Mmebusɛm 6
1 Me ba, sɛ woadi akagyinamu ama ɔyɔnko bi, sɛ wode wo biribi asi awowa ama obi,
My son, if thou art become surety for thy neighbour, if thou hast struck thy hands for a stranger —
2 sɛ nea wokae ayi ka ama wo na sɛ wʼano asɛm afiri ayi wo a,
Thou art snared by the words of thy mouth, thou art caught by 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, seeing thou art come into the hand of thy neighbour; go, humble thyself, and urge thy neighbour.
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 gatherest her food in the harvest.
9 Wo, ɔkwadwofo, wobɛda akosi da bɛn? Wubenyan bere bɛn?
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
10 Nna kakra, nkotɔ kakra, nsa a woabobɔw de rehome kakra,
'Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep' —
11 ɛbɛma ohia aba wo so sɛ ɔkwanmukafo na ahokyere atow akyere wo sɛnea okura otuo.
So shall thy poverty come as a runner, and thy want as an armed man.
12 Onipa teta ne ohuhuni a odi atoro kyin,
A base person, a man of iniquity, is he that walketh with a froward mouth;
13 nea obu nʼani, na ɔde ne nan yɛ nsɛnkyerɛnne na ɔde ne nsateaa kyerɛkyerɛ ade,
That winketh with his eyes, that scrapeth with his feet, that pointeth with his fingers;
14 nea ɔde ne koma mu nnaadaa bɔ pɔw bɔne, na ɔde mpaapaemu ba bere biara.
Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth evil continually; he soweth discord.
15 Ɛno nti amanehunu bɛba no so prɛko pɛ; wɔbɛsɛe no mpofirim, a wɔrenya ano aduru.
Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; on a sudden shall he be broken, and that without remedy.
16 Nneɛma asia na Awurade mpɛ, nneɛma ason na ɛyɛ nʼakyiwade:
There are six things which the LORD hateth, yea, seven which 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 thoughts, feet that are swift in running to evil;
19 ɔdansekurumni a odi atoro ne onipa a ɔde mpaapaemu ba anuanom mu.
A false witness that breatheth out lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
20 Me ba, tie wʼagya ahyɛde na nnyaa wo na nkyerɛkyerɛ mu.
My son, keep the commandment of thy father, 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 liest down, it shall watch over 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 is 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 smoothness of the alien tongue.
25 Mma wo kɔn nnɔ nʼahoɔfɛ, mma nʼani akyideda no ntwetwe wo,
Lust not after her beauty in thy heart; neither let her captivate thee with her eyelids.
26 efisɛ oguamanfo ma wʼanuonyam yɛ sɛ brodosin, na obi yere gyigye wo kɔ owu mu.
For on account of a harlot a man is brought to a loaf of bread, but the adulteress hunteth for the precious life.
27 Obi betumi asɔ gya agu ne srɛ so a nhyew nʼatade ana?
Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
28 Obi betumi anantew nnyansramma so a mpumpunnya mmobɔ nʼanan ho ana?
Or can one walk 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 go unpunished.
30 Nnipa mmu ɔkorɔmfo a wakowia ade animtiaa sɛ ɔkɔm de no na ɔde rekodwudwo ano nti.
Men 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.
But if he be found, he must restore sevenfold, he must give all the substance of his house.
32 Ɔbarima a ɔsɛe aware no nni adwene; obiara a ɔyɛ saa no sɛe ne ho.
He that committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding; he doeth it that would destroy his own soul.
33 Ɔhwe ne animguase na obenya, na nʼahohora rempepa da.
Wounds and dishonour 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 givest many gifts.
