Mmɛbusɛm 16
1 Akoma mu nhyehyɛeɛ yɛ onipa dea, na tɛkrɛma mmuaeɛ firi Awurade.
People plan what they want to do, but Yahweh is the one who decides [MTY] what really will happen.
2 Ɛyɛ onipa sɛ nʼakwan nyinaa yɛ kronn nanso Awurade na ɔpɛɛpɛɛ adwene mu.
People may think that their actions are right, but Yahweh really knows why people do what they do.
3 Fa deɛ woyɛ nyinaa hyɛ Awurade nsam, na wo nhyehyɛeɛ bɛsi yie.
(Request/Rely on) Yahweh to direct what you plan to do; [if you do that], you will succeed in what you plan.
4 Awurade yɛ biribiara ma nʼankasa botaeɛ, mpo, ɔhwɛ omumuyɛfoɔ kɔsi amanehunu da.
Yahweh knows why he does everything that he does; he has even prepared the wicked for the time that he will punish them.
5 Awurade kyiri akoma mu ahantanfoɔ nyinaa. Nya saa nteaseɛ yi sɛ, wɔremfa wɔn ho nni.
Yahweh hates/detests everyone who is proud [IDM]; you can be certain [IDM] that they will be punished [LIT].
6 Wɔnam ɔdɔ ne nokorɛ so pata bɔne; onipa nam Awurade suro so yi bɔne akwa.
Be loyal to Yahweh and faithfully [obey] him; if you do that, he will forgive you for having sinned. If we revere him, nothing evil will happen to us (OR, he will prevent evil things from happening to us).
7 Sɛ onipa akwan sɔ Awurade ani a, ɔma nʼatamfoɔ mpo ne no tena asomdwoeɛ mu.
When our behavior pleases Yahweh, he even causes our enemies to act peacefully toward us.
8 Kakraa bi a wɔnam tenenee kwan so nya no yɛ sene mfasoɔ pii a wɔnam ntɛnkyea so nya.
It is better to have a small amount of money that is earned honestly than to have a lot of money that is acquired dishonestly.
9 Onipa yɛ ne nhyehyɛeɛ wɔ nʼakoma mu, nanso Awurade na ɔhwɛ nʼanammɔntuo.
People plan what they want to do, but Yahweh directs/determines what they will [really] be able to do.
10 Ɔhene anomu kasa te sɛ nkɔmhyɛ, enti ɛnsɛ sɛ nʼano ka deɛ ɛnyɛ atɛntenenee.
[If] God directs what a king says, what he decides is [always] right/fair.
11 Nsania ne abrammoɔ a nsisie nni mu firi Awurade; nkariboɔ a ɛwɔ kotokuo mu no, ɔno na ɔyɛeɛ.
Yahweh wants us to use scales that are correct; the weights in his bag are correct, [because] he made them.
12 Ahemfo kyiri bɔneyɛ, ɛfiri sɛ ahennwa si tenenee so.
Kings detest those who do evil, because [it is people doing what] is fair/right that causes their governments to be [MTY] strong.
13 Ahemfo ani sɔ ano a ɛka nokorɛ; na wɔbu onipa a ɔka nokorɛ.
Kings are delighted to hear people say [MTY] what is true; they love those who say what is right/honest.
14 Ɔhene abufuhyeɛ yɛ owuo somafoɔ, nanso onyansafoɔ bɛdwodwo ano.
If a king becomes angry, he [may] command that someone be executed, [so] wise people will [try to] cause him to be calm.
15 Sɛ ɔhene anim te a, ɛyɛ nkwa, nʼadom te sɛ osutɔberɛ mu osumuna.
If a king has a smile [MTY] on his face, he will enable people to have a [long] life (OR, he will not order people to be executed); his being pleased [with people] is [as delightful] as rain in the springtime [when seeds are planted].
16 Ɛyɛ sɛ wobɛnya nyansa sene sɛ wobɛnya sikakɔkɔɔ, sɛ wobɛnya nhunumu sene sɛ wobɛnya dwetɛ!
Becoming wise is better than aquiring gold; getting good understanding/insight is better than acquiring silver.
17 Ɔteneneeni kwantempɔn kwati bɔne; deɛ ɔhwɛ nʼakwan yie no bɔ ne nkwa ho ban.
