Mmebusɛm 6
1 Me ba, sɛ woadi akagyinamu ama ɔyɔnko bi, sɛ wode wo biribi asi awowa ama obi,
My son, if thou have become surety for thy neighbour, —have struck for a stranger thy hands,
2 sɛ nea wokae ayi ka ama wo na sɛ wʼano asɛm afiri ayi wo a,
Thou hast been snared by the sayings of thy mouth, —thou hast been caught by the sayings 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 then, my son, and deliver thyself, When thou hast come into the hand of thy neighbour, Go, haste thee, and urge thy neighbour;
4 Mma wʼani nkum na ntɔ nko.
Do not give sleep to thine eyes, or slumber to thine eyelashes;
5 Gye wo ho, sɛnea ɔforote guan fi ɔbɔmmɔfo nsam anaa sɛnea anomaa guan fi ofirisumfo afiri mu no.
Deliver thyself, as a gazelle out of the hand, and as a bird, out of the hand of the fowler.
6 Ɔkwadwofo, kɔ ɔtɛtea nkyɛn; hwɛ nʼakwan, na hu nyansa!
Go to the ant, thou sluggard, observe her ways, and be wise;
7 Onni ɔsahene, onni ɔhwɛfo anaa sodifo bi,
Which, having no harvest, scribe, or ruler,
8 nanso ɔde aduan sie wɔ ahuhurubere mu, ɔboaboa nnuan ano wɔ twabere.
Prepareth, in the summer, her food, hath collected, in the harvest, her sustenance.
9 Wo, ɔkwadwofo, wobɛda akosi da bɛn? Wubenyan bere bɛn?
How long, O sluggard, wilt thou lie? how long ere thou rise from thy 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 rest: —
11 ɛbɛma ohia aba wo so sɛ ɔkwanmukafo na ahokyere atow akyere wo sɛnea okura otuo.
So shall come in, as a highwayman, thy poverty, and, thy want, as one armed with a shield.
12 Onipa teta ne ohuhuni a odi atoro kyin,
An abandoned man, a man of iniquity, [is he] who—goeth on in perversity of mouth;
13 nea obu nʼani, na ɔde ne nan yɛ nsɛnkyerɛnne na ɔde ne nsateaa kyerɛkyerɛ ade,
Winketh with his eyes, speaketh with his foot, pointeth with his fingers;
14 nea ɔde ne koma mu nnaadaa bɔ pɔw bɔne, na ɔde mpaapaemu ba bere biara.
[Hath] perverse things in his heart, deviseth mischief on every occasion, strifes, he sendeth forth.
15 Ɛno nti amanehunu bɛba no so prɛko pɛ; wɔbɛsɛe no mpofirim, a wɔrenya ano aduru.
For this cause, suddenly cometh his doom, in a moment, shall he be torn in pieces and there be no mending.
16 Nneɛma asia na Awurade mpɛ, nneɛma ason na ɛyɛ nʼakyiwade:
These six things, doth Yahweh hate, yea, seven, are the abomination of his soul: —
17 ani a ɛtra ntɔn, atoro tɛkrɛma, nsa a ɛka mogya a edi bem gu,
Eyes that are lofty, a tongue that is false, and hands shedding innocent blood;
18 koma a edwen amumɔyɛ ho, anan a etutu mmirika kɔyɛ bɔne,
A heart contriving iniquitous devices, feet hasting to run into mischief;
19 ɔdansekurumni a odi atoro ne onipa a ɔde mpaapaemu ba anuanom mu.
One that uttereth lies—a false witness, and one sending forth strifes between brethren.
20 Me ba, tie wʼagya ahyɛde na nnyaa wo na nkyerɛkyerɛ mu.
Observe thou, my son, the commandment of thy father, and do not decline from the instruction of thy mother:
21 Fa kyekyere wo koma ho daa; na fa kyekyere wɔ kɔn mu.
Bind them upon thy heart continually, fasten them upon thy neck;
22 Wonantew a, ɛbɛkyerɛ wo kwan; sɛ woda a, ɛbɛwɛn wo; sɛ wunyan a, ɛbɛkasa akyerɛ wo.
When thou walkest abroad, it shall guide thee, when thou sleepest, it shall watch over thee, when thou wakest, it shall speak to thee:
23 Na saa ahyɛde yi yɛ kanea saa nkyerɛkyerɛ yi yɛ hann, na ahohyɛso nteɛso yi yɛ nkwa kwan,
For, a lamp, is the commandment, and, the instruction, a light, and, the way of life, are the reproofs of correction:
24 ɛtwe wo fi ɔbea a onni suban pa no ho, fi ɔbeawarefo huhuni tɛkrɛmadɛ ho.
To keep thee from the wicked woman, from the flattery of the tongue of her that is a stranger.
25 Mma wo kɔn nnɔ nʼahoɔfɛ, mma nʼani akyideda no ntwetwe wo,
Do not covet her beauty, in thy heart, neither let her take thee, by her eyelashes;
26 efisɛ oguamanfo ma wʼanuonyam yɛ sɛ brodosin, na obi yere gyigye wo kɔ owu mu.
Because, for the sake of an impure woman, [a man may be brought] even to a cake of bread, —and, a man’s wife, for a precious soul, may hunt!
27 Obi betumi asɔ gya agu ne srɛ so a nhyew nʼatade ana?
Can a man snatch up fire in his bosom, and, his clothes, not be burned?
28 Obi betumi anantew nnyansramma so a mpumpunnya mmobɔ nʼanan ho ana?
Or can a man walk upon hot coals, and, his feet, not be burned?
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 unto his neighbour’s wife, no man shall be guiltless who toucheth her!
30 Nnipa mmu ɔkorɔmfo a wakowia ade animtiaa sɛ ɔkɔm de no na ɔde rekodwudwo ano nti.
Men despise not a thief, when he stealeth, to satisfy his appetite, because he is famished;
31 Mmom, sɛ wɔkyere no a, ɛsɛ sɛ otua mmɔho ason; sɛ ɛbɛma wahwere ne fi agyapade nyinaa mpo a.
Yet, if found, he must pay back sevenfold, All the substance of his house, must he give:
32 Ɔbarima a ɔsɛe aware no nni adwene; obiara a ɔyɛ saa no sɛe ne ho.
He that committeth adultery with a woman, lacketh sense, A destroyer of his own life, is he that doeth it;
33 Ɔhwe ne animguase na obenya, na nʼahohora rempepa da.
Smiting and shame, shall he find, and, his reproach, shall not be wiped out;
34 Ninkutwe hwanyan okunu abufuw na sɛ ɔtɔ were a, ahummɔbɔ biara nni mu.
For, jealousy, is the rage of a man, nor will he spare, in the day of avenging;
35 Ɔrennye mpata biara; na ɔbɛpo adanmude, sɛ ɛso sɛ dɛn mpo a.
He will not look, at any ransom, neither will he consent, though thou increase the bribe.
