Mmebusɛm 4
1 Me mma, muntie me, muntie agya nkyerɛkyerɛ; monyɛ aso na moanya ntease.
Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend that you may know prudence.
2 Mema mo adesua a ɛkɔ anim, enti munnnyaa me nkyerɛkyerɛ mu.
I will give you a good gift, forsake not my law.
3 Efisɛ na me nso, meyɛ mʼagya babarima, meda so yɛ akokoaa no, na me na ani gye me ho.
For I also was my father’s son, tender and as an only son in the sight of my mother:
4 Na ɔkyerɛkyerɛɛ me se, “Ma me nsɛm nni wo koma mu dɛm, di me nkyerɛkyerɛ so na wubenya nkwa.
And he taught me, and said: Let thy heart receive my words, keep my commandments, and thou shalt live.
5 Nya nyansa, nya ntease; mma wo werɛ mfi me nsɛm anaa ntwe wo ho mfi ho.
Get wisdom, get prudence: forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth.
6 Nnyaw nyansa hɔ, na ɛbɛbɔ wo ho ban; dɔ no, na ɛbɛhwɛ wo so.
Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee: love her, and she shall preserve thee.
7 Nyansa boro biribiara so; enti hwehwɛ nyansa. Ɛwɔ mu sɛ ne bo te sɛ wʼahode nyinaa de, nanso nya ntease.
The beginning of wisdom, get wisdom, and with all thy possession purchase prudence.
8 Di no ni na ɛbɛma wo so; yɛ no atuu, na ɛbɛhyɛ wo anuonyam.
Take hold on her, and she shall exalt thee: thou shalt be glorified by her, when thou shalt embrace her.
9 Ɔde nkonimdi nhwiren hankare begu wo ti so na wama wo ahenkyɛw a ɛyɛ fɛ.”
She shall give to thy head increase of graces, and protect thee with a noble crown.
10 Me ba, tie na fa nea meka no, na wo nkwanna bɛyɛ bebree.
Hear, O my son, and receive my words, that years of life may be multiplied to thee.
11 Mɛkyerɛ wo nyansa kwan so na mede wo afa akwan a ɛteɛ so.
I will shew thee the way of wisdom, I will lead thee by the paths of equity:
12 Sɛ wonantew a, wʼanammɔntu bɛkɔ waa na sɛ wutu mmirika a, worenhintiw.
Which when thou shalt have entered, thy steps shall not be straitened, and when thou runnest thou shalt not meet a stumblingblock.
13 Di nkyerɛkyerɛ so; na nnyaa mu, bɔ ho ban yiye, efisɛ ɛyɛ wo nkwa.
Take hold on instruction, leave it not: keep it, because it is thy life.
14 Ntu wo nan nsi amumɔyɛfo kwan so na nnantew abɔnefo kwan so.
Be not delighted in the paths of the wicked, neither let the way of evil men please thee.
15 Kwati no, ntu kwan mfa so; dan fi so na kɔ wo kwan.
Flee from it, pass not by it: go aside, and forsake it.
16 Efisɛ wɔnyɛɛ bɔne a wontumi nna; na wɔn nna tew yera kosi sɛ wɔbɛma obi ahwe ase.
For they sleep not except they have done evil: and their sleep is taken away unless they have made some to fall.
17 Wodi amumɔyɛsɛm brodo, na wɔnom kitikitiyɛ nsa.
They eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of iniquity.
18 Atreneefo kwan te sɛ adekyee hann a edi kan, ɛkɔ so hyerɛn yiye kodu awia ketee.
But the path of the just, as a shining light, goeth forwards and increaseth even to perfect day.
19 Nanso amumɔyɛfo kwan te sɛ sum kabii; wonnim nea ɛma wohintiw.
The way of the wicked is darksome: they know not where they fall.
20 Me ba, yɛ aso ma nea meka; tie me nsɛm no yiye.
My son, hearken to my words, and incline thy ear to my sayings.
21 Mma emfi wʼani so, fa sie wo koma mu;
Let them not depart from thy eyes, keep them in the midst of thy heart:
22 efisɛ, ɛyɛ nkwa ma wɔn a wohu ne akwahosan ma nipadua no nyinaa.
For they are life to those that find them, and health to all flesh.
23 Ne nyinaa akyi, bɔ wo koma ho ban, efisɛ, ɛno ne wo nkwa asuti.
With all watchfulness keep thy heart, because life issueth out from it.
24 Mma oburu kasa mfi wʼano; mma nkontomposɛm mmɛn wʼano koraa.
Remove from thee a froward mouth, and let detracting lips be far from thee.
25 Hwɛ wʼanim tee, na ma wʼani nkɔ nea ɛwɔ wʼanim no so.
Let thy eyes look straight on, and let thy eyelids go before thy steps.
26 Bɔ ɔkwan tamaa ma wʼanan na fa akwan a atim so.
Make straight the path for thy feet, and all thy ways shall be established.
27 Mman mfa nifa anaa benkum; twe wo nan fi bɔne ho.
Decline not to the right hand, nor to the left: turn away thy foot from evil. For the Lord knoweth the ways that are on the right hand: but those are perverse which are on the left hand. But he will make thy courses straight, he will bring forward thy ways in peace.
