Mmɛbusɛm 1
1 Dawid babarima Salomo, Israelhene, mmɛbusɛm nie:
These are the (proverbs/wise sayings) that come from Solomon, the King of Israel, who was the son of [King] David.
2 Ne botaeɛ ne sɛ ɛbɛkyerɛ nnipa nyansa ne ahohyɛsoɔ; ne sɛ ɛbɛboa ma 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 wɔbɛnya ahohyɛsoɔ na wɔabɔ ɔbra pa, a ɛbɛma wɔayɛ ade pa, deɛ ɛtene na ɛho 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 deɛ nʼadwene mu nnɔ anya nyansa na mmabunu 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 Anyansafoɔ ntie na wɔmfa nka deɛ wɔnim ho, na deɛ ɔwɔ nhunumu 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 woate mmɛ ne akasabɛbuo, anyansafoɔ nsɛnka ne aborɔme 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 ahyɛaseɛ, na nkwaseafoɔ bu nyansa ne ahohyɛsoɔ 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 maame 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 tiri animuonyam abotire ne wo kɔn mu ntweaban.
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 nnebɔneyɛfoɔ daadaa wo a, mma wɔn ho ɛkwan.
My son, if sinners tempt/entice you [to do what is wrong], say “No” to them.
11 Sɛ wɔka sɛ, “Bra ma yɛnkɔ; ma yɛnkɔtetɛ na yɛnkum obi, ma yɛnkɔtɛ 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 yɛbɛnya nneɛma a ɛsom bo ahodoɔ na yɛde afodeɛ ahyɛ yɛn afie ma;
And we will seize all the things that they own. We will fill our houses with these things!
14 enti, fa wo ho bɛhyɛ mu, na wobɛnya wo kyɛfa wɔ ahonyadeɛ no mu” a,
[So], come with us! Join our group! We will share with you the things that we steal.”
15 Me ba, wo ne wɔn nnante, mfa wo nan nsi wɔn akwan so;
My son, do not accompany them! Do not walk on the roads with them!
16 Wɔn nan de ntɛmpɛ kɔ bɔne mu, na wɔde ahoɔherɛ ka mogya gu.
They rush to do evil deeds! They hurry to murder [MTY] people.
17 Ɛho nni mfasoɔ sɛ obi bɛsum nnomaafidie wɔ ɛberɛ a nnomaa nyinaa hwɛ!
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 tetɛ pɛ wɔn ankasa mogya; wɔtetɛ 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 wɔdi korɔnodeɛ akyi no awieeɛ teɛ; 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 team wɔ mmɔntene so, ɔma ne nne so wɔ adwaberem,
Wisdom [PRS] shouts to people in the streets, and calls out to people in the (plazas/town squares).
21 ɔteaam wɔ afasuo no atifi, ɔkasa wɔ kuropɔn no apono ano sɛ,
Wisdom calls out in noisy places, and at the entrances to cities.
22 “Mo adwenemherɛfoɔ, mobɛyɛ adwenemherɛ akɔsi da bɛn? Fɛdifoɔ bɛdi fɛ akɔsi da bɛn? Nkwaseafoɔ bɛkyiri nimdeɛ akɔsi 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 motiee mʼaninka a, anka mekaa mʼakoma mu nsɛm nyinaa kyerɛɛ mo maa mo hunuu me nsusuiɛ.
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 moyii mo aso ɛberɛ a mefrɛɛ mo na amfa obiara ho ɛberɛ a metenee 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 mʼafotuo, na moampɛ mʼanimka enti,
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 mɛsere mo wɔ mo amanehunu mu; sɛ abɛbrɛsɛ bi bu fa mo so a, medi 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 twahoframa, na awerɛhoɔ 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 mobɛfrɛ me, nanso meremmua mo; mobɛhwehwɛ me, nanso morenhunu 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 wɔkyirii nimdeɛ na wɔampɛ sɛ wobɛsuro Awurade.
They refused to know [what things are right], and they decided not to revere Yahweh.
30 Esiane sɛ w ɔpoo mʼafotuo, na wɔbuu me ntenesoɔ animtiaa enti,
They would not accept my advice, and they did not pay attention when I tried to correct them.
31 wɔbɛdi wɔn akwan so aba na wɔn nhyehyɛeɛ mu aduane 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 ntetekwaafoɔ asoɔden bɛkum wɔn, na nkwaseafoɔ tirimudɛ bɛsɛe wɔn;
Those who turn away from me are stupid/foolish; they will die because of doing that.
33 Nanso, obiara a ɔbɛtie me no, ɔbɛtena ase asomdwoeɛ 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.”