Those whose behavior [MET] is good/right turn away from doing evil; those who guard their conduct [MTY] protect their lives.
18 Ahantan di ɔsɛeɛ anim, na ahomasoɔ honhom nso di ahweaseɛ anim.
Being proud will (lead to your having/cause you to have) disasters; despising others will result in your being ruined.
19 Ɛyɛ sɛ wobɛyɛ honhom mu hiani wɔ wɔn a wɔhyɛ wɔn so mu sene sɛ wo ne ahantanfoɔ bɛkyɛ afodeɛ.
It is better to be humble and poor than [to associate with] proud [people] and [to become rich by] dividing with them (plunder/goods captured in a battle).
20 Deɛ ɔyɛ ɔsetie ma nkyerɛkyerɛ no nya nkɔsoɔ; nhyira nka deɛ ɔde ne ho to Awurade so.
Those who heed good teaching/instruction will prosper; happy are those who trust in Yahweh.
21 Wɔfrɛ akoma mu anyansafoɔ sɛ nhunumufoɔ, na kasa pa ma nkyerɛkyerɛ kɔ so.
People say that those who are wise learn what is right/good behavior, and those who talk pleasantly [are able to] influence others [to do what is right].
22 Nteaseɛ yɛ nkwa nsutire ma wɔn a wɔwɔ bi, nanso agyimisɛm de asotweɛ brɛ nkwaseafoɔ.
Being wise is [like having] a fountain that gives life [MET], but foolish people are punished as a result of their acting foolishly.
23 Onyansafoɔ akoma kyerɛ nʼano kwan, na nʼanofafa ma nkyerɛkyerɛ kɔ so.
Those who are wise think carefully before they talk, and as a result they are able to influence/persuade others [to do what is right].
24 Abodwosɛm te sɛ ɛwokyɛm ɛyɛ ɔkra dɛ, na ɛsa nnompe yadeɛ.
Kind words are like honey [SIM]: We enjoy them both, and both cause our bodies to be healthy/strong.
25 Ɛkwan bi wɔ hɔ a ɛyɛ wɔ onipa ani so, nanso ɛkɔwie owuo mu.
There are some kinds of behavior [MET] that people think are right, but (walking on those roads [MET]/continually doing those things) causes those people to die.
26 Odwumayɛfoɔ akɔnnɔ ma no yɛ adwuma den; ɛfiri sɛ ɔpɛ sɛ ɔkum ne kɔm.
If a worker (has an appetite/is hungry), that urges him to work hard because he [SYN] wants to [earn money to buy things to] eat.
27 Ohuhuni bɔ pɔ bɔne, ne kasa te sɛ egyadɛreɛ a ɛhye adeɛ.
Worthless people plan [ways to cause] trouble [for others], and [even] what they say [injures people] like a hot fire does [SIM].
28 Onipa kɔntɔnkye de mpaapaemu ba, na osekuni tete nnamfonom ntam.
Deceitful people cause strife/quarreling among other people; those who say false things about other people cause people who are friends to become enemies.
29 Basabasayɛni daadaa ne yɔnko na ɔde no fa ɛkwammɔne so.
Those who act violently entice/encourage others [to also act violently] and lead them along a road that will end in disaster.
30 Deɛ ɔbu nʼani no redwene bɔneyɛ ho; na deɛ ɔmua nʼano no ani wɔ bɔne so.
People [sometimes] show with [one of] their eyes [to signal to their friends that they are] planning to do something to harm [others]; they smirk when they are about to do something evil.
31 Ɛdwono yɛ animuonyam abotire; tenenee mu asetena na ɛde ba.
Gray hair is [like] a glorious crown [MET] that is given to people who have always behaved righteously.
32 Deɛ ɔwɔ abodwokyerɛ no yɛ sene ɔkofoɔ, na deɛ ɔmfa abufuo yɛ sene deɛ ɔko fa kuropɔn.
Those who do not become angry quickly are better than those who are powerful; it is better to (control your temper/keep yourself from becoming very angry) than to conquer a city.
33 Wɔtwe ntonto de hwehwɛ deɛ Awurade pɛ, nanso ne gyinasie biara firi Awurade.
People (cast lots/throw marked stones) [to decide what should be done], but God is the one who truly decides what will happen.
