Mmebusɛm 5
1 Me ba, yɛ aso ma me nyansa; tie me nhumu nsɛm no yiye,
My son, pay attention to my wisdom; incline your ear to my insight,
2 sɛnea ɛbɛma woahwɛ yiye, na wʼano akora nimdeɛ.
that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge.
3 Efisɛ ɔbea aguaman ano sosɔ ɛwo, na ne kasa yɛ fɔmm sen ngo;
Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey and her speech is smoother than oil,
4 nanso awiei no, ɛyɛ nwen sen bɔnwoma, ɛyɛ nam sɛ afoa anofanu.
in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a double-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
6 Onsusuw ɔkwan a ɛkɔ nkwa mu ho; nʼakwan yɛ kɔntɔnkye, nanso onnim.
She does not consider the path of life; she does not know that her ways are unstable.
7 Enti afei, me mma, muntie me; Monntwe mo ho mmfi nea meka ho.
So now, my sons, listen to me, and do not turn aside from the words of my mouth.
8 Ɔkwan a ɛmmɛn no no na momfa so; mommmɛn ne fi pon ano,
Keep your path far from her; do not go near the door of her house,
9 anyɛ saa a, mode mo ahoɔden bɛma afoforo na mode mo mfe ama otirimɔdenfo,
lest you concede your vigor to others, and your years to one who is cruel;
10 anyɛ saa a, ahɔho bɛfom mo ahonyade na mo brɛ de ahonya akɔ afoforo fi.
lest strangers feast on your wealth, and your labors enrich the house of a foreigner.
11 Mo nkwanna akyi, mubesi apini, bere a mo honam ne mo nipadua asa no.
At the end of your life you will groan when your flesh and your body are spent,
12 Na moaka se, “Na mikyi ahohyɛso! Me koma ampɛ nteɛso!
and you will say, “How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof!
13 Manyɛ osetie amma mʼakyerɛkyerɛfo na mantie me kwankyerɛfo asɛm.
I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my mentors.
14 Madu ɔsɛe ano wɔ asafo no nyinaa mu.”
I am on the brink of utter ruin in the midst of the whole assembly.”
15 Nom nsu fi wʼankasa ahina mu, nsu a ɛteɛ fi wʼankasa abura mu.
Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well.
16 So ɛsɛ sɛ wʼasuti yiri fa mmɔnten so na wo nsuwa kokɔ ɔman aguabɔbea ana?
Why should your springs flow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares?
17 Ma ɛnyɛ wo nko ara de, a wo ne ahɔho nkyɛ da.
Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers.
18 Nhyira nka wʼasubura na wʼani nnye wo mmrantebere mu yere ho.
May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth:
19 Ɔte sɛ ɔtwe bere dɔfo, ɔwansan nuonyamfo; ma ne nufu nsɔ wʼani daa na ne dɔ nkyekyere wo.
A loving doe, a graceful fawn— may her breasts satisfy you always; may you be captivated by her love forever.
20 Me ba, adɛn nti na woma ɔbea aguaman kyekyere wo? Adɛn nti na woda ɔbarima foforo bi yere kokom?
Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress, or embrace the bosom of a stranger?
21 Awurade hu onipa akwan nyinaa, na ɔhwehwɛ ne nyinaa mu.
For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and the LORD examines all his paths.
22 Omumɔyɛfo nnebɔne sum no afiri; na ne bɔne ahama kyekyere no papee.
The iniquities of a wicked man entrap him; the cords of his sin entangle him.
23 Wobewu, esiane ahohyɛso a wonni nti, na wɔayera, esiane wɔn agyennyentwisɛm nti.
He dies for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly.
