Mmebusɛm 6
1 Me ba, sɛ woadi akagyinamu ama ɔyɔnko bi, sɛ wode wo biribi asi awowa ama obi,
My son! If you have been guarantor for your friend, Have struck your hand for a stranger,
2 sɛ nea wokae ayi ka ama wo na sɛ wʼano asɛm afiri ayi wo a,
Have been snared with sayings of your mouth, Have been captured with sayings of your 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 be delivered, For you have come into the hand of your friend. Go, trample on yourself, and strengthen your friend,
4 Mma wʼani nkum na ntɔ nko.
Do not give sleep to your eyes, And slumber to your eyelids,
5 Gye wo ho, sɛnea ɔforote guan fi ɔbɔmmɔfo nsam anaa sɛnea anomaa guan fi ofirisumfo afiri mu no.
Be delivered as a roe from the hand, And as a bird from the hand of a fowler.
6 Ɔkwadwofo, kɔ ɔtɛtea nkyɛn; hwɛ nʼakwan, na hu nyansa!
Go to the ant, O slothful one, See her ways and be wise;
7 Onni ɔsahene, onni ɔhwɛfo anaa sodifo bi,
Which has no captain, overseer, and ruler,
8 nanso ɔde aduan sie wɔ ahuhurubere mu, ɔboaboa nnuan ano wɔ twabere.
She prepares her bread in summer, She has gathered her food in harvest.
9 Wo, ɔkwadwofo, wobɛda akosi da bɛn? Wubenyan bere bɛn?
Until when, O slothful one, do you lie? When do you arise from your sleep?
10 Nna kakra, nkotɔ kakra, nsa a woabobɔw de rehome kakra,
A little sleep, a little slumber, A little clasping of the hands to rest,
11 ɛbɛma ohia aba wo so sɛ ɔkwanmukafo na ahokyere atow akyere wo sɛnea okura otuo.
And your poverty has come as a traveler, And your want as an armed man.
12 Onipa teta ne ohuhuni a odi atoro kyin,
A man of worthlessness, a man of iniquity, Walking [with] perverseness of mouth,
13 nea obu nʼani, na ɔde ne nan yɛ nsɛnkyerɛnne na ɔde ne nsateaa kyerɛkyerɛ ade,
Winking with his eyes, speaking with his feet, Directing with his fingers,
14 nea ɔde ne koma mu nnaadaa bɔ pɔw bɔne, na ɔde mpaapaemu ba bere biara.
Contrariness [is] in his heart, devising evil at all times, He sends forth contentions.
15 Ɛno nti amanehunu bɛba no so prɛko pɛ; wɔbɛsɛe no mpofirim, a wɔrenya ano aduru.
Therefore his calamity comes suddenly, He is broken instantly—and no healing.
16 Nneɛma asia na Awurade mpɛ, nneɛma ason na ɛyɛ nʼakyiwade:
These six has YHWH hated, Indeed, seven [are] abominations to His soul:
17 ani a ɛtra ntɔn, atoro tɛkrɛma, nsa a ɛka mogya a edi bem gu,
High eyes, False tongues, And hands shedding innocent blood,
18 koma a edwen amumɔyɛ ho, anan a etutu mmirika kɔyɛ bɔne,
A heart devising thoughts of vanity, Feet hastening to run to evil,
19 ɔdansekurumni a odi atoro ne onipa a ɔde mpaapaemu ba anuanom mu.
A false witness [who] breathes out lies, And one sending forth contentions between brothers.
20 Me ba, tie wʼagya ahyɛde na nnyaa wo na nkyerɛkyerɛ mu.
Keep, my son, the command of your father, And do not leave the law of your mother.
21 Fa kyekyere wo koma ho daa; na fa kyekyere wɔ kɔn mu.
Bind them on your heart continually, Tie them on your neck.
22 Wonantew a, ɛbɛkyerɛ wo kwan; sɛ woda a, ɛbɛwɛn wo; sɛ wunyan a, ɛbɛkasa akyerɛ wo.
In your going up and down, it leads you, In your lying down, it watches over you, And you have awoken—it talks [with] you.
23 Na saa ahyɛde yi yɛ kanea saa nkyerɛkyerɛ yi yɛ hann, na ahohyɛso nteɛso yi yɛ nkwa kwan,
For the command [is] a lamp, And the Law a light, And a way of life [are] reproofs of instruction,
24 ɛtwe wo fi ɔbea a onni suban pa no ho, fi ɔbeawarefo huhuni tɛkrɛmadɛ ho.
To preserve you from an evil woman, From the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
25 Mma wo kɔn nnɔ nʼahoɔfɛ, mma nʼani akyideda no ntwetwe wo,
Do not desire her beauty in your heart, And do not let her take you with her eyelids.
26 efisɛ oguamanfo ma wʼanuonyam yɛ sɛ brodosin, na obi yere gyigye wo kɔ owu mu.
For a harlot consumes to a cake of bread, And an adulteress hunts the precious soul.
27 Obi betumi asɔ gya agu ne srɛ so a nhyew nʼatade ana?
Does a man take fire into his bosom, And are his garments not burned?
28 Obi betumi anantew nnyansramma so a mpumpunnya mmobɔ nʼanan ho ana?
Does a man walk on the hot coals, And are his feet not 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 [is] he who has gone in to the wife of his neighbor, None who touches her is innocent.
30 Nnipa mmu ɔkorɔmfo a wakowia ade animtiaa sɛ ɔkɔm de no na ɔde rekodwudwo ano nti.
They do not despise the thief, When he steals to fill 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 being found he repays sevenfold, He gives all the substance of his house.
32 Ɔbarima a ɔsɛe aware no nni adwene; obiara a ɔyɛ saa no sɛe ne ho.
He who commits adultery [with] a woman lacks heart, He who does it is destroying his soul.
33 Ɔhwe ne animguase na obenya, na nʼahohora rempepa da.
He finds a stroke and shame, And his reproach is not wiped away,
34 Ninkutwe hwanyan okunu abufuw na sɛ ɔtɔ were a, ahummɔbɔ biara nni mu.
For jealousy [is] the fury of a man, And he does not spare in a day of vengeance.
35 Ɔrennye mpata biara; na ɔbɛpo adanmude, sɛ ɛso sɛ dɛn mpo a.
He does not accept the appearance of any atonement, Indeed, he does not consent, Though you multiply bribes!
