Mmebusɛm 30
1 Yake babarima Agur nsɛm a ɔkae a ɛyɛ nkuranhyɛ: Saa ɔbarima yi ka kyerɛɛ Itiel ne Ukal se:
These are sayings/messages that God gave to Agur, the son of Jakeh. [Agur wrote them] for Ithiel and Ucal.
2 “Me na minnim hwee koraa wɔ nnipa mu, minni onipa ntease.
It seems that I am very stupid; I do not deserve to be considered to be a human; I do not have the good sense that humans should have.
3 Minsuaa nyansa, na minni Ɔkronkronni no ho nimdeɛ nso.
I have not learned [how to become] wise and I do not know [much] about God.
4 Hena na waforo akɔ ɔsoro na wasian aba fam? Hena na wabɔ mframa boa wɔ ne nsam? Hena na ɔde nʼatade abɔ nsu boa? Hena na ɔbɔɔ asase tamaa yi? Ne din de dɛn, na ne babarima nso din de dɛn? Sɛ wunim a ka kyerɛ me!
[But let me say this]: No one [RHQ] has ascended to heaven [to find out what God is like] and returned [to tell us]. No one [RHQ] has gathered/held the wind in his hand. No one [RHQ] has wrapped the water [in the ocean] in [a piece of] cloth, and no one [RHQ] has established the boundaries of the earth. [If you know who has done those things, tell me] [RHQ] his name, and the names of his children [SAR]! [But you do not know who has done those things, so you cannot speak with authority about what God is like].
5 “Onyankopɔn asɛm biara yɛ nokware; ɔyɛ nkatabo ma wɔn a woguan toa no.
Everything that God has said is true; he is [like] a shield [MET] for all those who request him to protect them.
6 Mfa biribi nka nʼasɛm ho, anyɛ saa a ɔbɛka wʼanim ama woayɛ ɔtorofo.
Do not add to (OR, change) what God has said; if you do that, he will rebuke you and show that you are lying.
7 “Awurade, nneɛma abien na mehwehwɛ afi wo nkyɛn; mfa nkame me ansa na mawu:
[God], I ask you to do two things for me; [please] do them before I die:
8 ma me ne atoro ne nnaadaasɛm ntam nware koraa; mma mennyɛ ohiani anaa ɔdefo; nanso ma me me daa aduan nkutoo.
Help me never to lie or deceive [people] and do not cause me to become poor or to become rich. [Just] give me the food that I need;
9 Anyɛ saa a, ebia minya me ho pii a ɛbɛma mapa wo na maka se, ‘Hena ne Awurade?’ Anaa mɛyɛ ohiani na mabɔ korɔn, na ama magu me Nyankopɔn din ho fi.
because if I become rich, I might say that I do not [RHQ] know you and that I do not need you; and if I become poor, I might dishonor you by stealing things.
10 “Nsɛe ɔsomfo din nkyerɛ ne wura; sɛ woyɛ saa a, ɔbɛdome wo na wubetua so ka.
Do not (slander/say bad things about) a worker to his boss; if you do that, the worker will curse you, and cause you to have trouble.
11 “Nnipa bi dome wɔn agyanom, na wonhyira wɔn nanom nso;
[I will list four kinds of evil things that people do]: Some people curse their fathers and do not [ask God to] bless their mothers.
12 Wɔn a wɔteɛ wɔ wɔn ankasa ani so nanso wɔnhohoroo wɔn ho fi no;
Some people think that they are perfect, but [really] they have never been cleansed from their guilt for committing disgusting sins.
13 wɔn a wɔn ani tra ntɔn, na wobu animtiaa;
Some people are very proud; they think that they are very good and they despise others.
14 wɔn a wɔn se yɛ afoa na asekan hyehyɛ wɔn abogye mu wɔn na wɔbɛtɔre ahiafo ase afi asase so, na wɔayi ahiafo afi adesamma mu.
Some people [act very cruelly toward others]; [it is as though] [MET] they have teeth that are [like] sharp knives; they severely oppress poor [people] and try to cause them to disappear from the land.
15 “Amemem wɔ mmabea baanu a wɔteɛ mu se, ‘Fa ma! Fa ma!’ “Nneɛma abiɛsa na ɛmmee da anan na ɛnka da se, ‘Eye!’
