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 to know understanding.
2 Mema mo adesua a ɛkɔ anim, enti munnnyaa me nkyerɛkyerɛ mu.
For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye 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 was my father’s son, tender and only [beloved] 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.
He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
5 Nya nyansa, nya ntease; mma wo werɛ mfi me nsɛm anaa ntwe wo ho mfi ho.
Get wisdom, get understanding: forget [it] 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 preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
7 Nyansa boro biribiara so; enti hwehwɛ nyansa. Ɛwɔ mu sɛ ne bo te sɛ wʼahode nyinaa de, nanso nya ntease.
Wisdom [is] the principal thing; [therefore] get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
8 Di no ni na ɛbɛma wo so; yɛ no atuu, na ɛbɛhyɛ wo anuonyam.
Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
9 Ɔde nkonimdi nhwiren hankare begu wo ti so na wama wo ahenkyɛw a ɛyɛ fɛ.”
She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.
10 Me ba, tie na fa nea meka no, na wo nkwanna bɛyɛ bebree.
Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.
11 Mɛkyerɛ wo nyansa kwan so na mede wo afa akwan a ɛteɛ so.
I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.
12 Sɛ wonantew a, wʼanammɔntu bɛkɔ waa na sɛ wutu mmirika a, worenhintiw.
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
13 Di nkyerɛkyerɛ so; na nnyaa mu, bɔ ho ban yiye, efisɛ ɛyɛ wo nkwa.
Take fast hold of instruction; let [her] not go: keep her; for she [is] thy life.
14 Ntu wo nan nsi amumɔyɛfo kwan so na nnantew abɔnefo kwan so.
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil [men].
15 Kwati no, ntu kwan mfa so; dan fi so na kɔ wo kwan.
Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.
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 mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause [some] to fall.
17 Wodi amumɔyɛsɛm brodo, na wɔnom kitikitiyɛ nsa.
For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
18 Atreneefo kwan te sɛ adekyee hann a edi kan, ɛkɔ so hyerɛn yiye kodu awia ketee.
But the path of the just [is] as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
19 Nanso amumɔyɛfo kwan te sɛ sum kabii; wonnim nea ɛma wohintiw.
The way of the wicked [is] as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
20 Me ba, yɛ aso ma nea meka; tie me nsɛm no yiye.
My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
21 Mma emfi wʼani so, fa sie wo koma mu;
Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
22 efisɛ, ɛyɛ nkwa ma wɔn a wohu ne akwahosan ma nipadua no nyinaa.
For they [are] life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
23 Ne nyinaa akyi, bɔ wo koma ho ban, efisɛ, ɛno ne wo nkwa asuti.
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it [are] the issues of life.
24 Mma oburu kasa mfi wʼano; mma nkontomposɛm mmɛn wʼano koraa.
Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
25 Hwɛ wʼanim tee, na ma wʼani nkɔ nea ɛwɔ wʼanim no so.
Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
26 Bɔ ɔkwan tamaa ma wʼanan na fa akwan a atim so.
Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
27 Mman mfa nifa anaa benkum; twe wo nan fi bɔne ho.
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
