Mmɛbusɛm 1
1 Dawid babarima Salomo, Israelhene, mmɛbusɛm nie:
Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 Ne botaeɛ ne sɛ ɛbɛkyerɛ nnipa nyansa ne ahohyɛsoɔ; ne sɛ ɛbɛboa ma wɔate nsɛm a emu dɔ ase;
For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,
3 sɛ wɔbɛnya ahohyɛsoɔ na wɔabɔ ɔbra pa, a ɛbɛma wɔayɛ ade pa, deɛ ɛtene na ɛho nni asɛm;
For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,
4 sɛ ɛbɛma deɛ nʼadwene mu nnɔ anya nyansa na mmabunu anya nimdeɛ ne adwene.
For giving to simple ones — prudence, To a youth — knowledge and discretion.
5 Anyansafoɔ ntie na wɔmfa nka deɛ wɔnim ho, na deɛ ɔwɔ nhunumu nya akwankyerɛ a
(The wise doth hear and increaseth learning, And the intelligent doth obtain counsels.)
6 ɛbɛma woate mmɛ ne akasabɛbuo, anyansafoɔ nsɛnka ne aborɔme ase.
For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.
7 Awurade suro yɛ nimdeɛ ahyɛaseɛ, na nkwaseafoɔ bu nyansa ne ahohyɛsoɔ animtiaa.
Fear of Jehovah [is] a beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and instruction fools have despised!
8 Me ba, tie wʼagya akwankyerɛ na mpo wo maame nkyerɛkyerɛ.
Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother,
9 Ɛbɛyɛ wo tiri animuonyam abotire ne wo kɔn mu ntweaban.
For a graceful wreath [are] they to thy head, And chains to thy neck.
10 Me ba, sɛ nnebɔneyɛfoɔ daadaa wo a, mma wɔn ho ɛkwan.
My son, if sinners entice thee be not willing.
11 Sɛ wɔka sɛ, “Bra ma yɛnkɔ; ma yɛnkɔtetɛ na yɛnkum obi, ma yɛnkɔtɛ 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 yɛbɛnya nneɛma a ɛsom bo ahodoɔ na yɛde afodeɛ ahyɛ yɛn afie ma;
Every precious substance we find, We fill our houses [with] spoil,
14 enti, fa wo ho bɛhyɛ mu, na wobɛnya wo kyɛfa wɔ ahonyadeɛ no mu” a,
Thy lot thou dost cast among us, One purse is — to all of us.'
15 Me ba, wo ne wɔn nnante, mfa wo nan nsi wɔn akwan so;
My son! go not in the way with them, Withhold thy foot from their path,
16 Wɔn nan de ntɛmpɛ kɔ bɔne mu, na wɔde ahoɔherɛ ka mogya gu.
For their feet to evil do run, And they haste to shed blood.
17 Ɛho nni mfasoɔ sɛ obi bɛsum nnomaafidie wɔ ɛberɛ a nnomaa nyinaa hwɛ!
Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.
18 Saa nnipa yi tetɛ pɛ wɔn ankasa mogya; wɔtetɛ wɔn ankasa wɔn ho!
And they for their own blood lay wait, They watch secretly for their own lives.
19 Saa na wɔn a wɔdi korɔnodeɛ akyi no awieeɛ teɛ; ɛma wɔhwere wɔn nkwa!
So [are] the paths of every gainer of dishonest gain, The life of its owners it taketh.
20 Nyansa team wɔ mmɔntene so, ɔma ne nne so wɔ adwaberem,
Wisdom in an out-place crieth aloud, In broad places she giveth forth her voice,
21 ɔteaam wɔ afasuo no atifi, ɔkasa wɔ kuropɔn no apono ano sɛ,
At the head of the multitudes she calleth, In the openings of the gates, In the city her sayings she saith:
22 “Mo adwenemherɛfoɔ, mobɛyɛ adwenemherɛ akɔsi da bɛn? Fɛdifoɔ bɛdi fɛ akɔsi da bɛn? Nkwaseafoɔ bɛkyiri nimdeɛ akɔsi da bɛn?
'Till when, ye simple, do ye love simplicity? And have scorners their scorning desired? And do fools hate knowledge?
23 Sɛ motiee mʼaninka a, anka mekaa mʼakoma mu nsɛm nyinaa kyerɛɛ mo maa mo hunuu me nsusuiɛ.
Turn back at my reproof, lo, I pour forth to you my spirit, I make known my words with you.
24 Nanso, sɛ moyii mo aso ɛberɛ a mefrɛɛ mo na amfa obiara ho ɛberɛ a metenee me nsa mu,
Because I have called, and ye refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,
25 sɛ mopoo mʼafotuo, na moampɛ mʼanimka enti,
And ye slight all my counsel, And my reproof ye have not desired.
26 me nso mɛsere mo wɔ mo amanehunu mu; sɛ abɛbrɛsɛ bi bu fa mo so a, medi 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 twahoframa, na awerɛhoɔ 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 mobɛfrɛ me, nanso meremmua mo; mobɛhwehwɛ me, nanso morenhunu me.
Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and find me not.
29 Esiane sɛ wɔkyirii nimdeɛ na wɔampɛ sɛ wobɛsuro Awurade.
Because that they have hated knowledge, And the fear of Jehovah have not chosen.
30 Esiane sɛ w ɔpoo mʼafotuo, na wɔbuu me ntenesoɔ animtiaa enti,
They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,
31 wɔbɛdi wɔn akwan so aba na wɔn nhyehyɛeɛ mu aduane bɛmee wɔn.
And they eat of the fruit of their way, And from their own counsels they are filled.
32 Na ntetekwaafoɔ asoɔden bɛkum wɔn, na nkwaseafoɔ tirimudɛ bɛsɛe wɔn;
For the turning of the simple slayeth them, And the security of the foolish destroyeth them.
33 Nanso, obiara a ɔbɛtie me no, ɔbɛtena ase asomdwoeɛ 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!'
