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 diligently what is before thee:
2 Sɛ woyɛ adidibrada a, hyɛ wo ho so.
For thou puttest a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man of a craving desire.
3 Nni nʼaduane akɔnnɔ akɔnnɔ no akyi, ɛfiri sɛ saa aduane no daadaa nnipa.
Do not long for his savory meats; they are deceitful food.
4 Mmiri wo mogya ani mpɛ sika; hunu nyansa na to wo bo ase.
Fatigue thyself not to become rich; because thou hast understanding, forbear.
5 Wʼani bɔɔ sika so ara pɛ, na atu ayera, ampa ara ɛbɛfu ntaban na atu akɔ ewiem sɛ ɔkɔdeɛ.
When thou lettest merely thy eyes fly over it, it is no more: for it will ever make itself wings: like an eagle will it fly toward heaven.
6 Nni obi a ɔyɛ pɛpɛɛ aduane nni nʼakɔnnɔ aduane akyi;
Eat not the bread of a man with an evil eye, and do not long for his savory meats;
7 ɛfiri sɛ ɔyɛ obi a ɛberɛ biara ɔdwene sika ho. Ɔka sɛ, “Didi na nom,” nanso ɛnyɛ nʼakoma mu.
For as though there were a division in his soul, so doth he act: 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.
Thy morsel which thou hast eaten must thou spit out, and thou hast wasted thy pleasant words.
9 Nkasa nkyerɛ ɔkwasea, ɛfiri sɛ ɔremfa nyansa a ɛwɔ wo kasa mu no.
Speak not before the ears of a fool; for he will despise the intelligence 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 into the fields of the fatherless must thou not enter;
11 ɛfiri sɛ, wɔn Gyefoɔ yɛ den, na ɔbɛdi wɔn asɛm ama wɔn.
For their redeemer is strong; he will indeed plead their cause with thee.
12 Ma wʼakoma mmra nkyerɛkyerɛ so na wɛn wʼaso tie nimdeɛ.
Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thy ears to the sayings of knowledge.
13 Ntwentwɛne abɔfra ntenesoɔ so; sɛ wode abaa tene no a, ɔrenwu.
Withhold not from a lad correction; for if thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Thou wilt indeed beat him with the rod; but thou wilt deliver his soul from perdition. (Sheol h7585)
15 Me ba, sɛ wʼakoma hunu nyansa a, ɛnneɛ mʼakoma ani bɛgye;
My son, If thy heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
16 sɛ wʼano ka deɛ ɛtene a me mu adeɛ nyinaa ani bɛgye.
And my reins shall exult when thy lips speak what is equitable.
17 Mma wʼani mmerɛ abɔnefoɔ, mmom bɔ Awurade suro ho mmɔden ɛberɛ biara.
Let not thy heart be envious against sinners; but [remain] in the fear of the lord all the time.
18 Ampa ara anidasoɔ wɔ hɔ ma wo daakye, na wʼanidasoɔ renyɛ ɔkwa.
For surely there is a future, and thy hope will not be cut off.
19 Me ba, tie, na hunu nyansa, ma wʼakoma mfa ɛkwan tenenee so.
Hear thou, my son, and become wise, and guide thy heart on the right way.
20 Mfa wo ho mmɔ akɔwensafoɔ anaasɛ wɔn a wɔpɛ ɛnam mmorosoɔ,
Be not among those that drink wine immoderately, among those that over-indulge in eating flesh:
21 ɛfiri sɛ, akɔwensafoɔ ne adidibradafoɔ bɛyɛ ahiafoɔ, na anikum fira wɔn ntomago.
For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty; and drowsiness clotheth a man in rags.
22 Tie wʼagya a ɔwoo woɔ no, na sɛ wo maame bɔ aberewa a, mmu no animtia.
Hearken unto thy father that hath begotten thee, and despise not thy mother although she be 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 be greatly glad, and he that begetteth a wise child will have joy through him.
25 Ma wʼagya ne wo maame ani nnye; ma ɔbaa a ɔwoo woɔ no nnya ahosɛpɛ.
Let [then] thy father and thy mother rejoice, and let her that hath born thee be glad.
26 Me ba, fa wʼakoma ma me na ma wʼani nkɔ mʼakwan ho,
Give, my son, thy heart unto me, and let thy eyes watch my ways.
27 na odwamanfoɔ yɛ amena donkudonku ɔyere sansani yɛ ɔdaadaafoɔ.
For a harlot is a deep ditch, and a strange woman is a narrow well.
28 Ɔtɛ, twɛn, te sɛ ɔkwanmukafoɔ na ɔma mmarima mu atorofoɔ dɔɔso.
She also lieth in wait like a robber, and she increaseth the treacherous 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 hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath quarrels? who hath complaints? 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 late over the wine: they that come to seek for mixed drink.
31 Nhwɛ nsã ani kɔkɔɔ no haa, ɛberɛ a ɛretwa yerɛ yerɛ wɔ kuruwa mu, na ɛkɔ yɔɔ no.
Do not look on the wine when it looketh red, when it giveth its color in the cup, when it glideth down so readily.
32 Awieeɛ no ɛka te sɛ ɔwɔ na ɛwɔ borɔ te sɛ ahurutoa.
At the last it will bite like a serpent, and like a basilisk will it sting.
33 Wʼani bɛhunu nneɛma a wonhunuu da, na woadwene nneɛma basabasa ho.
Thy eyes will see strange forms, and thy heart will speak perverse things.
34 Wobɛtɔ ntintan te sɛ hyɛn mu dwumayɛni a, ɔkura ɛhyɛn dua a, ɛrehinhim mu den, na ɛdenkye denkye wɔ ɛpo so.
And thou wilt be like one that lieth down in the heart of the sea, or as he that lieth on 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 smote me, [but] I suffered no pain; they struck me hard, [but] I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will continue to seek it again.”
