in the middes of the sea, and as hee that sleepeth in the toppe of the maste.
35 Na wobɛka se, “Wɔbɔ me, nanso mimpira. Wɔboro me, nanso mente ɔyaw biara. Bere bɛn na menyan akɔpɛ nsa anom bio?”
They haue stricken mee, shalt thou say, but I was not sicke: they haue beaten mee, but I knew not, when I awoke: therefore will I seeke it yet still.
