Mmebusɛm 6
1 Me ba, sɛ woadi akagyinamu ama ɔyɔnko bi, sɛ wode wo biribi asi awowa ama obi,
My sonne, if thou be surety for thy neighbour, and hast striken hands with the stranger,
2 sɛ nea wokae ayi ka ama wo na sɛ wʼano asɛm afiri ayi wo a,
Thou art snared with the wordes of thy mouth: thou art euen taken with the woordes of thine owne 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!
Doe this nowe, my sonne, and deliuer thy selfe: seeing thou art come into the hande of thy neighbour, goe, and humble thy selfe, and sollicite thy friends.
4 Mma wʼani nkum na ntɔ nko.
Giue no sleepe 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.
Deliuer thy selfe as a doe from the hande of the hunter, and as a birde from the hande of the fouler.
6 Ɔkwadwofo, kɔ ɔtɛtea nkyɛn; hwɛ nʼakwan, na hu nyansa!
Goe to the pismire, O sluggarde: beholde her waies, and be wise.
7 Onni ɔsahene, onni ɔhwɛfo anaa sodifo bi,
For shee hauing no guide, gouernour, nor ruler,
8 nanso ɔde aduan sie wɔ ahuhurubere mu, ɔboaboa nnuan ano wɔ twabere.
Prepareth her meat in the sommer, and gathereth her foode in haruest.
9 Wo, ɔkwadwofo, wobɛda akosi da bɛn? Wubenyan bere bɛn?
Howe long wilt thou sleepe, O sluggarde? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleepe?
10 Nna kakra, nkotɔ kakra, nsa a woabobɔw de rehome kakra,
Yet a litle sleepe, a litle slumber, a litle folding of the hands to sleepe.
11 ɛbɛma ohia aba wo so sɛ ɔkwanmukafo na ahokyere atow akyere wo sɛnea okura otuo.
Therefore thy pouertie commeth as one that trauaileth by the way, and thy necessitie like an armed man.
12 Onipa teta ne ohuhuni a odi atoro kyin,
The vnthriftie man and the wicked man walketh with a froward mouth.
13 nea obu nʼani, na ɔde ne nan yɛ nsɛnkyerɛnne na ɔde ne nsateaa kyerɛkyerɛ ade,
He maketh a signe with his eyes: he signifieth with his feete: he instructeth with his fingers.
14 nea ɔde ne koma mu nnaadaa bɔ pɔw bɔne, na ɔde mpaapaemu ba bere biara.
Lewde things are in his heart: he imagineth euill at all times, and raiseth vp contentions.
15 Ɛno nti amanehunu bɛba no so prɛko pɛ; wɔbɛsɛe no mpofirim, a wɔrenya ano aduru.
Therefore shall his destruction come speedily: hee shall be destroyed suddenly without recouerie.
16 Nneɛma asia na Awurade mpɛ, nneɛma ason na ɛyɛ nʼakyiwade:
These sixe things doeth the Lord hate: yea, his soule abhorreth seuen:
17 ani a ɛtra ntɔn, atoro tɛkrɛma, nsa a ɛka mogya a edi bem gu,
The hautie eyes, a lying tongue, and the hands that shed innocent blood,
18 koma a edwen amumɔyɛ ho, anan a etutu mmirika kɔyɛ bɔne,
An heart that imagineth wicked enterprises, feete that be swift in running to mischiefe,
19 ɔdansekurumni a odi atoro ne onipa a ɔde mpaapaemu ba anuanom mu.
A false witnesse that speaketh lyes, and him that rayseth vp contentions among brethren.
20 Me ba, tie wʼagya ahyɛde na nnyaa wo na nkyerɛkyerɛ mu.
My sonne, keepe thy fathers commandement, and forsake not thy mothers instruction.
21 Fa kyekyere wo koma ho daa; na fa kyekyere wɔ kɔn mu.
Binde them alway vpon thine heart, and tye them about thy necke.
22 Wonantew a, ɛbɛkyerɛ wo kwan; sɛ woda a, ɛbɛwɛn wo; sɛ wunyan a, ɛbɛkasa akyerɛ wo.
It shall leade thee, when thou walkest: it shall watch for thee, when thou sleepest, and when thou wakest, it shall talke with thee.
23 Na saa ahyɛde yi yɛ kanea saa nkyerɛkyerɛ yi yɛ hann, na ahohyɛso nteɛso yi yɛ nkwa kwan,
For the commandement is a lanterne, and instruction a light: and corrections for instruction are the way of life,
24 ɛtwe wo fi ɔbea a onni suban pa no ho, fi ɔbeawarefo huhuni tɛkrɛmadɛ ho.
To keepe thee from the wicked woman, and from ye flatterie of ye tongue of a strange woman.
25 Mma wo kɔn nnɔ nʼahoɔfɛ, mma nʼani akyideda no ntwetwe wo,
Desire not her beautie in thine heart, neither let her take thee with her eye lids.
26 efisɛ oguamanfo ma wʼanuonyam yɛ sɛ brodosin, na obi yere gyigye wo kɔ owu mu.
For because of the whorish woman a man is brought to a morsell of bread, and a woman wil hunt for the precious life of a man.
27 Obi betumi asɔ gya agu ne srɛ so a nhyew nʼatade ana?
Can a man take fire in his bosome, and his clothes not be burnt?
28 Obi betumi anantew nnyansramma so a mpumpunnya mmobɔ nʼanan ho ana?
Or can a man go vpon coales, and his feete not be burnt?
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 neighbours wife, shall not be innocent, whosoeuer toucheth her.
30 Nnipa mmu ɔkorɔmfo a wakowia ade animtiaa sɛ ɔkɔm de no na ɔde rekodwudwo ano nti.
Men do not despise a thiefe, when he stealeth, to satisfie his soule, because he is hungrie.
31 Mmom, sɛ wɔkyere no a, ɛsɛ sɛ otua mmɔho ason; sɛ ɛbɛma wahwere ne fi agyapade nyinaa mpo a.
But if he be founde, he shall restore seuen folde, or he shall giue all the substance of his house.
32 Ɔbarima a ɔsɛe aware no nni adwene; obiara a ɔyɛ saa no sɛe ne ho.
But he that committeth adulterie with a woman, he is destitute of vnderstanding: he that doeth it, destroyeth his owne soule.
33 Ɔhwe ne animguase na obenya, na nʼahohora rempepa da.
He shall finde a wounde and dishonour, and his reproch shall neuer be put away.
34 Ninkutwe hwanyan okunu abufuw na sɛ ɔtɔ were a, ahummɔbɔ biara nni mu.
For ielousie is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35 Ɔrennye mpata biara; na ɔbɛpo adanmude, sɛ ɛso sɛ dɛn mpo a.
He cannot beare the sight of any raunsome: neither will he consent, though thou augment the giftes.
