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.
And 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.
Be not desirous of his dainties: for they [are] deceitful food.
4 Mmiri wo mogya ani mpɛ sika; hu nyansa na tɔ wo bo ase.
Labor not to be rich: cease from thy 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 thy eyes upon that which is not? for [riches] certainly make to themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle towards 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 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 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 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 old 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] mighty; he will plead their cause with thee.
12 Ma wo koma mmra nkyerɛkyerɛ so, na wɛn wʼaso tie nimdeɛ.
Apply thy heart to instruction, and thy 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 beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell. (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.
Yes, 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 thy 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 an end; and thy 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 guide thy heart in the way.
20 Mfa wo ho mmɔ akɔwensafo anaasɛ wɔn a wɔpɛ nam mmoroso ho,
Be not among wine-bibbers; among 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 shall 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 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; [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 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.
Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bore thee shall rejoice.
26 Me ba, fa wo koma ma me na ma wʼani nkɔ mʼakwan ho,
My son, give me thy heart, and let thy eyes observe my ways.
27 na oguamanfo yɛ amoa donkudonku ɔyere huhuni yɛ ɔdaadaafo.
For a lewd woman [is] a deep ditch; and a strange woman [is] a narrow pit.
28 Ɔtɛw, twɛn, te sɛ ɔkwanmukafo, na ɔma mmarima mu atorofo dɔɔso.
She also lieth in wait as [for] a prey, and increaseth the transgressors 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 babbling? 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 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 color in the cup, [when] it moveth itself aright.
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.
Thy eyes shall behold strange women, and thy heart shall utter 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 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, [wilt thou say], [and] I was not sick; they have beaten me, [and] I felt [it] not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
