Mmebusɛm 6
1 Me ba, sɛ woadi akagyinamu ama ɔyɔnko bi, sɛ wode wo biribi asi awowa ama obi,
My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor, if you have struck your hand in pledge for a stranger;
2 sɛ nea wokae ayi ka ama wo na sɛ wʼano asɛm afiri ayi wo a,
You are trapped by the words of your mouth. You are ensnared with the words 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 deliver yourself, seeing you have come into the hand of your neighbor. Go, humble yourself. Press your plea with your neighbor.
4 Mma wʼani nkum na ntɔ nko.
Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.
5 Gye wo ho, sɛnea ɔforote guan fi ɔbɔmmɔfo nsam anaa sɛnea anomaa guan fi ofirisumfo afiri mu no.
Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
6 Ɔkwadwofo, kɔ ɔtɛtea nkyɛn; hwɛ nʼakwan, na hu nyansa!
Go to the ant, you 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.
provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.
9 Wo, ɔkwadwofo, wobɛda akosi da bɛn? Wubenyan bere bɛn?
How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your 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 sleep:
11 ɛbɛma ohia aba wo so sɛ ɔkwanmukafo na ahokyere atow akyere wo sɛnea okura otuo.
so your poverty will come as a robber, and your scarcity as an armed man.
12 Onipa teta ne ohuhuni a odi atoro kyin,
A worthless person, a man of iniquity, is he who walks with a perverse mouth;
13 nea obu nʼani, na ɔde ne nan yɛ nsɛnkyerɛnne na ɔde ne nsateaa kyerɛkyerɛ ade,
who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who motions with his fingers;
14 nea ɔde ne koma mu nnaadaa bɔ pɔw bɔne, na ɔde mpaapaemu ba bere biara.
in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who always sows discord.
15 Ɛno nti amanehunu bɛba no so prɛko pɛ; wɔbɛsɛe no mpofirim, a wɔrenya ano aduru.
Therefore his calamity will come suddenly. He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy.
16 Nneɛma asia na Awurade mpɛ, nneɛma ason na ɛyɛ nʼakyiwade:
There are six things which the LORD hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him:
17 ani a ɛtra ntɔn, atoro tɛkrɛma, nsa a ɛka mogya a edi bem gu,
haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood;
18 koma a edwen amumɔyɛ ho, anan a etutu mmirika kɔyɛ bɔne,
a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief,
19 ɔdansekurumni a odi atoro ne onipa a ɔde mpaapaemu ba anuanom mu.
a false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.
20 Me ba, tie wʼagya ahyɛde na nnyaa wo na nkyerɛkyerɛ mu.
My son, keep your father's commandment, and do not forsake your mother's teaching.
21 Fa kyekyere wo koma ho daa; na fa kyekyere wɔ kɔn mu.
Bind them continually on your heart. Tie them around your neck.
22 Wonantew a, ɛbɛkyerɛ wo kwan; sɛ woda a, ɛbɛwɛn wo; sɛ wunyan a, ɛbɛkasa akyerɛ wo.
When you walk, it will lead you. When you sleep, it will watch over you. When you awake, it will talk with you.
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 Law is light. 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 you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the foreign woman.
25 Mma wo kɔn nnɔ nʼahoɔfɛ, mma nʼani akyideda no ntwetwe wo,
Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, neither let her captivate you with her eyelids.
26 efisɛ oguamanfo ma wʼanuonyam yɛ sɛ brodosin, na obi yere gyigye wo kɔ owu mu.
For a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread. The adulteress hunts for your precious life.
27 Obi betumi asɔ gya agu ne srɛ so a nhyew nʼatade ana?
Can a man scoop fire into his lap, and his clothes not be burned?
28 Obi betumi anantew nnyansramma so a mpumpunnya mmobɔ nʼanan ho ana?
Or can one walk on 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 is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife. Whoever touches her will not be 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 steals to satisfy himself 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 is found, he must repay seven times. He shall give all the wealth 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 is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.
33 Ɔhwe ne animguase na obenya, na nʼahohora rempepa da.
He will get wounds and dishonor. His reproach will not be wiped away.
34 Ninkutwe hwanyan okunu abufuw na sɛ ɔtɔ were a, ahummɔbɔ biara nni mu.
For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband. He won't spare in the day of vengeance.
35 Ɔrennye mpata biara; na ɔbɛpo adanmude, sɛ ɛso sɛ dɛn mpo a.
He won't regard any ransom, neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.
