Mmebusɛm 6
1 Me ba, sɛ woadi akagyinamu ama ɔyɔnko bi, sɛ wode wo biribi asi awowa ama obi,
[My] son, if you become surety for your friend, you shall deliver your hand to an enemy.
2 sɛ nea wokae ayi ka ama wo na sɛ wʼano asɛm afiri ayi wo a,
For a man's own lips become a strong snare to him, and he is caught with the lips of his own 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!
[My] son, do what I command you, and deliver yourself; for on your friend's account you are come into the power of evil [men]: faint not, but stir up even your friend for whom you are become surety.
4 Mma wʼani nkum na ntɔ nko.
Give not sleep to your eyes, nor slumber with your eyelids;
5 Gye wo ho, sɛnea ɔforote guan fi ɔbɔmmɔfo nsam anaa sɛnea anomaa guan fi ofirisumfo afiri mu no.
that you may deliver yourself as a doe out of the toils, and as a bird out of a snare.
6 Ɔkwadwofo, kɔ ɔtɛtea nkyɛn; hwɛ nʼakwan, na hu nyansa!
Go to the ant, O sluggard; and see, and emulate his ways, and become wiser than he.
7 Onni ɔsahene, onni ɔhwɛfo anaa sodifo bi,
For whereas he has no husbandry, nor any one to compel him, and is under no master,
8 nanso ɔde aduan sie wɔ ahuhurubere mu, ɔboaboa nnuan ano wɔ twabere.
he prepares food for himself in the summer, and lays by abundant store in harvest. Or go to the bee, and learn how diligent she is, and how earnestly she is engaged in her work; whose labors kings and private men use for health, and she is desired and respected by all: though weak in body, she is advanced by honouring wisdom.
9 Wo, ɔkwadwofo, wobɛda akosi da bɛn? Wubenyan bere bɛn?
How long will you lie, O sluggard? and when will you awake out of sleep?
10 Nna kakra, nkotɔ kakra, nsa a woabobɔw de rehome kakra,
You sleep a little, and you rest a little, and you slumber a short [time], and you fold your arms over your breast a little.
11 ɛbɛma ohia aba wo so sɛ ɔkwanmukafo na ahokyere atow akyere wo sɛnea okura otuo.
Then poverty comes upon you as an evil traveller, and lack as a swift courier: but if you be diligent, your harvest shall arrive as a fountain, and poverty shall flee away as a bad courier.
12 Onipa teta ne ohuhuni a odi atoro kyin,
A foolish man and a transgressor goes in ways that are not good.
13 nea obu nʼani, na ɔde ne nan yɛ nsɛnkyerɛnne na ɔde ne nsateaa kyerɛkyerɛ ade,
And the same winks with the eye, and makes a sign with his foot, and teaches with the beckonings of his fingers.
14 nea ɔde ne koma mu nnaadaa bɔ pɔw bɔne, na ɔde mpaapaemu ba bere biara.
[His] perverse heart devises evils: at all times such a one causes troubles to a city.
15 Ɛno nti amanehunu bɛba no so prɛko pɛ; wɔbɛsɛe no mpofirim, a wɔrenya ano aduru.
Therefore his destruction shall come suddenly; overthrow and irretrievable ruin.
16 Nneɛma asia na Awurade mpɛ, nneɛma ason na ɛyɛ nʼakyiwade:
For he rejoices in all things which God hates, and he is ruined by reason of impurity of soul.
17 ani a ɛtra ntɔn, atoro tɛkrɛma, nsa a ɛka mogya a edi bem gu,
The eye of the haughty, a tongue unjust, hands shedding the blood of the just;
18 koma a edwen amumɔyɛ ho, anan a etutu mmirika kɔyɛ bɔne,
and a heart devising evil thoughts, and feet hastening to do evil, —[are hateful to God].
19 ɔdansekurumni a odi atoro ne onipa a ɔde mpaapaemu ba anuanom mu.
An unjust witness kindles falsehoods, and brings on quarrels between brethren.
20 Me ba, tie wʼagya ahyɛde na nnyaa wo na nkyerɛkyerɛ mu.
[My] son, keep the laws of your father, and reject not the ordinances of your mother:
21 Fa kyekyere wo koma ho daa; na fa kyekyere wɔ kɔn mu.
but bind them upon your soul continually, and hang them as a chain about your neck.
22 Wonantew a, ɛbɛkyerɛ wo kwan; sɛ woda a, ɛbɛwɛn wo; sɛ wunyan a, ɛbɛkasa akyerɛ wo.
Whenever you walk, lead this along and let it be with you; that it may talk with you when you wake.
23 Na saa ahyɛde yi yɛ kanea saa nkyerɛkyerɛ yi yɛ hann, na ahohyɛso nteɛso yi yɛ nkwa kwan,
For the commandment of the law is a lamp and a light; a way of life; reproof also and correction:
24 ɛtwe wo fi ɔbea a onni suban pa no ho, fi ɔbeawarefo huhuni tɛkrɛmadɛ ho.
to keep you continually from a married woman, and from the calumny of a strange tongue.
25 Mma wo kɔn nnɔ nʼahoɔfɛ, mma nʼani akyideda no ntwetwe wo,
Let not the desire of beauty overcome you, neither be you caught by your eyes, neither be captivated with her eyelids.
26 efisɛ oguamanfo ma wʼanuonyam yɛ sɛ brodosin, na obi yere gyigye wo kɔ owu mu.
For the value of a harlot is as much as of one loaf; and a woman hunts for the precious souls of men.
27 Obi betumi asɔ gya agu ne srɛ so a nhyew nʼatade ana?
Shall any one bind fire in his bosom, and not burn his garments?
28 Obi betumi anantew nnyansramma so a mpumpunnya mmobɔ nʼanan ho ana?
or will any one walk on coals of fire, and not burn his feet?
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 is he that goes in to a married woman; he shall not be held guiltless, neither any one that touches her.
30 Nnipa mmu ɔkorɔmfo a wakowia ade animtiaa sɛ ɔkɔm de no na ɔde rekodwudwo ano nti.
It is not to be wondered at if one should be taken stealing, for he steals that when hungry he may satisfy his soul:
31 Mmom, sɛ wɔkyere no a, ɛsɛ sɛ otua mmɔho ason; sɛ ɛbɛma wahwere ne fi agyapade nyinaa mpo a.
but if he should be taken, he shall repay sevenfold, and shall deliver himself by giving all his goods.
32 Ɔbarima a ɔsɛe aware no nni adwene; obiara a ɔyɛ saa no sɛe ne ho.
But the adulterer through lack of sense procures destruction to his soul.
33 Ɔhwe ne animguase na obenya, na nʼahohora rempepa da.
He endures both pain and disgrace, and his reproach shall never be wiped off.
34 Ninkutwe hwanyan okunu abufuw na sɛ ɔtɔ were a, ahummɔbɔ biara nni mu.
For the soul of her husband is full of jealousy: 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 forego [his] enmity for any ransom: neither will he be reconciled for many gifts.
