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 considerest diligently that which [is] before thee,
2 Sɛ woyɛ adidibrada a, hyɛ wo ho so.
And thou hast put a knife to thy throat, If thou [art] a man of appetite.
3 Nni nʼaduan akɔnnɔ akɔnnɔ no akyi, efisɛ saa aduan no daadaa nnipa.
Have no desire to his dainties, seeing it [is] lying food.
4 Mmiri wo mogya ani mpɛ sika; hu nyansa na tɔ wo bo ase.
Labour not to make wealth, From thine own understanding cease, Dost thou cause thine eyes to fly upon it? Then it is not.
5 Wʼani bɔɔ sika so ara pɛ, na atu ayera, ampa ara ebefuw ntaban na atu akɔ wim sɛ ɔkɔre.
For wealth maketh to itself wings, As an eagle it flieth to the heavens.
6 Nni obi a ɔyɛ pɛpɛe aduan, nni nʼakɔnnɔ aduan akyi;
Eat not the bread of an evil eye, And have no desire to 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 hath thought in his soul, so [is] he, 'Eat and drink,' saith he to thee, And his heart [is] not with thee.
8 Kakra a woadi no wobɛfe, na ɛno nti wo nkamfo so remma mfaso.
Thy morsel thou hast eaten thou dost vomit up, And hast marred thy words that [are] sweet.
9 Nkasa nkyerɛ ɔkwasea, efisɛ ɔremfa nyansa a ɛwɔ wo kasa mu no.
In the ears of a fool speak not, For he treadeth on the wisdom of thy words.
10 Ntutu tete abo a wɔde ato hye ngu, na ntra ɔhye nkɔ ayisaa mfuw mu,
Remove not a border of olden times, And into fields of the fatherless enter not,
11 efisɛ wɔn Gyefo yɛ den, na obedi wɔn asɛm ama wɔn.
For their Redeemer [is] strong, He doth plead their cause with thee.
12 Ma wo koma mmra nkyerɛkyerɛ so, na wɛn wʼaso tie nimdeɛ.
Bring in to instruction thy heart, And thine ear to sayings of knowledge.
13 Ntwentwɛn abofra nteɛso so; sɛ wode abaa teɛ no a, ɔrenwu.
Withhold not from a youth chastisement, When thou smitest him with a rod he dieth not.
Thou with a rod smitest him, And his soul from Sheol thou deliverest. (Sheol h7585)
15 Me ba, sɛ wo koma hu nyansa a, ɛno de, me koma ani begye;
My son, if thy heart hath been wise, My heart rejoiceth, even mine,
16 sɛ wʼano ka nea ɛteɛ a me mu ade nyinaa ani begye.
And my reins exult when thy lips speak uprightly.
17 Mma wʼani mmere abɔnefo, mmom bɔ Awurade suro ho mmɔden bere biara.
Let not thy heart be envious at sinners, But — in the fear of Jehovah all the day.
18 Ampa ara anidaso wɔ hɔ ma wo daakye, na wʼanidaso renyɛ ɔkwa.
For, is there a posterity? Then thy hope is not cut off.
19 Me ba, tie, na hu nyansa, ma wo koma mfa ɔkwantrenee so.
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, And make happy in the way thy heart,
20 Mfa wo ho mmɔ akɔwensafo anaasɛ wɔn a wɔpɛ nam mmoroso ho,
Be not thou among quaffers of wine, Among gluttonous ones of flesh,
21 efisɛ, akɔwensafo ne adidibradafo bɛyɛ ahiafo, na anikum fura wɔn ntamagow.
For the quaffer and glutton become poor, And drowsiness clotheth 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 hath become old.
23 Tɔ nokware na ntɔn da; nya nyansa, ahohyɛso ne nhumu.
Truth buy, and sell not, 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 rejoiceth greatly, The begetter of the wise rejoiceth in him.
25 Ma wʼagya ne wo na ani nnye; ma ɔbea a ɔwoo wo no nnya ahosɛpɛw.
Rejoice doth thy father and thy mother, Yea, she that bare thee is joyful.
26 Me ba, fa wo koma ma me na ma wʼani nkɔ mʼakwan ho,
Give, my son, thy heart to me, And let thine 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 strait pit.
28 Ɔtɛw, twɛn, te sɛ ɔkwanmukafo, na ɔma mmarima mu atorofo dɔɔso.
She also, as catching prey, lieth in wait, And the treacherous among men she increaseth.
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 plaint? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes?
30 Wɔn a wɔkyɛ nsa ho, na wɔka nsa a wɔafrafra hwɛ.
Those tarrying by the wine, Those going in to search out mixed wine.
31 Nhwɛ nsa ani kɔkɔɔ no haa, bere a ɛretwa yerɛw yerɛw wɔ kuruwa mu, na ɛkɔ yɔɔ no.
See not wine when it showeth itself red, When it giveth in the cup its colour, It goeth up and down through the upright.
32 Awiei no, ɛka te sɛ ɔwɔ na ɛwɔ bɔre te sɛ ahurutoa.
Its latter end — as a serpent it biteth, And as a basilisk it stingeth.
33 Wʼani behu nneɛma a wunhuu da, na woadwene nneɛma basabasa ho.
Thine eyes see strange women, And thy heart speaketh 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 hast been as one lying down in the heart of the sea, And as one lying down 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, I have not been sick, They beat me, I have not known. When I awake — I seek it yet again!'
