Mmebusɛm 1
1 Dawid babarima Salomo, Israelhene, mmebusɛm ni:
These are the (proverbs/wise sayings) that come from Solomon, the King of Israel, who was the son of [King] David.
2 Ne botae ne sɛ ɛbɛkyerɛ nnipa nyansa ne ahohyɛso; ne sɛ ɛbɛboa ama wɔate nsɛm a emu dɔ ase;
(These proverbs [PRS] can teach people/By studying these proverbs, people can learn) how to be wise and how to obey what these proverbs teach them. They will [also] help people to understand which teachings are wise.
3 sɛ wobenya akwankyerɛ wɔ abrabɔ pa mu, a ɛbɛma wɔayɛ ade pa, nea ɛteɛ na ho nni asɛm;
These proverbs [PRS] will teach you how to discipline/control yourselves, how to conduct your lives, and how to do what is right and just [DOU].
4 sɛ ɛbɛma nea nʼadwene mu nnɔ anya nyansa na mmabun anya nimdeɛ ne adwene,
They will show [people] who do not [yet] know much how to do things that are smart. They will show young people how to become wise and how to make good plans/decisions.
5 anyansafo ntie na wɔmfa nka nea wonim ho, na nea ɔwɔ nhumu nya akwankyerɛ a
Those who are wise should also pay attention [to these proverbs], in order to become more wise, and those who understand [these teachings] will receive good advice/guidance.
6 ɛbɛma wate mmɛ ne kasammebu, anyansafo nsɛnka ne abisaa ase.
Then they will be able to understand the meaning of proverbs and parables/metaphors, these wise sayings and (riddles/sayings that are difficult to understand).
7 Awurade suro yɛ nimdeɛ mfiase, na nkwaseafo bu nyansa ne ahohyɛso animtiaa.
If [you want to be] wise, you must begin by revering Yahweh. [Only] foolish people despise wisdom and good advice/discipline.
8 Me ba, tie wʼagya akwankyerɛ na mpo wo na nkyerɛkyerɛ.
My son, pay attention to what [I], your father, am teaching you. And do not reject what your mother teaches you.
9 Ɛbɛyɛ wo ti anuonyam abotiri ne wo kɔn mu atweaban.
What we teach you [will make you respected like having] a lovely turban around your head and [like] a [beautiful] necklace to put around your neck.
10 Me ba, sɛ nnebɔneyɛfo twetwe wo a, mma wɔn ho kwan.
My son, if sinners tempt/entice you [to do what is wrong], say “No” to them.
11 Sɛ wɔka se, “Bra ma yɛnkɔ; ma yɛnkɔtetɛw na yenkum obi, ma yɛnkɔtɛw ntwɛn mmɔborɔni bi;
They may say, “Come with us! Join us! We will hide and then kill [MTY] someone [who passes by]. We will ambush some helpless/innocent people.
We will kill them [HYP] and get rid of them completely, [just] like [people who are buried in] graves are gone forever. While they are in good health, we will send them to the place where dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
13 yebenya nneɛma a ɛsom bo ahorow na yɛde asade ahyɛ yɛn afi ma;
And we will seize all the things that they own. We will fill our houses with these things!
14 fa wo ho bɛhyɛ mu, na wubenya wo kyɛfa wɔ ahonyade no mu.”
[So], come with us! Join our group! We will share with you the things that we steal.”
15 Me ba, wo ne wɔn nnantew, mfa wo nan nsi wɔn akwan so;
My son, do not accompany them! Do not walk on the roads with them!
16 Wɔn anan de ntɛmpɛ kɔ bɔne mu, na wɔde ahoɔhare ka mogya gu.
They rush to do evil deeds! They hurry to murder [MTY] people.
17 So nni mfaso sɛ obi besum nnomaafiri wɔ beae a anomaa biara hu!
It is useless to put out a (trap/net to catch a bird) because when a bird sees it, [it stays away from it].
18 Saa nnipa yi tetɛw pɛ wɔn ankasa mogya; wɔtetɛw wɔn ankasa wɔn ho!
But those wicked people are not like the birds, [because they do not realize] that when they prepare to ambush someone to kill him, they will be killed themselves!
19 Saa na wɔn a wodi akorɔnne akyi no awiei te; ɛma wɔhwere wɔn nkwa!
That is what happens to people who eagerly try to get things [by violently attacking others]. They will only destroy themselves!
20 Nyansa teɛ mu wɔ mmɔnten so, ɔma ne nne so wɔ aguabɔbea,
Wisdom [PRS] shouts to people in the streets, and calls out to people in the (plazas/town squares).
21 ɔteɛ mu wɔ afasu no atifi, ɔkasa wɔ kuropɔn no apon ano se,
Wisdom calls out in noisy places, and at the entrances to cities.
22 “Mo adwenharefo, mobɛyɛ adwenhare akosi da bɛn? Fɛwdifo bedi fɛw akosi da bɛn? Nkwaseafo bekyi nimdeɛ akosi da bɛn?
[Wisdom says], “How long will you stupid people continue to enjoy doing foolish things [RHQ]? How long will you people who ridicule God enjoy doing that [RHQ]? How long will you foolish people refuse to know [what things are right] [RHQ]?
23 Sɛ mutiee mʼanimka a, anka mekaa me koma mu nsɛm nyinaa kyerɛɛ mo ma muhuu me nsusuwii.
If you pay attention to me when I rebuke you, I will tell you what I am thinking in my inner being; I will give you some good advice.
24 Nanso sɛ muyii mo aso, bere a mefrɛɛ mo na amfa obiara ho, bere a meteɛɛ me nsa mu,
But when I called to you, you refused to listen. I beckoned to you to come to me, but you ignored me.
25 sɛ mopoo mʼafotu, na moampɛ mʼanimka nti,
I tried to advise you, but you refused to listen to me. I tried to correct you, but you rejected what I told you.
26 me nso mɛserew mo wɔ mo amanehunu mu; sɛ abɛbrɛsɛ bi bu fa mo so a, midi mo ho fɛw,
So [now], when you are experiencing troubles/disasters, I will laugh at you. When things happen that cause you to be afraid, I will make fun of you.
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 calamities strike you like a big storm, when disasters hit you like a violent wind, when [all kinds of things] distress you and give you trouble, [I will ridicule you!]
28 “Afei wɔbɛfrɛ me, nanso meremmua; wɔbɛhwehwɛ me, nanso wɔrenhu me.
[Wisdom also says], “When foolish people call to me [to help them], I will not answer them. They will search for me diligently/everywhere, but they will not find me.
29 Esiane sɛ wokyii nimdeɛ na wɔampɛ sɛ wobesuro Awurade,
They refused to know [what things are right], and they decided not to revere Yahweh.
30 sɛ wɔpoo mʼafotu, na wobuu me nteɛso animtiaa nti,
They would not accept my advice, and they did not pay attention when I tried to correct them.
31 wobedi wɔn akwan so aba; na wɔn nhyehyɛe mu aduan bɛmee wɔn.
So they will endure what will result [MET, DOU] from the evil way they have lived/behaved and the evil things they have planned to do.
32 Na ntetekwaafo asoɔden bekum wɔn, na nkwaseafo tirimudɛ bɛsɛe wɔn;
Those who turn away from me are stupid/foolish; they will die because of doing that.
33 Nanso obiara a obetie me no, ɔbɛtena ase asomdwoe mu na ne ho bɛtɔ no a ɔrensuro ɔhaw biara.”
But those who pay attention to me will live peacefully and safely, and they will not be afraid that something will harm them.”
