Mmebusɛm 5
1 Me ba, yɛ aso ma me nyansa; tie me nhumu nsɛm no yiye,
My son! Give attention to my wisdom, Incline your ear to my understanding,
2 sɛnea ɛbɛma woahwɛ yiye, na wʼano akora nimdeɛ.
To observe thoughtfulness, And your lips keep knowledge.
3 Efisɛ ɔbea aguaman ano sosɔ ɛwo, na ne kasa yɛ fɔmm sen ngo;
For the lips of a strange woman drop honey, And her mouth [is] smoother than oil,
4 nanso awiei no, ɛyɛ nwen sen bɔnwoma, ɛyɛ nam sɛ afoa anofanu.
And her latter end [is] bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a sword [with] mouths.
Her feet are going down to death, Her steps take hold of Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
6 Onsusuw ɔkwan a ɛkɔ nkwa mu ho; nʼakwan yɛ kɔntɔnkye, nanso onnim.
The path of life—lest you ponder, Her paths have moved—you do not know.
7 Enti afei, me mma, muntie me; Monntwe mo ho mmfi nea meka ho.
And now, you sons, listen to me, And do not turn from sayings of my mouth.
8 Ɔkwan a ɛmmɛn no no na momfa so; mommmɛn ne fi pon ano,
Keep your way far from off her, And do not come near to the opening of her house,
9 anyɛ saa a, mode mo ahoɔden bɛma afoforo na mode mo mfe ama otirimɔdenfo,
Lest you give your splendor to others, And your years to the fierce,
10 anyɛ saa a, ahɔho bɛfom mo ahonyade na mo brɛ de ahonya akɔ afoforo fi.
Lest strangers be filled [with] your power, And your labors in the house of a stranger,
11 Mo nkwanna akyi, mubesi apini, bere a mo honam ne mo nipadua asa no.
And you have howled in your latter end, In the consumption of your flesh and your food,
12 Na moaka se, “Na mikyi ahohyɛso! Me koma ampɛ nteɛso!
And have said, “How I have hated instruction, And my heart has despised reproof,
13 Manyɛ osetie amma mʼakyerɛkyerɛfo na mantie me kwankyerɛfo asɛm.
And I have not listened to the voice of my teachers, And have not inclined my ear to my teachers.
14 Madu ɔsɛe ano wɔ asafo no nyinaa mu.”
As a little thing I have been all evil, In the midst of an assembly and a congregation.”
15 Nom nsu fi wʼankasa ahina mu, nsu a ɛteɛ fi wʼankasa abura mu.
Drink waters out of your own cistern, Even flowing ones out of your own well.
16 So ɛsɛ sɛ wʼasuti yiri fa mmɔnten so na wo nsuwa kokɔ ɔman aguabɔbea ana?
Let your fountains be scattered abroad, In broad places streams of waters.
17 Ma ɛnyɛ wo nko ara de, a wo ne ahɔho nkyɛ da.
Let them be to you for yourself, And not to strangers with you.
18 Nhyira nka wʼasubura na wʼani nnye wo mmrantebere mu yere ho.
Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice because of 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 doe of loves, and a roe of grace! Let her loves satisfy you at all times, Magnify yourself in her love continually.
20 Me ba, adɛn nti na woma ɔbea aguaman kyekyere wo? Adɛn nti na woda ɔbarima foforo bi yere kokom?
And why do you magnify yourself, My son, with a stranger? And embrace the bosom of a strange woman?
21 Awurade hu onipa akwan nyinaa, na ɔhwehwɛ ne nyinaa mu.
For the ways of each are before the eyes of YHWH, And He is pondering all his paths.
22 Omumɔyɛfo nnebɔne sum no afiri; na ne bɔne ahama kyekyere no papee.
His own iniquities capture the wicked, And he is holden with the ropes of his sin.
23 Wobewu, esiane ahohyɛso a wonni nti, na wɔayera, esiane wɔn agyennyentwisɛm nti.
He dies without instruction, And magnifies himself in the abundance of his folly!
