Mmebusɛm 6
1 Me ba, sɛ woadi akagyinamu ama ɔyɔnko bi, sɛ wode wo biribi asi awowa ama obi,
My son, if thou hast become surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand for a stranger,
2 sɛ nea wokae ayi ka ama wo na sɛ wʼano asɛm afiri ayi wo a,
thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.
3 ɛno de yɛ eyi, me ba, na fa tetew wo ho, sɛ ɔyɔnko nsa aka wo no nti: fa ahobrɛase kɔ nʼanim; na kɔ so pa wo yɔnko no kyɛw!
Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, since thou hast come into the hand of thy friend: go, humble thyself, and be urgent with thy friend.
4 Mma wʼani nkum na ntɔ nko.
Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids:
5 Gye wo ho, sɛnea ɔforote guan fi ɔbɔmmɔfo nsam anaa sɛnea anomaa guan fi ofirisumfo afiri mu no.
deliver thyself as a gazelle from the hand [of the hunter], and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Ɔkwadwofo, kɔ ɔtɛtea nkyɛn; hwɛ nʼakwan, na hu nyansa!
Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise:
7 Onni ɔsahene, onni ɔhwɛfo anaa sodifo bi,
which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
8 nanso ɔde aduan sie wɔ ahuhurubere mu, ɔboaboa nnuan ano wɔ twabere.
provideth her bread in the summer, [and] gathereth her food in the harvest.
9 Wo, ɔkwadwofo, wobɛda akosi da bɛn? Wubenyan bere bɛn?
How long, sluggard, wilt thou lie down? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
10 Nna kakra, nkotɔ kakra, nsa a woabobɔw de rehome kakra,
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest!
11 ɛbɛma ohia aba wo so sɛ ɔkwanmukafo na ahokyere atow akyere wo sɛnea okura otuo.
So shall thy poverty come as a roving plunderer, and thy penury as an armed man.
12 Onipa teta ne ohuhuni a odi atoro kyin,
A man of Belial, a wicked person, is he that goeth about with a perverse mouth;
13 nea obu nʼani, na ɔde ne nan yɛ nsɛnkyerɛnne na ɔde ne nsateaa kyerɛkyerɛ ade,
he winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;
14 nea ɔde ne koma mu nnaadaa bɔ pɔw bɔne, na ɔde mpaapaemu ba bere biara.
deceits are in his heart; he deviseth mischief at all times, he soweth discords.
15 Ɛno nti amanehunu bɛba no so prɛko pɛ; wɔbɛsɛe no mpofirim, a wɔrenya ano aduru.
Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly: in a moment shall he be broken, and without remedy.
16 Nneɛma asia na Awurade mpɛ, nneɛma ason na ɛyɛ nʼakyiwade:
These six [things] doth Jehovah hate, yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
17 ani a ɛtra ntɔn, atoro tɛkrɛma, nsa a ɛka mogya a edi bem gu,
haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood;
18 koma a edwen amumɔyɛ ho, anan a etutu mmirika kɔyɛ bɔne,
a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations; feet that are swift in running to mischief;
19 ɔdansekurumni a odi atoro ne onipa a ɔde mpaapaemu ba anuanom mu.
a false witness that uttereth lies, and he that soweth discords among brethren.
20 Me ba, tie wʼagya ahyɛde na nnyaa wo na nkyerɛkyerɛ mu.
My son, observe thy father's commandment, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;
21 Fa kyekyere wo koma ho daa; na fa kyekyere wɔ kɔn mu.
bind them continually upon thy heart, tie them about thy neck:
22 Wonantew a, ɛbɛkyerɛ wo kwan; sɛ woda a, ɛbɛwɛn wo; sɛ wunyan a, ɛbɛkasa akyerɛ wo.
when thou walkest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and [when] thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
23 Na saa ahyɛde yi yɛ kanea saa nkyerɛkyerɛ yi yɛ hann, na ahohyɛso nteɛso yi yɛ nkwa kwan,
For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching a light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
24 ɛtwe wo fi ɔbea a onni suban pa no ho, fi ɔbeawarefo huhuni tɛkrɛmadɛ ho.
to keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
25 Mma wo kɔn nnɔ nʼahoɔfɛ, mma nʼani akyideda no ntwetwe wo,
Lust not after her beauty in thy heart, neither let her take thee with her eyelids;
26 efisɛ oguamanfo ma wʼanuonyam yɛ sɛ brodosin, na obi yere gyigye wo kɔ owu mu.
for by means of a whorish woman [a man is brought] to a loaf of bread, and another's wife doth hunt for the precious soul.
27 Obi betumi asɔ gya agu ne srɛ so a nhyew nʼatade ana?
Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his garments not be burned?
28 Obi betumi anantew nnyansramma so a mpumpunnya mmobɔ nʼanan ho ana?
Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?
29 Saa na ɔbarima a ɔne ɔbarima foforo yere da no te; obiara a ɔde ne nsa bɛka no no, remfa ne ho nni da.
So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife: whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.
30 Nnipa mmu ɔkorɔmfo a wakowia ade animtiaa sɛ ɔkɔm de no na ɔde rekodwudwo ano nti.
They do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry:
31 Mmom, sɛ wɔkyere no a, ɛsɛ sɛ otua mmɔho ason; sɛ ɛbɛma wahwere ne fi agyapade nyinaa mpo a.
and if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
32 Ɔbarima a ɔsɛe aware no nni adwene; obiara a ɔyɛ saa no sɛe ne ho.
Whoso committeth adultery with a woman is void of understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
33 Ɔhwe ne animguase na obenya, na nʼahohora rempepa da.
A wound and contempt shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
34 Ninkutwe hwanyan okunu abufuw na sɛ ɔtɔ were a, ahummɔbɔ biara nni mu.
For jealousy is the rage of a man, and he will not spare in the day of vengeance;
35 Ɔrennye mpata biara; na ɔbɛpo adanmude, sɛ ɛso sɛ dɛn mpo a.
he will not regard any ransom, neither will he rest content though thou multipliest [thy] gifts.