Leeches [are always wanting more blood to suck]; [similarly, greedy people are always] saying “Give [me some]!” or “Give [me more]!” [MET] There are four things that are never (satisfied/content with what they have); they always want more [LIT]:
The place where the dead people are; women who do not have any children; ground that needs water/rain; and a fire that always needs more wood. (Sheol h7585)
17 “Ani a eyi agya ahi, na ebu ɛna animtiaa no, obon mu kwaakwaadabi betutu, na apete abedi.
Those who [SYN] make fun of their fathers or refuse to obey their mothers (OR, despise their aged mothers) should [die and] have their eyes pecked out by crows, and the [rest of their corpses should be] fed to the vultures.
18 “Nneɛma abiɛsa na ɛyɛ me nwonwa, anan na mente ase:
There are four things that are wonderful to me, [but] I do not understand any of them:
19 Ɔkwan a ɔkɔre nam so wɔ wim, sɛnea ɔwɔ nantew ɔbotan so, ɔkwan a hyɛn nam so wɔ po tamaa so, ne sɛnea ɔbarima dɔ ababaa.
How eagles fly in the sky, how snakes [are able to] move/crawl across a big rock, how ships sail on the seas, and how a man falls in love with a woman.
20 “Ɔbea ɔwaresɛefo kwan ni: Odidi, ɔpepa nʼano na ɔka se, ‘Menyɛɛ mfomso biara.’
This is what a woman who (is not faithful to/does not have sex only with) her husband does: She commits adultery [EUP], and [then] bathes and says, “I have not done anything that is wrong!”
21 “Nneɛma abiɛsa na ɛma asase wosow, anan na asase ntumi nnyina ano:
There are four things that no [one in] the world can tolerate:
22 akoa a wabɛyɛ ɔhene, ɔkwasea a wadidi amee,
[What] a slave [does who] becomes a king, a foolish person eating [too much] food,
23 ɔbea a wɔmpɛ no na waware, afenaa a otu nʼawuraa tena nʼanan mu.
[what] a woman who is hated [does when she] gets married, and [what] a female servant [does when she] becomes the boss instead of her mistress.
24 “Nneɛma nketenkete anan na ɛwɔ asase so, nanso wɔyɛ anyansafo ankasa:
[There are] four animals on the earth that are small, but they are very wise:
25 Ntɛtea yɛ abɔde nketewa a wonni ahoɔden, nanso wɔboaboa wɔn aduan ano ahuhuru bere mu;
Ants are not strong, but they store up food during the summer [in order to have it during the winter].
26 Nkukuban yɛ abɔde a wonni ahoɔden, nanso wɔyɛ wɔn afi wɔ abotan mu,
Rock badgers [also] are not strong, but they make their homes among the rocks [where they will be safe].
27 mmoadabi nni ɔhene, nanso wɔsa so akuwakuw, kɔ wɔn anim;
Locusts do not have a king, but they march like [the soldiers in] an army.
28 wotumi de nsa kyere ɔketew, nanso wohu no abirɛmpɔn ahemfi.
Lizards/Geckos [are very small and] you can hold them in your hand, but they are [cleverly able to get] inside kings’ palaces.
29 “Nneɛma abiɛsa na wɔwɔ abirɛmpɔnnantew, anan na wɔkeka wɔn ho te sɛ abirɛmpɔn:
[There are] four animals that strut around and look very impressive while they walk [DOU]:
30 gyata, mmoadoma hene a, biribiara mmɔ no hu;
Lions, which are stronger than all other animals and are not afraid of any of them;
31 akokɔnini a ɔretutu taataa, ɔpapo, ne ɔhene a nʼasraafo atwa no ho ahyia.
male goats, strutting roosters, and kings who (parade/walk proudly back and forth) in front of the people whom they rule.
32 “Sɛ woayɛ ɔkwasea ama wo ho so, anaa woadwene bɔne a, ma wʼani nwu na mua wʼano!
If you have acted foolishly, exalting yourself, or if you been planning [to do something] evil, stop it immediately [IDM]!
33 Sɛnea wɔka nufusu nu mu a srade fi mu ba, na wokyinkyim hwene a etu mogya no, saa ara na abufuw de akasakasa ba.”
If you churn milk, it produces butter/curds, and if you hit [someone hard on his] nose, [his nose] bleeds; similarly, if you do something to cause [people to become] angry, strife [usually] results.
