Mmɛbusɛm 17
1 Aduane mmɔwe a asomdwoeɛ wɔ ho yɛ sene efie a apontoɔ ahyɛ no ma a nso basabasayɛ wɔ mu.
Better a dry morsel in quietness than a house full of feasting with strife.
2 Ɔsomfoɔ nyansafoɔ bɛdi ɔba nimguasefoɔ so, na ɔbɛnya ne kyɛfa wɔ agyapadeɛ no mu sɛ anuanom no mu baako.
A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share his inheritance as one of the brothers.
3 Kyɛmferɛ wɔ hɔ ma dwetɛ na fononoo wɔ hɔ ma sikakɔkɔɔ nanso Awurade na ɔsɔ akoma hwɛ.
A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but the LORD is the tester of hearts.
4 Omumuyɛfoɔ tie nsusuiɛ bɔne; ɔtorofoɔ yɛ aso ma adwen bɔne tɛkrɛma.
A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.
5 Deɛ ɔdi ahiafoɔ ho fɛ no bu wɔn Yɛfoɔ animtiaa; na deɛ ɔfoa amanehunu soɔ no bɛnya asotwe.
He who mocks the poor insults their Maker; whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.
6 Mmanananom yɛ mmasiriwa animuonyam, na awofoɔ yɛ wɔn mma ahohoahoa.
Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of a son is his father.
7 Anokrokro nyɛ mma ɔkwasea, saa ara na ano a ɛdi torɔ mfata ɔhene.
Eloquent words are unfit for a fool; how much worse are lying lips to a ruler!
8 Kɛtɛasehyɛ daadaa deɛ ɔma; ɔgye sɛ ɛbɛma no nkonim.
A bribe is a charm to its giver; wherever he turns, he succeeds.
9 Deɛ ɔbu nʼani gu mfomsoɔ so no ma ɔdɔ ɛkwan, na deɛ ɔbɔ soɔ no tete nnamfonom ntam.
Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but he who brings it up separates friends.
10 Nkaanim sɔ onipa a ɔwɔ nhunumu ani sene mmaa ɔha a wɔbɔ ɔkwasea.
A rebuke cuts into a man of discernment deeper than a hundred lashes cut into a fool.
11 Onipa bɔnefoɔ ani wɔ atuateɛ nko ara so na wɔbɛsoma odwumayɛfoɔ tirimuɔdenfoɔ akɔ ne so.
An evil man seeks only rebellion; a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 Ɛyɛ sɛ wobɛhyia sisire a wɔawia ne mma sene ɔkwasea a ɔregyimie.
It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.
13 Sɛ obi de bɔne tua papa so ka a, bɔne rempa ne fie da.
If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.
14 Ntɔkwa ahyɛaseɛ te sɛ deɛ wɔretue suka; enti gyae ma ɛnka na ankɔfa ɔham amma.
To start a quarrel is to release a flood; so abandon the dispute before it breaks out.
15 Sɛ wɔbɛgyaa deɛ ɔdi fɔ ne sɛ wɔbɛbu deɛ ɔdi bem kumfɔ no, Awurade kyiri ne mmienu.
Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous— both are detestable to the LORD.
16 Sika a ɛwɔ ɔkwasea nsam ho nni mfasoɔ, ɛfiri sɛ ɔnni botaeɛ biara sɛ ɔbɛhunu nyansa.
Why should the fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom?
17 Adamfo kyerɛ ɔdɔ ɛberɛ nyinaa mu, wɔwo onua barima ma ahokyere berɛ.
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
18 Obi a ɔnni adwene no na ɔde ne nsa hyɛ krataa ase di akagyinamu nam so de si awowa ma ne yɔnko.
A man lacking judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.
19 Deɛ ɔpɛ ntɔkwa no dɔ bɔne; deɛ ɔsi ɛpono tentene no frɛfrɛ ɔsɛeɛ.
He who loves transgression loves strife; he who builds his gate high invites destruction.
20 Onipa a ɔwɔ akoma kontonkyi no nnya nkɔsoɔ; deɛ ne tɛkrɛma daadaa no tɔ amaneɛ mu.
The one with a perverse heart finds no good, and he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.
21 Deɛ ɔwo ɔba kwasea no di awerɛhoɔ; ɔba kwasea agya nni anigyeɛ.
A man fathers a fool to his own grief; the father of a fool has no joy.
22 Akoma mu anigyeɛ yɛ aduro ɛsa yadeɛ, nanso honhom a apɛkyɛ no wewe nnompe.
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
23 Omumuyɛfoɔ gye adanmudeɛ wɔ esum ase de kyea atɛntenenee.
A wicked man takes a covert bribe to subvert the course of justice.
24 Onipa a ɔwɔ nhunumu no ani kɔ nyansa so, na ɔkwasea toto nʼani kɔsi asase ano.
Wisdom is the focus of the discerning, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.
25 Ɔba kwasea hyɛ nʼagya awerɛhoɔ, na ɔma deɛ ɔnyinsɛnee no no di yea.
A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.
26 Ɛnyɛ sɛ wɔtwe deɛ ɔdi bem aso, anaasɛ wɔtwa adwumayɛfoɔ mmaa wɔ wɔn nokorɛdie enti.
It is surely not good to punish the innocent or to flog a noble for his honesty.
27 Ɔnimdefoɔ dwene nʼanom kasa ho, na deɛ ɔwɔ nhunumu no wɔ abodwoɔ.
A man of knowledge restrains his words, and a man of understanding maintains a calm spirit.
28 Mpo sɛ ɔkwasea yɛ dinn a wɔbu no sɛ ɔnyansafoɔ, na sɛ ɔmua nʼano a wɔbu no sɛ ɔwɔ nhunumu.
Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent, and discerning when he holds his tongue.
