Mmɛbusɛm 13
1 Ɔba nyansafoɔ tie nʼagya nkyerɛkyerɛ; na ɔfɛdifoɔ ntie animka.
A wise son—the instruction of a father, And a scorner—he has not heard rebuke.
2 Nneɛma pa a ɛfiri onipa anom no ma no anigyeɛ, na wɔn a wɔnni nokorɛ no kɔn dɔ basabasayɛ.
A man eats good from the fruit of the mouth, And the soul of the treacherous—violence.
3 Deɛ ɔkora nʼano no kora ne nkwa so, nanso deɛ ɔkasa a ɔnsusu ho no bɛba ɔsɛeɛ mu.
Whoever is keeping his mouth, is keeping his soul, Whoever is opening wide his lips—ruin to him!
4 Onihafoɔ pere hwehwɛ nanso ɔnnya hwee, na deɛ ɔyɛ adwuma no nya deɛ ɔpɛ biara.
The soul of the slothful is desiring, and does not have. And the soul of the diligent is made fat.
5 Teneneefoɔ kyiri deɛ ɛnyɛ nokorɛ, nanso amumuyɛfoɔ de aniwuo ne ahohora ba.
The righteous hates a false word, And the wicked causes abhorrence, and is confounded.
6 Tenenee bɔ ɔnokwafoɔ ho ban, na amumuyɛsɛm tu ɔbɔnefoɔ gu.
Righteousness keeps him who is perfect in the way, And wickedness overthrows a sin offering.
7 Obi yɛ ne ho sɛ ɔdefoɔ, a nso ɔnni hwee, ɔfoforɔ yɛ ne ho sɛ ohiani, a nso ɔwɔ ahonya bebree.
There is [he] who is making himself rich, and has nothing, Who is making himself poor, and wealth [is] abundant.
8 Obi ahonya bɛtumi agye no nkwa, nanso ohiani nte ahunahuna biara.
The ransom of a man’s life [are] his riches, And the poor has not heard rebuke.
9 Teneneefoɔ kanea hyerɛn pa ara, nanso wɔdum amumuyɛfoɔ kanea.
The light of the righteous rejoices, And the lamp of the wicked is extinguished.
10 Ahantan de ntɔkwa nko ara na ɛba, na wɔhunu nyansa wɔ wɔn a wɔtie afutuo mu.
A vain man causes debate through pride, And wisdom [is] with the counseled.
11 Ahonya a ɛnam kwammɔne soɔ no hwere ntɛm so, na deɛ ɔboa sika ano nkakrankakra no ma ɛdɔɔso.
Wealth from vanity becomes little, And whoever is gathering by the hand becomes great.
12 Anidasoɔ a wɔtu hyɛ da no bɔ akoma yadeɛ, nanso anigyinadeɛ a nsa aka no yɛ nkwa dua.
Hope prolonged is making the heart sick, And a tree of life [is] the coming desire.
13 Deɛ ɔtwiri ahyɛdeɛ no bɛtua so ka, nanso deɛ ɔde obuo ma mmara no, wɔma no akatua.
Whoever is despising the word is destroyed for it, And whoever is fearing the command is repaid.
14 Onyansafoɔ nkyerɛkyerɛ te sɛ nkwa asutire, ɛyi onipa firi owuo afidie mu.
The law of the wise [is] a fountain of life, To turn aside from snares of death.
15 Nhunumu pa de adom ba, nanso atorofoɔ ɛkwan so yɛ den.
Good understanding gives grace, And the way of the treacherous [is] hard.
16 Ɔbadwemma biara yɛ nʼadeɛ wɔ nimdeɛ mu, nanso ɔkwasea da nʼagyimisɛm adi.
Every prudent one deals with knowledge, And a fool spreads out folly.
17 Ɔsomafoɔ mumuyɛfoɔ tɔ amaneɛ mu, nanso ɔnanmusini nokwafoɔ de abodwoɔ ba.
A wicked messenger falls into evil, And a faithful ambassador is healing.
18 Deɛ ɔpo ntenesoɔ no kɔ ohia ne animguaseɛ mu, na deɛ ɔtie ntenesoɔ no, wɔhyɛ no animuonyam.
Whoever is refusing instruction—poverty and shame, And whoever is observing reproof is honored.
19 Akɔnnɔdeɛ a nsa aka ma ɔkra ani gye, nanso nkwaseafoɔ kyiri sɛ wɔtwe wɔn ho firi bɔne ho.
A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul, And an abomination to fools [Is] to turn from evil.
20 Deɛ ɔne onyansafoɔ nante no hunu nyansa, na deɛ ɔne nkwaseafoɔ bɔ no hunu amane.
Whoever is walking with wise men is wise, And a companion of fools suffers evil.
21 Ɔhaw di ɔbɔnefoɔ akyi, na nkɔsoɔ yɛ teneneeni akatua.
Evil pursues sinners, And good repays the righteous.
22 Onipa pa de agyapadeɛ gya ne nananom, na wɔkora ɔbɔnefoɔ ahonyadeɛ so ma ɔteneneeni.
A good man causes sons’ sons to inherit, And the sinner’s wealth [is] laid up for the righteous.
23 Ohiani afuom nnɔbaeɛ tumi ba pii, nanso ntɛnkyea pra kɔ.
Abundance of food—the tillage of the poor, And substance is consumed without judgment.
24 Deɛ ɔkyɛe nʼabaa so no tane ne ba, na deɛ ɔdɔ no no hwɛ sɛ ɔbɛtene no.
Whoever is sparing his rod is hating his son, And whoever is loving him has hurried his discipline.
25 Teneneefoɔ didi ma wɔn akoma mee nanso, ɛkɔm de amumuyɛfoɔ.
The righteous is eating to the satiety of his soul, And the belly of the wicked lacks!
