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 well what is before thee;
2 Sɛ woyɛ adidibrada a, hyɛ wo ho so.
For thou wilt put a knife to thy throat, If thou art a man given to appetite!
3 Nni nʼaduan akɔnnɔ akɔnnɔ no akyi, efisɛ saa aduan no daadaa nnipa.
Long not for his dainties. For they are deceitful meat.
4 Mmiri wo mogya ani mpɛ sika; hu nyansa na tɔ wo bo ase.
Toil not to become rich; Cease from this, thy wisdom.
5 Wʼani bɔɔ sika so ara pɛ, na atu ayera, ampa ara ebefuw ntaban na atu akɔ wim sɛ ɔkɔre.
Wilt thou let thine eyes fly toward them? They are gone! For riches truly make to themselves wings; They fly away like the eagle toward heaven.
6 Nni obi a ɔyɛ pɛpɛe aduan, nni nʼakɔnnɔ aduan akyi;
Eat not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, And long not for 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 thinketh in his heart, so is he. “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.
The morsel, which thou hast eaten, thou shalt vomit up; And thou wilt have thrown away thy sweet words.
9 Nkasa nkyerɛ ɔkwasea, efisɛ ɔremfa nyansa a ɛwɔ wo kasa mu no.
Speak not in the ears 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 avenger is mighty; He will maintain 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 a child; If thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Beat him thyself with the rod, And thou shalt rescue him from the underworld. (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.
Yea, my reins shall exult, 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 continue thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long;
18 Ampa ara anidaso wɔ hɔ ma wo daakye, na wʼanidaso renyɛ ɔkwa.
For surely there shall be a reward, And thine expectation 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 let thy heart go forward in the way!
20 Mfa wo ho mmɔ akɔwensafo anaasɛ wɔn a wɔpɛ nam mmoroso ho,
Be not thou among winebibbers, And riotous 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 begat 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 sell it not; Buy 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 shall greatly rejoice; Yea, he who begetteth a wise child shall have joy in him.
25 Ma wʼagya ne wo na ani nnye; ma ɔbea a ɔwoo wo no nnya ahosɛpɛw.
Let thy father and thy mother have joy; Yea, let her that 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 observe my ways!
27 na oguamanfo yɛ amoa donkudonku ɔyere huhuni yɛ ɔdaadaafo.
For a harlot is a deep ditch; Yea, a strange woman is a narrow pit.
28 Ɔtɛw, twɛn, te sɛ ɔkwanmukafo, na ɔma mmarima mu atorofo dɔɔso.
Like a robber she lieth in wait, And 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 contentions? Who anxiety? Who wounds without cause? Who dimness of eyes?
30 Wɔn a wɔkyɛ nsa ho, na wɔka nsa a wɔafrafra hwɛ.
They that tarry long at the wine; They that go in to seek 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 sparkleth in the cup, When it goeth down smoothly.
32 Awiei no, ɛka te sɛ ɔwɔ na ɛwɔ bɔre te sɛ ahurutoa.
At the last it biteth like a serpent, And stingeth like an adder.
33 Wʼani behu nneɛma a wunhuu da, na woadwene nneɛma basabasa ho.
Thine eyes will look upon strange women, And thy heart will 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 shalt be as one that lieth down in the midst of the sea, And as one that lieth down 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 [[shalt thou say]], —I suffered no pain! They have beaten me, —I felt it not! When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
