Mmebusɛm 5
1 Me ba, yɛ aso ma me nyansa; tie me nhumu nsɛm no yiye,
My son, attend unto my wisdom; to my understanding incline thou thy ear:
2 sɛnea ɛbɛma woahwɛ yiye, na wʼano akora nimdeɛ.
That thou mayest observe discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.
3 Efisɛ ɔbea aguaman ano sosɔ ɛwo, na ne kasa yɛ fɔmm sen ngo;
For as of fine honey drop the lips of an adulterous woman, and smoother than oil is her palate;
4 nanso awiei no, ɛyɛ nwen sen bɔnwoma, ɛyɛ nam sɛ afoa anofanu.
But her end is bitter as wormwood, it is sharp as a two-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death, her steps take firm hold on the nether world: (Sheol h7585)
6 Onsusuw ɔkwan a ɛkɔ nkwa mu ho; nʼakwan yɛ kɔntɔnkye, nanso onnim.
So that she cannot balance the path of life; her tracks are unsteady, and she knoweth it not.
7 Enti afei, me mma, muntie me; Monntwe mo ho mmfi nea meka ho.
And now, O ye children, hearken unto me, and depart not from the sayings of my mouth.
8 Ɔkwan a ɛmmɛn no no na momfa so; mommmɛn ne fi pon ano,
Remove far from her thy way, and come not nigh to the door of her house;
9 anyɛ saa a, mode mo ahoɔden bɛma afoforo na mode mo mfe ama otirimɔdenfo,
That thou mayest not give up unto others thy vigor, and thy years unto the cruel;
10 anyɛ saa a, ahɔho bɛfom mo ahonyade na mo brɛ de ahonya akɔ afoforo fi.
That strangers may not satisfy themselves with thy strength, and with thy exertions, in the house of an alien:
11 Mo nkwanna akyi, mubesi apini, bere a mo honam ne mo nipadua asa no.
While thou moanest at thy end, when thy flesh and thy body are coming to their end,
12 Na moaka se, “Na mikyi ahohyɛso! Me koma ampɛ nteɛso!
And thou sayest, How have I hated correction, and how hath my heart rejected reproof;
13 Manyɛ osetie amma mʼakyerɛkyerɛfo na mantie me kwankyerɛfo asɛm.
While I hearkened not to the voice of my instructors, and to my teachers I inclined not my ear;
14 Madu ɔsɛe ano wɔ asafo no nyinaa mu.”
But little more was wanting, and I had been in all [kinds of] unhappiness in the midst of the congregation and assembly.
15 Nom nsu fi wʼankasa ahina mu, nsu a ɛteɛ fi wʼankasa abura mu.
Drink water out of thy own cistern, and running waters out of thy own well.
16 So ɛsɛ sɛ wʼasuti yiri fa mmɔnten so na wo nsuwa kokɔ ɔman aguabɔbea ana?
So will thy springs overflow abroad; and in the open streets will be thy rivulets of water;
17 Ma ɛnyɛ wo nko ara de, a wo ne ahɔho nkyɛ da.
They will be thy own only, and not those of strangers with thee.
18 Nhyira nka wʼasubura na wʼani nnye wo mmrantebere mu yere ho.
Thy fountain will be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth, —
19 Ɔte sɛ ɔtwe bere dɔfo, ɔwansan nuonyamfo; ma ne nufu nsɔ wʼani daa na ne dɔ nkyekyere wo.
The lovely gazelle and the graceful chamois: let her bosom satisfy thee abundantly at all times; with her love be thou ravished continually.
20 Me ba, adɛn nti na woma ɔbea aguaman kyekyere wo? Adɛn nti na woda ɔbarima foforo bi yere kokom?
And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with an adulteress, and embrace the bosom of an alien woman?
21 Awurade hu onipa akwan nyinaa, na ɔhwehwɛ ne nyinaa mu.
For before the eyes of the Lord are the ways of man, and all his tracks doth he weigh in the balance.
22 Omumɔyɛfo nnebɔne sum no afiri; na ne bɔne ahama kyekyere no papee.
His own iniquities will truly catch the wicked, and with the cords of his sin will he be held firmly.
23 Wobewu, esiane ahohyɛso a wonni nti, na wɔayera, esiane wɔn agyennyentwisɛm nti.
He will indeed die for want of correction; and through the abundance of his folly will he sink into error.
