Mmɛbusɛm 1
1 Dawid babarima Salomo, Israelhene, mmɛbusɛm nie:
The Proverbs of Solomon son of David, who reigned in Israel;
2 Ne botaeɛ ne sɛ ɛbɛkyerɛ nnipa nyansa ne ahohyɛsoɔ; ne sɛ ɛbɛboa ma wɔate nsɛm a emu dɔ ase;
to know wisdom and instruction, and to perceive words of understanding;
3 sɛ wɔbɛnya ahohyɛsoɔ na wɔabɔ ɔbra pa, a ɛbɛma wɔayɛ ade pa, deɛ ɛtene na ɛho nni asɛm;
to receive also hard saying, and to understand true justice, and [how] to direct judgment;
4 sɛ ɛbɛma deɛ nʼadwene mu nnɔ anya nyansa na mmabunu anya nimdeɛ ne adwene.
that he might give subtlety to the simple, and to the young man discernment and understanding.
5 Anyansafoɔ ntie na wɔmfa nka deɛ wɔnim ho, na deɛ ɔwɔ nhunumu nya akwankyerɛ a
For by the hearing of these a wise man will be wiser, and man of understanding will gain direction;
6 ɛbɛma woate mmɛ ne akasabɛbuo, anyansafoɔ nsɛnka ne aborɔme ase.
and will understand a parable, and a dark speech; the saying of the wise also, and riddles.
7 Awurade suro yɛ nimdeɛ ahyɛaseɛ, na nkwaseafoɔ bu nyansa ne ahohyɛsoɔ animtiaa.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and [there is] good understanding to all that practise it: and piety toward God is the beginning of discernment; but the ungodly will set at nought wisdom and instruction.
8 Me ba, tie wʼagya akwankyerɛ na mpo wo maame nkyerɛkyerɛ.
Hear, [my] son, the instruction of thy father, and reject not the rules of thy mother.
9 Ɛbɛyɛ wo tiri animuonyam abotire ne wo kɔn mu ntweaban.
For thou shalt receive for thine head a crown of graces, and a chain of gold round thy neck.
10 Me ba, sɛ nnebɔneyɛfoɔ daadaa wo a, mma wɔn ho ɛkwan.
[My] son, let not ungodly men lead thee astray, neither consent thou [to them].
11 Sɛ wɔka sɛ, “Bra ma yɛnkɔ; ma yɛnkɔtetɛ na yɛnkum obi, ma yɛnkɔtɛ ntwɛn mmɔborɔni bi;
If they should exhort thee, saying, Come with us, partake in blood, and let us unjustly hide the just man in the earth:
and let us swallow him alive, as Hades [would], and remove the memorial of him from the earth: (Sheol h7585)
13 yɛbɛnya nneɛma a ɛsom bo ahodoɔ na yɛde afodeɛ ahyɛ yɛn afie ma;
let us seize on his valuable property, and let us fill our houses with spoils:
14 enti, fa wo ho bɛhyɛ mu, na wobɛnya wo kyɛfa wɔ ahonyadeɛ no mu” a,
but do thou cast in thy lot with us, and let us all provide a common purse, and let us have one pouch:
15 Me ba, wo ne wɔn nnante, mfa wo nan nsi wɔn akwan so;
go not in the way with them, but turn aside thy foot from their paths:
16 Wɔn nan de ntɛmpɛ kɔ bɔne mu, na wɔde ahoɔherɛ ka mogya gu.
[For their feet run to do evil, and are swift to shed blood. ]
17 Ɛho nni mfasoɔ sɛ obi bɛsum nnomaafidie wɔ ɛberɛ a nnomaa nyinaa hwɛ!
for nets are not without cause spread for birds.
18 Saa nnipa yi tetɛ pɛ wɔn ankasa mogya; wɔtetɛ wɔn ankasa wɔn ho!
For they that are concerned in murder store up evils for themselves; and the overthrow of transgressors is evil.
19 Saa na wɔn a wɔdi korɔnodeɛ akyi no awieeɛ teɛ; ɛma wɔhwere wɔn nkwa!
These are the ways of all that perform lawless deeds; for by ungodliness they destroy their own life.
20 Nyansa team wɔ mmɔntene so, ɔma ne nne so wɔ adwaberem,
Wisdom sings aloud in passages, and in the broad places speaks boldly.
21 ɔteaam wɔ afasuo no atifi, ɔkasa wɔ kuropɔn no apono ano sɛ,
And she makes proclamation on the top of the walls, and sits by the gates of princes; and at the gates of the city boldly says,
22 “Mo adwenemherɛfoɔ, mobɛyɛ adwenemherɛ akɔsi da bɛn? Fɛdifoɔ bɛdi fɛ akɔsi da bɛn? Nkwaseafoɔ bɛkyiri nimdeɛ akɔsi da bɛn?
So long as the simple cleave to justice, they shall not be ashamed: but the foolish being lovers of haughtiness, having become ungodly have hated knowledge, and are become subject to reproofs.
23 Sɛ motiee mʼaninka a, anka mekaa mʼakoma mu nsɛm nyinaa kyerɛɛ mo maa mo hunuu me nsusuiɛ.
Behold, I will bring forth to you the utterance of my breath, and I will instruct you in my speech.
24 Nanso, sɛ moyii mo aso ɛberɛ a mefrɛɛ mo na amfa obiara ho ɛberɛ a metenee me nsa mu,
Since I called, and ye did not hearken; and I spoke at length, and ye gave no heed;
25 sɛ mopoo mʼafotuo, na moampɛ mʼanimka enti,
but ye set at nought my counsels, and disregarded my reproofs;
26 me nso mɛsere mo wɔ mo amanehunu mu; sɛ abɛbrɛsɛ bi bu fa mo so a, medi mo ho fɛw,
therefore I also will laugh at your destruction; and I will rejoice against [you] when ruin comes upon you:
27 sɛ abɛbrɛsɛ bi bu fa mo so te sɛ ahum, na amanehunu bi bɔ fa mo so sɛ twahoframa, na awerɛhoɔ ne ɔhaw mene mo a,
yea when dismay suddenly comes upon you, and [your] overthrow shall arrive like a tempest; and when tribulation and distress shall come upon you, or when ruin shall come upon you.
28 “Afei mobɛfrɛ me, nanso meremmua mo; mobɛhwehwɛ me, nanso morenhunu me.
For it shall be that when ye call upon me, I will not hearken to you: wicked men shall seek me, but shall not find [me].
29 Esiane sɛ wɔkyirii nimdeɛ na wɔampɛ sɛ wobɛsuro Awurade.
For they hated wisdom, and did not choose the word of the Lord:
30 Esiane sɛ w ɔpoo mʼafotuo, na wɔbuu me ntenesoɔ animtiaa enti,
neither would they attend to my counsels, but derided my reproofs.
31 wɔbɛdi wɔn akwan so aba na wɔn nhyehyɛeɛ mu aduane bɛmee wɔn.
Therefore shall they eat the fruits of their own way, and shall be filled with their own ungodliness.
32 Na ntetekwaafoɔ asoɔden bɛkum wɔn, na nkwaseafoɔ tirimudɛ bɛsɛe wɔn;
For because they wronged the simple, they shall be slain; and an inquisition shall ruin the ungodly.
33 Nanso, obiara a ɔbɛtie me no, ɔbɛtena ase asomdwoeɛ mu na ne ho bɛtɔ no a ɔrensuro ɔhaw biara.”
But he that hearkens to me shall dwell in confidence, and shall rest securely from all evil.
