Mmɛbusɛm 18
1 Ɔhonankani yɛ pɛsɛmenkomenya; na ɔmfa atɛntenenee nyɛ hwee.
He who is separated seeks [his own] desire, He interferes with all wisdom.
2 Ɔkwasea nni nhunumu ho anigyeɛ na mmom deɛ ɔpɛ ara ne sɛ ɔde nʼadwene bɛto dwa.
A fool does not delight in understanding, But in uncovering his heart.
3 Sɛ amumuyɛsɛm ba a animtiabuo di so, na aniwuo nso di animguaseɛ akyi.
Contempt has also come with the coming of the wicked, And with shame—reproach.
4 Onipa anom nsɛm yɛ nsuo a emu dɔ, na nyansa asutire yɛ asuwa a ɛrepu ahuro.
The words of a man’s mouth [are] deep waters, The fountain of wisdom [is] a flowing brook.
5 Ɛnyɛ sɛ wɔdi ma omumuyɛfoɔ anaasɛ wɔbu deɛ ɔdi bem atɛnkyea.
Favoring of the face of the wicked [is] not good, To turn aside the righteous in judgment.
6 Ɔkwasea ano de akasakasa ba na nʼano frɛfrɛ ɔhweɛ.
The lips of a fool enter into strife, And his mouth calls for stripes.
7 Ɔkwasea ano yɛ ɔno ara sɛeɛ na nʼanofafa yɛ ne kra afidie.
The mouth of a fool [is] ruin to him, And his lips [are] the snare of his soul.
8 Osekuni anom asɛm te sɛ mfremfremadeɛ; ɛwurawura kɔ onipa akwaa mu nyinaa.
The words of a tale-bearer [are] as self-inflicted wounds, And they have gone down [to] the inner parts of the heart.
9 Deɛ ɔtoto nʼadwuma ase no nuabarima ne deɛ ɔyɛ ɔsɛefoɔ.
He also that is remiss in his work, He [is] a brother to a destroyer.
10 Awurade din yɛ abantenten a ɛyɛ den; ahotefoɔ dwane kɔtoa na wɔnya banbɔ.
The Name of YHWH [is] a tower of strength, The righteous runs into it, and is set on high.
11 Adefoɔ ahonyadeɛ ne wɔn kuropɔn a wɔabɔ ho ban wɔfa no sɛ ɔfasuo tenten a wɔntumi mforo.
The wealth of the rich [is] the city of his strength, And as a wall set on high in his own imagination.
12 Ansa na onipa bɛhwe ase no ɔnya ahomasoɔ akoma, na ahobrɛaseɛ di animuonyam anim.
The heart of man is high before destruction, And humility [is] before honor.
13 Deɛ ɔntie asɛm ansa na wama mmuaeɛ no, ɛno ne ne gyimie ne nʼanimguaseɛ.
Whoever is answering a matter before he hears, It is folly to him—and shame.
14 Onipa sunsum na ɛhyɛ no den wɔ yadeɛ mu na honhom a apɛkyɛ deɛ, hwan na ɔpɛ?
The spirit of a man sustains his sickness, And who bears a struck spirit?
15 Nhunumu akoma nya nimdeɛ; na anyansafoɔ aso nso hwehwɛ.
The heart of the intelligent gets knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
16 Akyɛdeɛ bue ɛkwan ma deɛ ɔde ma na ɛde no ba atitire anim.
The gift of a man makes room for him, And it leads him before the great.
17 Ɛyɛ deɛ ɔbɔ ne nkuro kane no sɛ nʼasɛm yɛ dɛ, kɔsi sɛ ɔfoforɔ bɛba abɛbisa no nsɛm no mu.
The first in his own cause [seems] righteous, [But] his neighbor comes and has searched him.
18 Ntontobɔ twa akyinnyegyeɛ so, na ɛpata atamfoɔ.
The lot causes contentions to cease, And it separates between the mighty.
19 Onua a wɔafom noɔ no asɛm yɛ dene sene kuropɔn a ɛwɔ banbɔ, akyinnyegyeɛ te sɛ abankɛsewa apono a wɔabram akyire.
A brother transgressed against is as a strong city, And contentions as the bar of a palace.
20 Onipa anom asɛm so aba ma ɔyafunu mee, nnɔbaeɛ a nʼanofafa twa no mee no.
From the fruit of a man’s mouth is his belly satisfied, [From the] increase of his lips he is satisfied.
21 Tɛkrɛma kura nkwa ne owuo tumi, na wɔn a wɔdɔ no no bɛdi nʼaba.
Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue, And those loving it eat its fruit.
22 Deɛ wanya yere no anya adepa na ɔnya adom firi Awurade hɔ.
[Whoever] has found a wife has found good, And brings out goodwill from YHWH.
23 Ohiani srɛ ahummɔborɔ, nanso ɔdefoɔ de kasaden bua no.
The poor speaks [with] supplications, And the rich answers fierce things.
24 Ɔbarima a ne nnamfonom dɔɔso bɛtumi ahwe ase, nanso adamfo bi wɔ hɔ a ɔbɛfam ne ho asene onua.
A man with friends—to show himself friendly, And there is a lover adhering more than a brother!
