Mmɛbusɛm 23
1 Sɛ wo ne ɔhene bi to nsa didi a, hwɛ deɛ ɛsi wʼanim no yie,
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider well him that is before thee;
2 Sɛ woyɛ adidibrada a, hyɛ wo ho so.
And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
3 Nni nʼaduane akɔnnɔ akɔnnɔ no akyi, ɛfiri sɛ saa aduane no daadaa nnipa.
Be not desirous of his dainties; seeing they are deceitful food.
4 Mmiri wo mogya ani mpɛ sika; hunu nyansa na to wo bo ase.
Weary not thyself to be rich; cease from thine own wisdom.
5 Wʼani bɔɔ sika so ara pɛ, na atu ayera, ampa ara ɛbɛfu ntaban na atu akɔ ewiem sɛ ɔkɔdeɛ.
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon it? it is gone; for riches certainly make themselves wings, like an eagle that flieth toward heaven.
6 Nni obi a ɔyɛ pɛpɛɛ aduane nni nʼakɔnnɔ aduane akyi;
Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties;
7 ɛfiri sɛ ɔyɛ obi a ɛberɛ biara ɔdwene sika ho. Ɔka sɛ, “Didi na nom,” nanso ɛnyɛ nʼakoma mu.
For as one that hath reckoned within himself, so is he: 'Eat and drink', saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
8 Kakra a woadi no wobɛfe na ɛno enti wo nkamfo ho remma mfasoɔ.
The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
9 Nkasa nkyerɛ ɔkwasea, ɛfiri sɛ ɔremfa nyansa a ɛwɔ wo kasa mu no.
Speak not in the ears of a fool; for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10 Ntutu tete aboɔ a wɔde ato hyeɛ ngu, na ntra hyeɛ nkɔ nwisiaa mfuo mu,
Remove not the ancient landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless;
11 ɛfiri sɛ, wɔn Gyefoɔ yɛ den, na ɔbɛdi wɔn asɛm ama wɔn.
For their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their cause with thee.
12 Ma wʼakoma mmra nkyerɛkyerɛ so na wɛn wʼaso tie nimdeɛ.
Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Ntwentwɛne abɔfra ntenesoɔ so; sɛ wode abaa tene no a, ɔrenwu.
Withhold not correction from the child; for though thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Thou beatest him with the rod, and wilt deliver his soul from the nether-world. (Sheol h7585)
15 Me ba, sɛ wʼakoma hunu nyansa a, ɛnneɛ mʼakoma ani bɛgye;
My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart will be glad, even mine;
16 sɛ wʼano ka deɛ ɛtene a me mu adeɛ nyinaa ani bɛgye.
Yea, my reins will rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
17 Mma wʼani mmerɛ abɔnefoɔ, mmom bɔ Awurade suro ho mmɔden ɛberɛ biara.
Let not thy heart envy sinners, but be in the fear of the LORD all the day;
18 Ampa ara anidasoɔ wɔ hɔ ma wo daakye, na wʼanidasoɔ renyɛ ɔkwa.
For surely there is a future; and thy hope shall not be cut off.
19 Me ba, tie, na hunu nyansa, ma wʼakoma mfa ɛkwan tenenee so.
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the way.
20 Mfa wo ho mmɔ akɔwensafoɔ anaasɛ wɔn a wɔpɛ ɛnam mmorosoɔ,
Be not among winebibbers; among gluttonous eaters of flesh;
21 ɛfiri sɛ, akɔwensafoɔ ne adidibradafoɔ bɛyɛ ahiafoɔ, na anikum fira wɔn ntomago.
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
22 Tie wʼagya a ɔwoo woɔ no, na sɛ wo maame bɔ aberewa a, mmu no animtia.
Hearken unto thy father that begot thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
23 Tɔ nokorɛ na ntɔn da; nya nyansa, ahohyɛsoɔ ne nhunumu.
Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24 Ɔteneneeni agya wɔ anigyeɛ bebree; deɛ ɔwɔ ɔba nyansafoɔ no anigye ne ho.
The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; and he that begetteth a wise child will have joy of him.
25 Ma wʼagya ne wo maame ani nnye; ma ɔbaa a ɔwoo woɔ no nnya ahosɛpɛ.
Let thy father and thy mother be glad, and let her that bore thee rejoice.
26 Me ba, fa wʼakoma ma me na ma wʼani nkɔ mʼakwan ho,
My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
27 na odwamanfoɔ yɛ amena donkudonku ɔyere sansani yɛ ɔdaadaafoɔ.
For a harlot is a deep ditch; and an alien woman is a narrow pit.
28 Ɔtɛ, twɛn, te sɛ ɔkwanmukafoɔ na ɔma mmarima mu atorofoɔ dɔɔso.
She also lieth in wait as a robber, and increaseth the faithless among men.
29 Hwan na wɔadome no? Hwan na ɔdi awerɛhoɔ? Hwan na ɔdi apereapereɛ? Hwan na ɔnwiinwii? Hwan na wapirapira hunaa? Hwan na mogya ada nʼani so?
Who crieth: 'Woe'? who: 'Alas'? who hath contentions? who hath raving? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30 Wɔn a wɔkyɛre nsã ho, na wɔka nsã a wɔafrafra hwɛ.
They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to try mixed wine.
31 Nhwɛ nsã ani kɔkɔɔ no haa, ɛberɛ a ɛretwa yerɛ yerɛ wɔ kuruwa mu, na ɛkɔ yɔɔ no.
Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth its colour in the cup, when it glideth down smoothly;
32 Awieeɛ no ɛka te sɛ ɔwɔ na ɛwɔ borɔ te sɛ ahurutoa.
At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like a basilisk.
33 Wʼani bɛhunu nneɛma a wonhunuu da, na woadwene nneɛma basabasa ho.
Thine eyes shall behold strange things, and thy heart shall utter confused things.
34 Wobɛtɔ ntintan te sɛ hyɛn mu dwumayɛni a, ɔkura ɛhyɛn dua a, ɛrehinhim mu den, na ɛdenkye denkye wɔ ɛpo so.
Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
35 Na wobɛka sɛ, “Wɔbɔ me, nanso mempira. Wɔboro me, nanso mente ɔyea biara. Ɛberɛ bɛn na menyane akɔpɛ nsã anom bio?”
'They have struck me, and I felt it not, they have beaten me, and I knew it not; when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.'
