Mmɛbusɛm 24
1 Mma wʼani mmerɛ amumuyɛfoɔ, mfa wo ho mmɔ wɔn;
Be not envious of evil men, And desire not to be with them.
2 Ɛfiri sɛ, wɔn akoma dwene atirimuɔdensɛm ho, na wɔn ano ka deɛ ɛde basabasayɛ ba ho asɛm.
For destruction doth their heart meditate, And perverseness do their lips speak.
3 Wɔde nyansa na ɛsi efie, na nhunumu mu na wɔma ɛtim;
By wisdom is a house builded, And by understanding it establisheth itself.
4 ɛnam nimdeɛ so na wɔnya ademudeɛ a ɛho yɛ na na ɛyɛ fɛ hyehyɛ nʼadan mu.
And by knowledge the inner parts are filled, [With] all precious and pleasant wealth.
5 Onyansafoɔ wɔ tumi a ɛso, na onimdefoɔ nyini ahoɔden mu;
Mighty [is] the wise in strength, And a man of knowledge is strengthening power,
6 deɛ ɔretu sa hia akwankyerɛ, deɛ ɔrepɛ nkonimdie no hia afotufoɔ pii.
For by plans thou makest for thyself war, And deliverance [is] in a multitude of counsellors.
7 Nyansa wɔ akyiri dodo ma ɔkwasea; wɔ apono ano dwabɔ mu no ɔnni hwee ka.
Wisdom [is] high for a fool, In the gate he openeth not his mouth.
8 Onipa ɔbɔ pɔ bɔne no wɔbɛfrɛ no ɔkɔtwebrɛfoɔ.
Whoso is devising to do evil, Him they call a master of wicked thoughts.
9 Ogyimifoɔ nhyehyɛeɛ yɛ bɔne, nnipa kyiri ɔfɛdifoɔ.
The thought of folly [is] sin, And an abomination to man [is] a scorner.
10 Sɛ wʼabamu go wɔ ɔhaw mu a, na wʼahoɔden sua!
Thou hast shewed thyself weak in a day of adversity, Straitened is thy power,
11 Gye wɔn a wɔde wɔn rekɔ akɔkum wɔn no nkwa; na sianka wɔn a wɔtɔ ntintan kɔ akumiiɛ.
If [from] delivering those taken to death, And those slipping to the slaughter — thou keepest back.
12 Sɛ woka sɛ, “Na yɛnnim yei ho hwee a,” deɛ ɔkari akoma hwɛ no nhunu anaa? Deɛ ɔbɔ wo nkwa ho ban no nnim anaa? Ɔrentua deɛ obiara ayɛ so ka anaa?
When thou sayest, 'Lo, we knew not this.' Is not the Ponderer of hearts He who understandeth? And the Keeper of thy soul He who knoweth? And He hath rendered to man according to his work.
13 Me ba, di ɛwoɔ, ɛfiri sɛ ɛyɛ; ɛwokyɛm mu woɔ yɛ wʼanomu dɛ.
Eat my son, honey that [is] good, And the honeycomb — sweet to thy palate.
14 Hunu nso sɛ nyansa yɛ wo kra dɛ; sɛ wonya a, wowɔ anidasoɔ ma daakye, na wʼanidasoɔ renyɛ kwa.
So [is] the knowledge of wisdom to thy soul, If thou hast found that there is a posterity And thy hope is not cut off.
15 Nkɔtɛ ɔteneneeni fie sɛ ɔkwanmukafoɔ, na ɛnkɔto nhyɛ nʼatenaeɛ so,
Lay not wait, O wicked one, At the habitation of the righteous. Do not spoil his resting-place.
16 Ɛwom sɛ ɔteneneeni hwe ase mpɛn nson deɛ, nanso ɔsɔre bio, na amumuyɛfoɔ deɛ, amanehunu baako ma wɔhwe ase.
For seven [times] doth the righteous fall and rise, And the wicked stumble in evil.
