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, thou shalt consider well, what is before thee;
2 Sɛ woyɛ adidibrada a, hyɛ wo ho so.
And shalt put a knife to thy throat, if, of great appetite, thou art:
3 Nni nʼaduan akɔnnɔ akɔnnɔ no akyi, efisɛ saa aduan no daadaa nnipa.
Do not crave his dainties, for, the same, are deceitful food.
4 Mmiri wo mogya ani mpɛ sika; hu nyansa na tɔ wo bo ase.
Do not toil to get wealth, of thine own understanding, forbear:
5 Wʼani bɔɔ sika so ara pɛ, na atu ayera, ampa ara ebefuw ntaban na atu akɔ wim sɛ ɔkɔre.
Wilt thou let thine eye fly thereupon, when it is nothing? for it will, surely make, itself wings, Like an eagle, will it wing its way across the heavens.
6 Nni obi a ɔyɛ pɛpɛe aduan, nni nʼakɔnnɔ aduan akyi;
Do not eat the food of him that hath a begrudging eye, neither crave thou his dainties;
7 efisɛ ɔyɛ obi a bere biara osusuw sika ho. Ɔka se, “Didi na nom,” nanso ɛnyɛ ne koma mu.
For, just as he hath thought in his own mind, so, he is: Eat and drink! he may say to thee, but, his heart, is not with thee.
8 Kakra a woadi no wobɛfe, na ɛno nti wo nkamfo so remma mfaso.
As for thy morsel thou hast eaten, thou shalt vomit it, so shalt thou waste thy things so sweet.
9 Nkasa nkyerɛ ɔkwasea, efisɛ ɔremfa nyansa a ɛwɔ wo kasa mu no.
In the ears of a dullard, do not speak, for he will despise the good sense of thy words.
10 Ntutu tete abo a wɔde ato hye ngu, na ntra ɔhye nkɔ ayisaa mfuw mu,
Do not move back the ancient boundary, and, into the fields of the fatherless, do not enter;
11 efisɛ wɔn Gyefo yɛ den, na obedi wɔn asɛm ama wɔn.
For, their near of kin, is strong, he, will plead their cause with thee.
12 Ma wo koma mmra nkyerɛkyerɛ so, na wɛn wʼaso tie nimdeɛ.
Bring, to correction, thy heart, and thine ears, to the sayings of knowledge.
13 Ntwentwɛn abofra nteɛso so; sɛ wode abaa teɛ no a, ɔrenwu.
Do not withhold, from a child, correction, When thou smitest him with the rod, he shall not die:
Thou, with the rod, shalt smite him, and, his soul from hades, shalt thou deliver. (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.
So shall my reins exult, when thy lips speak the things that are right.
17 Mma wʼani mmere abɔnefo, mmom bɔ Awurade suro ho mmɔden bere biara.
Let not thy heart be envious of sinners, only of the reverence of Yahweh, all day long;
18 Ampa ara anidaso wɔ hɔ ma wo daakye, na wʼanidaso renyɛ ɔkwa.
For surely there is a future, 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 lead forward, in duty, thy heart.
20 Mfa wo ho mmɔ akɔwensafo anaasɛ wɔn a wɔpɛ nam mmoroso ho,
Do not be among them who tipple with wine, —among them who are gluttons;
21 efisɛ, akɔwensafo ne adidibradafo bɛyɛ ahiafo, na anikum fura wɔn ntamagow.
For, the tippler and the glutton, shall come to poverty, and, rags, shall Slumber put on!
22 Tie wʼagya a ɔwoo wo no, na sɛ wo na bɔ aberewa a, mmu no animtiaa.
Hearken to thy father here, who begat thee, and despise not, when she is old, thy mother.
23 Tɔ nokware na ntɔn da; nya nyansa, ahohyɛso ne nhumu.
Truth, buy thou, but do not sell, wisdom, and correction, and understanding.
24 Ɔtreneeni agya wɔ anigye bebree; nea ɔwɔ ɔba nyansafo no ani gye ne ho.
Greatly shall exult, the father of a righteous man, and, he that begetteth a wise son, shall rejoice in him:
25 Ma wʼagya ne wo na ani nnye; ma ɔbea a ɔwoo wo no nnya ahosɛpɛw.
Rejoice shall thy father and thy mother, yea she, shall exult, who bare thee.
26 Me ba, fa wo koma ma me na ma wʼani nkɔ mʼakwan ho,
Oh give, my son, thy mind unto me, and let, thine eyes, observe, my ways;
27 na oguamanfo yɛ amoa donkudonku ɔyere huhuni yɛ ɔdaadaafo.
For, a deep chasm, is the unchaste woman, and, a narrow pit, the female unknown;
28 Ɔtɛw, twɛn, te sɛ ɔkwanmukafo, na ɔma mmarima mu atorofo dɔɔso.
Yea, she, as for prey, lieth in wait, and, the treacherous among mankind, she causeth to abound.
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 outcry of pain? Who hath contentions? Who hath complaining? Who hath needless wounds? Who hath dullness of eyes?
30 Wɔn a wɔkyɛ nsa ho, na wɔka nsa a wɔafrafra hwɛ.
They who tarry over wine, they who go in to search for mixed wine.
31 Nhwɛ nsa ani kɔkɔɔ no haa, bere a ɛretwa yerɛw yerɛw wɔ kuruwa mu, na ɛkɔ yɔɔ no.
Do not look on wine when it becometh red, when it giveth in the cup its sparkle, glideth down smoothly.
32 Awiei no, ɛka te sɛ ɔwɔ na ɛwɔ bɔre te sɛ ahurutoa.
Its after effect, is that, like a serpent, it biteth, and, like a viper, it doth sting.
33 Wʼani behu nneɛma a wunhuu da, na woadwene nneɛma basabasa ho.
Thine eyes, will see strange women, 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.
So shalt thou become, as one lying down in the heart of the sea, —or as one lying down on the top of the mastgear:
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—I felt no pain, They struck me down—I noticed it not, —When shall I wake up? I will go on, I will seek it, again!
