Mmebusɛm 27
1 Mfa ɔkyena nhoahoa wo ho, na wunnim nea ɛda bi de bɛba.
Boast not yourself of tomorrow; for you know not what a day may bring forth.
2 Ma ɔfoforo nkamfo wo; na ɛnyɛ wo ankasa; ma emfi ɔfoforo anom na ɛnyɛ wo.
Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.
3 Ɔbo mu yɛ duru, na nwea yɛ adesoa, nanso ɔkwasea abufuwhyew yɛ duru sen emu biara.
A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both.
4 Abufuw tirim yɛ den, na abufuwhyew sɛe ade, na hena na obetumi agyina ninkutwe ano?
Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?
5 Animka a ɛda gua ye sen ɔdɔ a asuma.
Open rebuke is better than secret love.
6 Apirakuru a efi adamfo nkyɛn no ye sen ɔtamfo mfewano bebrebe.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
7 Ɛwo nyɛ nea wamee akɔnnɔ, nanso nea ɛyɛ nwen mpo yɛ nea ɔkɔm de no no nʼanom dɛ.
The full soul loathes an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
8 Onipa a wayera ne fi kwan, te sɛ anomaa a wafi ne berebuw mu rekyinkyin.
As a bird that wanders from her nest, so is a man that wanders from his place.
9 Ngo ne aduhuam ma koma ani gye, adamfo ho anigye fi nʼafotu pa a ɔma.
Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so does the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel.
10 Nnyaa wʼadamfo ne wʼagya adamfo mu, nkɔ wo nuabarima fi bere a ɔhaw ato wo, na ɔyɔnko a ɔbɛn wo no ye sen onuabarima a ɔwɔ akyirikyiri.
your own friend, and your father's friend, forsake not; neither go into your brother's house in the day of your calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.
11 Me ba, hu nyansa na ma me koma ani nnye; ɛno na ɛbɛma manya mmuae ama obiara a obu me animtiaa.
My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that reproaches me.
12 Mmadwemma hu asiane na wohintaw, nanso ntetekwaafo kɔ wɔn anim kɔtɔ mu.
A prudent man forsees the evil, and hides himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.
13 Fa atade a ɛhyɛ obi a odi ɔhɔho akagyinamu; sɛ ɔregyina ɔbea huhufo akyi a, fa si awowa.
Take his garment that is guarantor for a stranger, and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.
14 Sɛ obi teɛ mu hyira ne yɔnko anɔpahema a, wɔbɛfa no sɛ ɛyɛ nnome.
He that blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.
15 Ɔyere tɔkwapɛfo te sɛ ahumtuda nsusosɔ wɔ ɔdan a enwin so;
A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.
16 sɛ wopata no a, ɛte sɛ nea wopata mframa anaa wode wo nsa beso ngo mu.
Whosoever hides her hides the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which betrayed itself.
17 Dade sew dade, saa ara na onipa sew ɔfoforo.
Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.
18 Nea ɔhwɛ borɔdɔma dua so no bedi so aba, na nea ɔsom ne wura no, wɔbɛhyɛ no anuonyam.
Whoso keeps the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waits on his master shall be honoured.
19 Sɛnea nsu yi animdua kyerɛ no, saa ara na onipa koma da onipa no adi.
As in water face answers to face, so the heart of man to man.
Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied. (Sheol h7585)
21 Kyɛmfɛre wɔ hɔ ma dwetɛ na fononoo wɔ hɔ ma sikakɔkɔɔ, nanso wɔnam nkamfo a onipa nya so na ɛsɔ no hwɛ.
As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise.
22 Sɛ wowɔw ɔkwasea wɔ ɔwaduru mu, sɛ wode ɔwɔma wɔw no te sɛnea wusiw aburow a, worentumi nyi agyimisɛm mfi ne ho.
Though you should bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.
23 Ma ɛnyɛ wo asɛnhia sɛ wubehu wo nguankuw tebea, na ma wʼani nkɔ wo anantwikuw so;
Be you diligent to know the state of your flocks, and look well to your herds.
24 efisɛ, ahonya ntena hɔ daa, na ahenkyɛw ntena hɔ mma awo ntoantoaso nyinaa.
For riches are not for ever: and does the crown endure to every generation?
25 Sɛ wotwa sare no na foforo fifi, na wɔboaboa nkoko so sare no ano a,
The hay appears, and the tender grass shows itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered.
26 ɛno de, nguantenmma no bɛma wo ntama, na mmirekyi ama sika a ɛtɔ mfuw.
The lambs are for your clothing, and the goats are the price of the field.
27 Wubenya mmirekyi nufusu bebree ama wo ne wʼabusuafo adi ne aduan ama wo mmaawa.
And you shall have goats' milk enough for your food, for the food of your household, and for the maintenance for your maidens.