17 Sɛ wo ɔtamfoɔ hwe ase a mma ɛnyɛ wo dɛ; na sɛ ɔsunti a mma wʼakoma nni ahurisie,
In the falling of thine enemy rejoice not, And in his stumbling let not thy heart be joyful,
18 ɛfiri sɛ Awurade bɛhunu wʼadwene na ɔrempɛ na ɔbɛyi nʼabufuhyeɛ afiri ne so.
Lest Jehovah see, and [it be] evil in His eyes, And He hath turned from off him His anger.
19 Ɛnha wo ho wɔ abɔnefoɔ enti na ɛmma wʼani mmere amumuyɛfoɔ nso,
Fret not thyself at evil doers, Be not envious at the wicked,
20 ɛfiri sɛ, ɔbɔnefoɔ nni anidasoɔ biara daakye, na wɔbɛdum amumuyɛfoɔ kanea.
For there is not a posterity to the evil, The lamp of the wicked is extinguished.
21 Me ba, suro Awurade ne ɔhene, na mfa wo ho mmɔ adɔnyɛfoɔ ho,
Fear Jehovah, my son, and the king, With changers mix not up thyself,
22 ɛfiri sɛ saa baanu yi de ɔsɛeɛ bɛba wɔn so mpofirim, na hwan na ɔnim amanehunu ko a wɔbɛtumi de aba?
For suddenly doth their calamity rise, And the ruin of them both — who knoweth!
23 Yeinom nso yɛ anyansafoɔ Nsɛnka: Atemmuo a animhwɛ wɔ mu no nyɛ:
These also are for the wise: — To discern faces in judgment is not good.
24 Obiara a ɔbɛka akyerɛ deɛ ɔdi fɔ sɛ, “Wo ho nni asɛm” no nnipa bɛdome no na amanaman remmɔ no din pa.
Whoso is saying to the wicked, 'Thou [art] righteous,' Peoples execrate him — nations abhor him.
25 Na wɔn a wɔbu afɔdifoɔ fɔ no ɛbɛsi wɔn yie, na nhyira bɛba wɔn so.
And to those reproving it is pleasant, And on them cometh a good blessing.
26 Mmuaeɛ pa te sɛ mfeano.
Lips he kisseth who is returning straightforward words.
27 Wie wo mfikyidwuma na siesie wo mfuo; ɛno akyi, si wo fie.
Prepare in an out-place thy work, And make it ready in the field — go afterwards, Then thou hast built thy house.
28 Nni adanseɛ ntia ɔyɔnko a ɔnyɛɛ wo hwee, na mfa wʼano nnaadaa.
Be not a witness for nought against thy neighbour, Or thou hast enticed with thy lips.
29 Nka sɛ, “Deɛ wayɛ me no me nso mɛyɛ no bi; deɛ ɔyɛeɛ no metua ne so ka.”
Say not, 'As he did to me, so I do to him, I render to each according to his work.'
30 Menante faa onihafoɔ afuo ho twaa mu wɔ deɛ ɔnni adwene bobefuo nso ho;
Near the field of a slothful man I passed by, And near the vineyard of a man lacking heart.
31 nkasɛɛ afu wɔ baabiara, wira afu akata asase no so, na aboɔ afasuo no nso abubu.
And lo, it hath gone up — all of it — thorns! Covered its face have nettles, And its stone wall hath been broken down.
32 Mede mʼadwene kɔɔ deɛ mehunuiɛ no so na mesuaa biribi firii mu:
And I see — I — I do set my heart, I have seen — I have received instruction,
33 nna kakra, nkotɔ kakra, nsa a woabobɔ de rehome kakra,
A little sleep — a little slumber — A little folding of the hands to lie down.
34 bɛma ohia aba wo so sɛ ɔkwanmukafoɔ na nneɛma ho nna bɛba wo so sɛ obi a ɔkura akodeɛ. Na ohia bɛto akyere wo sɛ ɔkwanmukafoɔ; ahokyere bɛtoa wo sɛ ɔkorɔmfoɔ.
And thy poverty hath come [as] a traveller, And thy want as an armed man!
