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 him that 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; seeing they are deceitful meat.
4 Mmiri wo mogya ani mpɛ sika; hu nyansa na tɔ wo bo ase.
Weary not thyself to be rich; cease from thine own wisdom.
5 Wʼani bɔɔ sika so ara pɛ, na atu ayera, ampa ara ebefuw ntaban na atu akɔ wim sɛ ɔkɔre.
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for [riches] certainly make themselves wings, like an eagle that flieth toward heaven.
6 Nni obi a ɔyɛ pɛpɛe aduan, nni nʼakɔnnɔ aduan akyi;
Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither 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 reckoneth within himself, 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 shalt thou 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 shall plead their cause against thee.
12 Ma wo koma mmra nkyerɛkyerɛ so, na wɛn wʼaso tie nimdeɛ.
Apply thine heart unto 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 shall not die.
Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt 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 thine heart be wise, my heart shall be glad, even mine:
16 sɛ wʼano ka nea ɛteɛ a me mu ade nyinaa ani begye.
Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
17 Mma wʼani mmere abɔnefo, mmom bɔ Awurade suro ho mmɔden bere biara.
Let not thine heart envy sinners: but [be 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 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 thine 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 shall clothe [a man] with rags.
22 Tie wʼagya a ɔwoo wo no, na sɛ wo na bɔ aberewa a, mmu no animtiaa.
Hearken unto thy father that 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; [yea], 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 shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall 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 that bare thee rejoice.
26 Me ba, fa wo koma ma me na ma wʼani nkɔ mʼakwan ho,
My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes delight in my ways.
27 na oguamanfo yɛ amoa donkudonku ɔyere huhuni yɛ ɔdaadaafo.
For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
28 Ɔtɛw, twɛn, te sɛ ɔkwanmukafo, na ɔma mmarima mu atorofo dɔɔso.
Yea, she lieth in wait as a robber, 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 hath contentions? who hath complaining? 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 long at the wine; they that 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 giveth its colour 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 shall behold strange things, and thine heart shall utter froward 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 he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth 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], and I was not hurt; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
