Mmebusɛm 31
1 Ɔhene Lemuel nsɛm a ɛyɛ nkuranhyɛ a ne na kyerɛɛ no:
The words of king Lamuel. The vision wherewith his mother instructed him.
2 Tie, me babarima! Tie, me yafunu ba, Tie, me bɔhyɛ ba, me mpaebɔ ho mmuae!
What, O my beloved, what, O the beloved of my womb, what, O the beloved of my vows?
3 Nsɛe wʼahoɔden wɔ mmea ho, wɔn a wogu ahemfo asu no.
Give not thy substance to women, and thy riches to destroy kings.
4 Enye mma ahemfo, Lemuel, asanom nye mma ahemfo, ɛnsɛ sɛ sodifo pere bobesa ho;
Give not to kings, O Lamuel, give not wine to kings: because there is no secret where drunkenness reigneth:
5 sɛ wɔnom nsa a wɔn werɛ befi nea mmara no ka, na wɔn a wɔhyɛ wɔn so no rennya nea ɛyɛ wɔn kyɛfa.
And lest they drink and forget judgments, and pervert the cause of the children of the poor.
6 Fa bobesa ma wɔn a wɔresɛe, na fa nsa ma wɔn a wɔwɔ amanehunu mu;
Give strong drink to them that are sad: and wine to them that are grieved in mind:
7 Momma wɔnnom, na wɔn werɛ mfi wɔn hia, na wɔnnkae wɔn awerɛhow bio.
Let them drink, and forget their want, and remember their sorrow no more.
8 Kasa ma wɔn a wontumi nkasa mma wɔn ho, kasa ma mmɔborɔfo yiyedi.
Open thy mouth for the dumb, and for the causes of all the children that pass.
9 Kasa na bu atɛntrenee; kasa ma ahiafo ne onnibi yiyedi.
Open thy mouth, decree that which is just, and do justice to the needy and poor.
10 Ɔyere pa, hena na obenya? Ɔsom bo pa ara sen nhene pa.
Who shall find a valiant woman? far and from the uttermost coasts is the price of her.
11 Ne kunu wɔ ne mu ahotoso pa ara, na biribiara a ɛwɔ bo nhia no.
The heart of her husband trusteth in her, and he shall have no need of spoils.
12 Ɔde nea eye brɛ no, na ɛnyɛ ɔhaw, ne nkwanna nyinaa mu.
She will render him good, and not evil, all the days of her life.
13 Ɔhwehwɛ oguannwi ne asaawa na ɔde ne nsa nwen wɔ fɛw so.
She hath sought wool and flax, and hath wrought by the counsel of her hands.
14 Ɔte sɛ aguadifo ahyɛn, ɔde ne nnuan fi akyirikyiri ba.
She is like the merchant’s ship, she bringeth her bread from afar.
15 Ade nnya nkyee no na wasɔre; osiesie aduan ma nʼabusuafo na ɔkyekyɛ nnwuma ma ne mmaawa.
And she hath risen in the night, and given a prey to her household, and victuals to her maidens.
16 Osusuw afuw ho na ɔtɔ; ofi nea onya mu yɛ bobeturo.
She hath considered a field, and bought it: with the fruit of her hands she hath planted a vineyard.
17 Ɔde nsi yɛ nʼadwuma; nʼabasa mu wɔ ahoɔden ma nʼadwuma.
She hath girded her loins with strength, and hath strengthened her arm.
18 Ɔhwɛ sɛ nʼaguadi so wɔ mfaso, na ne kanea anum anadwo.
She hath tasted and seen that her traffic is good: her lamp shall not be put out in the night.
19 Daa, na ne nsa kura tadua mu a ne nsateaa nso retoatoa asaawa.
She hath put out her hand to strong things, and her fingers have taken hold of the spindle.
20 Ogow ne nsam ma ahiafo na ne nsa so ohiani so.
She hath opened her hand to the needy, and stretched out her hands to the poor.
21 Sɛ sukyerɛmma tɔ a ne yam nhyehye no wɔ ne fifo ho; efisɛ wɔn nyinaa wɔ adurade a wɔde ko awɔw.
She shall not fear for her house in the cold of snow: for all her domestics are clothed with double garments.
22 Ɔyɛ ne mpasotam; na ofura nwera ne sirikyi ntama.
She hath made for herself clothing of tapestry: fine linen, and purple is her covering.
23 Ne kunu wɔ anuonyam wɔ kuropɔn pon ano, faako a ɔne asase no so mpanyimfo tena.
Her husband is honourable in the gates, when he sitteth among the senators of the land.
24 Ɔpempam nwera ntade tontɔn, na otu nkyekyeremu ma aguadifo.
She made fine linen, and sold it, and delivered a girdle to the Chanaanite.
25 Ɔwɔ ahoɔden ne anuonyam; na onsuro nna a ɛwɔ nʼanim.
Strength and beauty are her clothing, and she shall laugh in the latter day.
26 Ɔkasa nyansa mu, na nokware nkyerɛkyerɛ wɔ ne tɛkrɛma so.
She hath opened her mouth to wisdom, and the law of clemency is on her tongue.
27 Ɔhwɛ ne fi mu nnwuma so na onnyigye anihaw so.
She hath looked well to the paths of her house, and hath not eaten her bread idle.
28 Ne mma sɔre a wɔfrɛ no nhyira; ne kunu nso saa ara, na ɔkamfo no se,
Her children rose up, and called her blessed: her husband, and he praised her.
29 “Mmea pii yɛ nneɛma a ɛwɔ din na wo de, wosen wɔn nyinaa.”
Many daughters have gathered together riches: thou hast surpassed them all.
30 Ɔbea kɔnnɔfo yɛ nnaadaa, na ahoɔfɛ twa mu ntɛm so; nanso ɔbea a osuro Awurade no fata nkamfo.
Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: the woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Fa abasobɔde a wanya no ma no, na wɔnkamfo ne nnwuma wɔ kuropɔn pon ano.
Give her of the fruit of her hands: and let her works praise her in the gates.
