Mmebusɛm 4
1 Me mma, muntie me, muntie agya nkyerɛkyerɛ; monyɛ aso na moanya ntease.
Hear, ye children, the correction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
2 Mema mo adesua a ɛkɔ anim, enti munnnyaa me nkyerɛkyerɛ mu.
For good information do I give you: my teaching must ye not forsake.
3 Efisɛ na me nso, meyɛ mʼagya babarima, meda so yɛ akokoaa no, na me na ani gye me ho.
For I was a son unto my father, a tender and an only child before my mother.
4 Na ɔkyerɛkyerɛɛ me se, “Ma me nsɛm nni wo koma mu dɛm, di me nkyerɛkyerɛ so na wubenya nkwa.
And he instructed me, and said unto me, Let thy heart grasp firmly my words: observe my commandments and live.
5 Nya nyansa, nya ntease; mma wo werɛ mfi me nsɛm anaa ntwe wo ho mfi ho.
Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding: forget not, and depart not from the sayings of my mouth.
6 Nnyaw nyansa hɔ, na ɛbɛbɔ wo ho ban; dɔ no, na ɛbɛhwɛ wo so.
Forsake her not, and she will watch over thee: love her, and she will keep 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 is, Acquire wisdom: and with all thy acquisition acquire understanding.
8 Di no ni na ɛbɛma wo so; yɛ no atuu, na ɛbɛhyɛ wo anuonyam.
Hold her in high esteem, and she will exalt thee: she will bring thee to honor, when thou embracest her.
9 Ɔde nkonimdi nhwiren hankare begu wo ti so na wama wo ahenkyɛw a ɛyɛ fɛ.”
She will give to thy head a wreath of grace: a crown of ornament will she deliver to thee.
10 Me ba, tie na fa nea meka no, na wo nkwanna bɛyɛ bebree.
Hear, O my son, and accept my sayings: and they will increase unto thee the years of life.
11 Mɛkyerɛ wo nyansa kwan so na mede wo afa akwan a ɛteɛ so.
In the way of wisdom have I instructed thee: I have led thee in the tracks of uprightness.
12 Sɛ wonantew a, wʼanammɔntu bɛkɔ waa na sɛ wutu mmirika a, worenhintiw.
When thou walkest, thy step shall not be narrowed; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
13 Di nkyerɛkyerɛ so; na nnyaa mu, bɔ ho ban yiye, efisɛ ɛyɛ wo nkwa.
Lay fast hold of correction; 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 step not on the way of the bad.
15 Kwati no, ntu kwan mfa so; dan fi so na kɔ wo kwan.
Avoid it, pass not through by it, turn off 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 evil, and their sleep is robbed away, unless they cause some to stumble.
17 Wodi amumɔyɛsɛm brodo, na wɔnom kitikitiyɛ nsa.
For they eat the bread of wickedness; and the wine of violence do they drink.
18 Atreneefo kwan te sɛ adekyee hann a edi kan, ɛkɔ so hyerɛn yiye kodu awia ketee.
But the path of the righteous is as the early morning light, that shineth more and more brightly until the height of noonday.
19 Nanso amumɔyɛfo kwan te sɛ sum kabii; wonnim nea ɛma wohintiw.
The way of the wicked is like darkness: they know not against what they stumble.
20 Me ba, yɛ aso ma nea meka; tie me nsɛm no yiye.
My son, attend to my words, unto my sayings incline thy ear.
21 Mma emfi wʼani so, fa sie wo koma mu;
Let them not slip away from thy eyes: guard 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 unto every one of those that find them, and to all his body a healing.
23 Ne nyinaa akyi, bɔ wo koma ho ban, efisɛ, ɛno ne wo nkwa asuti.
Above all that is to be guarded, keep thy heart, for out of it are the issues of life.
24 Mma oburu kasa mfi wʼano; mma nkontomposɛm mmɛn wʼano koraa.
Remove from thee frowardness of mouth; and perverseness of lips put away far from thee.
25 Hwɛ wʼanim tee, na ma wʼani nkɔ nea ɛwɔ wʼanim no so.
Let thy eyes look right forward, and let thy eyelids see straight out before thee.
26 Bɔ ɔkwan tamaa ma wʼanan na fa akwan a atim so.
Balance well the track of thy foot, and let all thy ways be firmly right.
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.
