Mmebusɛm 5
1 Me ba, yɛ aso ma me nyansa; tie me nhumu nsɛm no yiye,
My son, attend to my wisdom. And bow thine ear to my understanding;
2 sɛnea ɛbɛma woahwɛ yiye, na wʼano akora nimdeɛ.
That thou mayest keep discretion, And that thy lips may preserve knowledge!
3 Efisɛ ɔbea aguaman ano sosɔ ɛwo, na ne kasa yɛ fɔmm sen ngo;
Truly, 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.
But her end is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death; Her steps lay hold of the under-world. (Sheol h7585)
6 Onsusuw ɔkwan a ɛkɔ nkwa mu ho; nʼakwan yɛ kɔntɔnkye, nanso onnim.
That she may not ponder the way of life, Her paths waver when she heedeth it not.
7 Enti afei, me mma, muntie me; Monntwe mo ho mmfi nea meka ho.
Hear me now, therefore, O children! And turn not away from the words of my mouth!
8 Ɔkwan a ɛmmɛn no no na momfa so; mommmɛn ne fi pon ano,
Remove thy way far from her. And come not nigh the door of her house:
9 anyɛ saa a, mode mo ahoɔden bɛma afoforo na mode mo mfe ama otirimɔdenfo,
Lest thou give thy bloom to others, And thy years to a cruel one;
10 anyɛ saa a, ahɔho bɛfom mo ahonyade na mo brɛ de ahonya akɔ afoforo fi.
Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth, And thine earnings be in the house of an alien;
11 Mo nkwanna akyi, mubesi apini, bere a mo honam ne mo nipadua asa no.
And lest thou mourn in thy latter end. When thy flesh and thy body are consumed,
12 Na moaka se, “Na mikyi ahohyɛso! Me koma ampɛ nteɛso!
And say, “How have I hated instruction! And how hath my heart despised reproof!
13 Manyɛ osetie amma mʼakyerɛkyerɛfo na mantie me kwankyerɛfo asɛm.
I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, Nor inclined mine ear to my instructors;
14 Madu ɔsɛe ano wɔ asafo no nyinaa mu.”
I have well-nigh fallen into utter misery; In the midst of the congregation and the assembly.”
15 Nom nsu fi wʼankasa ahina mu, nsu a ɛteɛ fi wʼankasa abura mu.
Drink water out of thine own cistern. And running water out of thine own well:
16 So ɛsɛ sɛ wʼasuti yiri fa mmɔnten so na wo nsuwa kokɔ ɔman aguabɔbea ana?
So shall thy fountains overflow in the streets, In the wide streets, as streams of water;
17 Ma ɛnyɛ wo nko ara de, a wo ne ahɔho nkyɛ da.
They shall belong to thee alone, And not to strangers with thee;
18 Nhyira nka wʼasubura na wʼani nnye wo mmrantebere mu yere ho.
And thy fountain shall be blessed, Yea, thou shalt have joy in the wife of thy youth.
19 Ɔte sɛ ɔtwe bere dɔfo, ɔwansan nuonyamfo; ma ne nufu nsɔ wʼani daa na ne dɔ nkyekyere wo.
A lovely hind, a graceful doe, Her breasts shall satisfy thee at all times, And thou shalt be always ravished with her love.
20 Me ba, adɛn nti na woma ɔbea aguaman kyekyere wo? Adɛn nti na woda ɔbarima foforo bi yere kokom?
Why, then, my son, wilt thou be ravished with a wanton, And embrace the bosom of a stranger?
21 Awurade hu onipa akwan nyinaa, na ɔhwehwɛ ne nyinaa mu.
For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, And he weigheth well all his paths.
22 Omumɔyɛfo nnebɔne sum no afiri; na ne bɔne ahama kyekyere no papee.
His own iniquities shall ensnare the wicked; Yea, he shall be held fast by the cords of his own sins.
23 Wobewu, esiane ahohyɛso a wonni nti, na wɔayera, esiane wɔn agyennyentwisɛm nti.
He shall die for want of instruction; Yea, through the greatness of his folly he shall stagger.
