Mmebusɛm 1
1 Dawid babarima Salomo, Israelhene, mmebusɛm ni:
Proverbs of Solomon, 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;
For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,
3 sɛ wobenya akwankyerɛ wɔ abrabɔ pa mu, a ɛbɛma wɔayɛ ade pa, nea ɛteɛ na ho nni asɛm;
For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,
4 sɛ ɛbɛma nea nʼadwene mu nnɔ anya nyansa na mmabun anya nimdeɛ ne adwene,
For giving to simple ones — prudence, To a youth — knowledge and discretion.
5 anyansafo ntie na wɔmfa nka nea wonim ho, na nea ɔwɔ nhumu nya akwankyerɛ a
(The wise doth hear and increaseth learning, And the intelligent doth obtain counsels.)
6 ɛbɛma wate mmɛ ne kasammebu, anyansafo nsɛnka ne abisaa ase.
For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.
7 Awurade suro yɛ nimdeɛ mfiase, na nkwaseafo bu nyansa ne ahohyɛso animtiaa.
Fear of Jehovah [is] a beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and instruction fools have despised!
8 Me ba, tie wʼagya akwankyerɛ na mpo wo na nkyerɛkyerɛ.
Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother,
9 Ɛbɛyɛ wo ti anuonyam abotiri ne wo kɔn mu atweaban.
For a graceful wreath [are] they to thy head, And chains to thy neck.
10 Me ba, sɛ nnebɔneyɛfo twetwe wo a, mma wɔn ho kwan.
My son, if sinners entice thee be not willing.
11 Sɛ wɔka se, “Bra ma yɛnkɔ; ma yɛnkɔtetɛw na yenkum obi, ma yɛnkɔtɛw ntwɛn mmɔborɔni bi;
If they say, 'Come with us, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly for the innocent without cause,
We swallow them as Sheol — alive, And whole — as those going down [to] the pit, (Sheol h7585)
13 yebenya nneɛma a ɛsom bo ahorow na yɛde asade ahyɛ yɛn afi ma;
Every precious substance we find, We fill our houses [with] spoil,
14 fa wo ho bɛhyɛ mu, na wubenya wo kyɛfa wɔ ahonyade no mu.”
Thy lot thou dost cast among us, One purse is — to all of us.'
15 Me ba, wo ne wɔn nnantew, mfa wo nan nsi wɔn akwan so;
My son! go not in the way with them, Withhold thy foot from their path,
16 Wɔn anan de ntɛmpɛ kɔ bɔne mu, na wɔde ahoɔhare ka mogya gu.
For their feet to evil do run, And they haste to shed blood.
17 So nni mfaso sɛ obi besum nnomaafiri wɔ beae a anomaa biara hu!
Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.
18 Saa nnipa yi tetɛw pɛ wɔn ankasa mogya; wɔtetɛw wɔn ankasa wɔn ho!
And they for their own blood lay wait, They watch secretly for their own lives.
19 Saa na wɔn a wodi akorɔnne akyi no awiei te; ɛma wɔhwere wɔn nkwa!
So [are] the paths of every gainer of dishonest gain, The life of its owners it taketh.
20 Nyansa teɛ mu wɔ mmɔnten so, ɔma ne nne so wɔ aguabɔbea,
Wisdom in an out-place crieth aloud, In broad places she giveth forth her voice,
21 ɔteɛ mu wɔ afasu no atifi, ɔkasa wɔ kuropɔn no apon ano se,
At the head of the multitudes she calleth, In the openings of the gates, In the city her sayings she saith:
22 “Mo adwenharefo, mobɛyɛ adwenhare akosi da bɛn? Fɛwdifo bedi fɛw akosi da bɛn? Nkwaseafo bekyi nimdeɛ akosi da bɛn?
'Till when, ye simple, do ye love simplicity? And have scorners their scorning desired? And do fools hate knowledge?
23 Sɛ mutiee mʼanimka a, anka mekaa me koma mu nsɛm nyinaa kyerɛɛ mo ma muhuu me nsusuwii.
Turn back at my reproof, lo, I pour forth to you my spirit, I make known my words with you.
24 Nanso sɛ muyii mo aso, bere a mefrɛɛ mo na amfa obiara ho, bere a meteɛɛ me nsa mu,
Because I have called, and ye refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,
25 sɛ mopoo mʼafotu, na moampɛ mʼanimka nti,
And ye slight all my counsel, And my reproof ye have not desired.
26 me nso mɛserew mo wɔ mo amanehunu mu; sɛ abɛbrɛsɛ bi bu fa mo so a, midi mo ho fɛw,
I also in your calamity do laugh, I deride when your fear cometh,
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 cometh as destruction, And your calamity as a hurricane doth come, When on you come adversity and distress.
28 “Afei wɔbɛfrɛ me, nanso meremmua; wɔbɛhwehwɛ me, nanso wɔrenhu me.
Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and find me not.
29 Esiane sɛ wokyii nimdeɛ na wɔampɛ sɛ wobesuro Awurade,
Because that they have hated knowledge, And the fear of Jehovah have not chosen.
30 sɛ wɔpoo mʼafotu, na wobuu me nteɛso animtiaa nti,
They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,
31 wobedi wɔn akwan so aba; na wɔn nhyehyɛe mu aduan bɛmee wɔn.
And they eat of the fruit of their way, And from their own counsels they are filled.
32 Na ntetekwaafo asoɔden bekum wɔn, na nkwaseafo tirimudɛ bɛsɛe wɔn;
For the turning of the simple slayeth them, And the security of the foolish destroyeth them.
33 Nanso obiara a obetie me no, ɔbɛtena ase asomdwoe mu na ne ho bɛtɔ no a ɔrensuro ɔhaw biara.”
And whoso is hearkening to me dwelleth confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!'
