Mmebusɛm 23
1 Sɛ wo ne ɔhene bi to nsa didi a, hwɛ nea esi wʼanim no yiye,
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
2 Sɛ woyɛ adidibrada a, hyɛ wo ho so.
For thou puttest a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man of a craving desire.
3 Nni nʼaduan akɔnnɔ akɔnnɔ no akyi, efisɛ saa aduan no daadaa nnipa.
Do not long for his savory meats; they are deceitful food.
4 Mmiri wo mogya ani mpɛ sika; hu nyansa na tɔ wo bo ase.
Fatigue thyself not to become rich; because thou hast understanding, forbear.
5 Wʼani bɔɔ sika so ara pɛ, na atu ayera, ampa ara ebefuw ntaban na atu akɔ wim sɛ ɔkɔre.
When thou lettest merely thy eyes fly over it, it is no more: for it will ever make itself wings: like an eagle will it fly toward heaven.
6 Nni obi a ɔyɛ pɛpɛe aduan, nni nʼakɔnnɔ aduan akyi;
Eat not the bread of a man with an evil eye, and do not long for his savory meats;
7 efisɛ ɔyɛ obi a bere biara osusuw sika ho. Ɔka se, “Didi na nom,” nanso ɛnyɛ ne koma mu.
For as though there were a division in his soul, so doth he act: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
8 Kakra a woadi no wobɛfe, na ɛno nti wo nkamfo so remma mfaso.
Thy morsel which thou hast eaten must thou spit out, and thou hast wasted thy pleasant words.
9 Nkasa nkyerɛ ɔkwasea, efisɛ ɔremfa nyansa a ɛwɔ wo kasa mu no.
Speak not before the ears of a fool; for he will despise the intelligence 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 into the fields of the fatherless must thou not enter;
11 efisɛ wɔn Gyefo yɛ den, na obedi wɔn asɛm ama wɔn.
For their redeemer is strong; he will indeed plead their cause with thee.
12 Ma wo koma mmra nkyerɛkyerɛ so, na wɛn wʼaso tie nimdeɛ.
Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thy ears to the sayings of knowledge.
13 Ntwentwɛn abofra nteɛso so; sɛ wode abaa teɛ no a, ɔrenwu.
Withhold not from a lad correction; for if thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Thou wilt indeed beat him with the rod; but thou wilt deliver his soul from perdition. (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 shall rejoice, even mine.
16 sɛ wʼano ka nea ɛteɛ a me mu ade nyinaa ani begye.
And my reins shall exult when thy lips speak what is equitable.
17 Mma wʼani mmere abɔnefo, mmom bɔ Awurade suro ho mmɔden bere biara.
Let not thy heart be envious against sinners; but [remain] in the fear of the lord all the time.
18 Ampa ara anidaso wɔ hɔ ma wo daakye, na wʼanidaso renyɛ ɔkwa.
For surely there is a future, and thy hope will not be cut off.
19 Me ba, tie, na hu nyansa, ma wo koma mfa ɔkwantrenee so.
Hear thou, my son, and become wise, and guide thy heart on the right way.
20 Mfa wo ho mmɔ akɔwensafo anaasɛ wɔn a wɔpɛ nam mmoroso ho,
Be not among those that drink wine immoderately, among those that over-indulge in eating flesh:
21 efisɛ, akɔwensafo ne adidibradafo bɛyɛ ahiafo, na anikum fura wɔn ntamagow.
For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty; and drowsiness clotheth a man in rags.
22 Tie wʼagya a ɔwoo wo no, na sɛ wo na bɔ aberewa a, mmu no animtiaa.
Hearken unto thy father that hath begotten thee, and despise not thy mother although she be old.
23 Tɔ nokware na ntɔn da; nya nyansa, ahohyɛso ne nhumu.
Buy the truth and sell it not; [also] wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24 Ɔtreneeni agya wɔ anigye bebree; nea ɔwɔ ɔba nyansafo no ani gye ne ho.
The father of the righteous will be greatly glad, and he that begetteth a wise child will have joy through him.
25 Ma wʼagya ne wo na ani nnye; ma ɔbea a ɔwoo wo no nnya ahosɛpɛw.
Let [then] thy father and thy mother rejoice, and let her that hath born thee be glad.
26 Me ba, fa wo koma ma me na ma wʼani nkɔ mʼakwan ho,
Give, my son, thy heart unto me, and let thy eyes watch my ways.
27 na oguamanfo yɛ amoa donkudonku ɔyere huhuni yɛ ɔdaadaafo.
For a harlot is a deep ditch, and a strange woman is a narrow well.
28 Ɔtɛw, twɛn, te sɛ ɔkwanmukafo, na ɔma mmarima mu atorofo dɔɔso.
She also lieth in wait like a robber, and she increaseth 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 hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath quarrels? who hath complaints? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30 Wɔn a wɔkyɛ nsa ho, na wɔka nsa a wɔafrafra hwɛ.
They that tarry late over the wine: they that come to seek for mixed drink.
31 Nhwɛ nsa ani kɔkɔɔ no haa, bere a ɛretwa yerɛw yerɛw wɔ kuruwa mu, na ɛkɔ yɔɔ no.
Do not look on the wine when it looketh red, when it giveth its color in the cup, when it glideth down so readily.
32 Awiei no, ɛka te sɛ ɔwɔ na ɛwɔ bɔre te sɛ ahurutoa.
At the last it will bite like a serpent, and like a basilisk will it sting.
33 Wʼani behu nneɛma a wunhuu da, na woadwene nneɛma basabasa ho.
Thy eyes will see strange forms, and thy heart will speak perverse things.
34 Wobɛtɔ ntintan te sɛ hyɛn mu dwumayɛni a, okura hyɛn dua a, ɛrehinhim mu den, na ehinhim wɔ po so.
And thou wilt be like one that lieth down in the heart of the sea, or as he that lieth on 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 smote me, [but] I suffered no pain; they struck me hard, [but] I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will continue to seek it again.”
