Mmebusɛm 1
1 Dawid babarima Salomo, Israelhene, mmebusɛm ni:
The wise sayings of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.
2 Ne botae ne sɛ ɛbɛkyerɛ nnipa nyansa ne ahohyɛso; ne sɛ ɛbɛboa ama wɔate nsɛm a emu dɔ ase;
To have knowledge of wise teaching; to be clear about the words of reason:
3 sɛ wobenya akwankyerɛ wɔ abrabɔ pa mu, a ɛbɛma wɔayɛ ade pa, nea ɛteɛ na ho nni asɛm;
To be trained in the ways of wisdom, in righteousness and judging truly and straight behaviour:
4 sɛ ɛbɛma nea nʼadwene mu nnɔ anya nyansa na mmabun anya nimdeɛ ne adwene,
To make the simple-minded sharp, and to give the young man knowledge, and serious purpose:
5 anyansafo ntie na wɔmfa nka nea wonim ho, na nea ɔwɔ nhumu nya akwankyerɛ a
(The wise man, hearing, will get greater learning, and the acts of the man of good sense will be wisely guided: )
6 ɛbɛma wate mmɛ ne kasammebu, anyansafo nsɛnka ne abisaa ase.
To get the sense of wise sayings and secrets, and of the words of the wise and their dark sayings.
7 Awurade suro yɛ nimdeɛ mfiase, na nkwaseafo bu nyansa ne ahohyɛso animtiaa.
The fear of the Lord is the start of knowledge: but the foolish have no use for wisdom and teaching.
8 Me ba, tie wʼagya akwankyerɛ na mpo wo na nkyerɛkyerɛ.
My son, give ear to the training of your father, and do not give up the teaching of your mother:
9 Ɛbɛyɛ wo ti anuonyam abotiri ne wo kɔn mu atweaban.
For they will be a crown of grace for your head, and chain-ornaments about your neck.
10 Me ba, sɛ nnebɔneyɛfo twetwe wo a, mma wɔn ho kwan.
My son, if sinners would take you out of the right way, do not go with them.
11 Sɛ wɔka se, “Bra ma yɛnkɔ; ma yɛnkɔtetɛw na yenkum obi, ma yɛnkɔtɛw ntwɛn mmɔborɔni bi;
If they say, Come with us; let us make designs against the good, waiting secretly for the upright, without cause;
Let us overcome them living, like the underworld, and in their strength, as those who go down to death; (Sheol h7585)
13 yebenya nneɛma a ɛsom bo ahorow na yɛde asade ahyɛ yɛn afi ma;
Goods of great price will be ours, our houses will be full of wealth;
14 fa wo ho bɛhyɛ mu, na wubenya wo kyɛfa wɔ ahonyade no mu.”
Take your chance with us, and we will all have one money-bag:
15 Me ba, wo ne wɔn nnantew, mfa wo nan nsi wɔn akwan so;
My son, do not go with them; keep your feet from their ways:
16 Wɔn anan de ntɛmpɛ kɔ bɔne mu, na wɔde ahoɔhare ka mogya gu.
For their feet are running after evil, and they are quick to take a man's life.
17 So nni mfaso sɛ obi besum nnomaafiri wɔ beae a anomaa biara hu!
Truly, to no purpose is the net stretched out before the eyes of the bird:
18 Saa nnipa yi tetɛw pɛ wɔn ankasa mogya; wɔtetɛw wɔn ankasa wɔn ho!
And they are secretly waiting for their blood and making ready destruction for themselves.
19 Saa na wɔn a wodi akorɔnne akyi no awiei te; ɛma wɔhwere wɔn nkwa!
Such is the fate of everyone who goes in search of profit; it takes away the life of its owners.
20 Nyansa teɛ mu wɔ mmɔnten so, ɔma ne nne so wɔ aguabɔbea,
Wisdom is crying out in the street; her voice is loud in the open places;
21 ɔteɛ mu wɔ afasu no atifi, ɔkasa wɔ kuropɔn no apon ano se,
Her words are sounding in the meeting-places, and in the doorways of the town:
22 “Mo adwenharefo, mobɛyɛ adwenhare akosi da bɛn? Fɛwdifo bedi fɛw akosi da bɛn? Nkwaseafo bekyi nimdeɛ akosi da bɛn?
How long, you simple ones, will foolish things be dear to you? and pride a delight to the haters of authority? how long will the foolish go on hating knowledge?
23 Sɛ mutiee mʼanimka a, anka mekaa me koma mu nsɛm nyinaa kyerɛɛ mo ma muhuu me nsusuwii.
Be turned again by my sharp words: see, I will send the flow of my spirit on you, and make my words clear to you.
24 Nanso sɛ muyii mo aso, bere a mefrɛɛ mo na amfa obiara ho, bere a meteɛɛ me nsa mu,
Because your ears were shut to my voice; no one gave attention to my out-stretched hand;
25 sɛ mopoo mʼafotu, na moampɛ mʼanimka nti,
You were not controlled by my guiding, and would have nothing to do with my sharp words:
26 me nso mɛserew mo wɔ mo amanehunu mu; sɛ abɛbrɛsɛ bi bu fa mo so a, midi mo ho fɛw,
So in the day of your trouble I will be laughing; I will make sport of your fear;
27 sɛ abɛbrɛsɛ bi bu fa mo so te sɛ ahum, na amanehunu bi bɔ fa mo so sɛ mfɛtɛ, na awerɛhow ne ɔhaw mene mo a,
When your fear comes on you like a storm, and your trouble like a rushing wind; when pain and sorrow come on you.
28 “Afei wɔbɛfrɛ me, nanso meremmua; wɔbɛhwehwɛ me, nanso wɔrenhu me.
Then I will give no answer to their cries; searching for me early, they will not see me:
29 Esiane sɛ wokyii nimdeɛ na wɔampɛ sɛ wobesuro Awurade,
For they were haters of knowledge, and did not give their hearts to the fear of the Lord:
30 sɛ wɔpoo mʼafotu, na wobuu me nteɛso animtiaa nti,
They had no desire for my teaching, and my words of protest were as nothing to them.
31 wobedi wɔn akwan so aba; na wɔn nhyehyɛe mu aduan bɛmee wɔn.
So the fruit of their way will be their food, and with the designs of their hearts they will be made full.
32 Na ntetekwaafo asoɔden bekum wɔn, na nkwaseafo tirimudɛ bɛsɛe wɔn;
For the turning back of the simple from teaching will be the cause of their death, and the peace of the foolish will be their destruction.
33 Nanso obiara a obetie me no, ɔbɛtena ase asomdwoe mu na ne ho bɛtɔ no a ɔrensuro ɔhaw biara.”
But whoever gives ear to me will take his rest safely, living in peace without fear of evil.
