Mmɛbusɛm 25
1 Yeinom yɛ Salomo mmɛbusɛm nkekaho a Yudahene Hesekia afotufoɔ twerɛeɛ:
These are more wise sayings of Solomon, copied out by the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah.
2 Ɛyɛ Onyankopɔn animuonyamhyɛ sɛ wɔde asɛm sie; sɛ wɔpɛɛpɛɛ asɛm mu nso hyɛ ahemfo animuonyam.
It is the glory of God to keep a thing secret: but the glory of kings is to have it searched out.
3 Sɛdeɛ ɔsoro korɔn na asase mu dɔ no, saa ara na wɔrentumi nhwehwɛ ahemfo akoma mu.
The heaven is high and the earth is deep, and the hearts of kings may not be searched out.
4 Sɛ wɔyi dwetɛ ho a, dwetɛdwumfoɔ tumi de yɛ adeɛ a ɛho wɔ mfasoɔ;
Take away the waste from silver, and a vessel will come out for the silver-worker.
5 Yi amumuyɛfoɔ firi ɔhene anim, na tenenee bɛma nʼahennwa atim.
Take away evil-doers from before the king, and the seat of his power will be made strong in righteousness.
6 Mma wo ho so wɔ ɔhene anim, na mpere diberɛ wɔ atitire mu;
Do not take glory for yourself before the king, and do not put yourself in the place of the great:
7 Ɛyɛ ma no sɛ ɔbɛka akyerɛ wo sɛ, “Bra soro ha,” sene sɛ ɔbɛbrɛ wo ase wɔ otitire bi anim. Deɛ wode wʼani ahunu no
For it is better to have it said to you, Come up here; than for you to be put down in a lower place before the ruler.
8 mpɛ ntɛm mfa nkɔ asɛnniiɛ, na sɛ awieeɛ no wo yɔnko gu wʼanim ase a ɛdeɛn na wobɛyɛ?
Do not be quick to go to law about what you have seen, for what will you do in the end, when your neighbour has put you to shame?
9 Sɛ wo ne wo yɔnko di asɛm a nna obi foforɔ ahintasɛm adi,
Have a talk with your neighbour himself about your cause, but do not give away the secret of another:
10 anyɛ saa a, deɛ ɔbɛte no bɛgu wʼanim ase na edin bɔne a wobɛnya no rempepa da.
Or your hearer may say evil of you, and your shame will not be turned away.
11 Asɛm a wɔka no sɛdeɛ ɛfata no te sɛ sika kɔkɔɔ a wɔabɔ sɛ aprɛ de atuatua dwetɛ nsiesieɛ mu.
A word at the right time is like apples of gold in a network of silver.
12 Sikakɔkɔɔ asomuadeɛ anaa sikakɔkɔɔ amapa ahyehyɛdeɛ te sɛ onyansafoɔ animka a ɔde ma deɛ ɔyɛ aso ma no.
Like a nose-ring of gold and an ornament of the best gold, is a wise man who says sharp words to an ear ready to give attention.
13 Sɛdeɛ sukyerɛmma ma ewiem dwoɔ wɔ otwa berɛ mu no saa ara na ɔsomafoɔ nokwafoɔ teɛ ma wɔn a wɔsoma no; na ɔma ne wuranom akomatɔyam.
As the cold of snow in the time of grain-cutting, so is a true servant to those who send him; for he gives new life to the soul of his master.
14 Omununkum ne mframa a ɛmfa osutɔ mma no te sɛ onipa a ɔde akyɛdeɛ a ɔmmfa mma hoahoa ne ho.
As clouds and wind without rain, so is one who takes credit for an offering he has not given.
15 Ntoboaseɛ ma sodifoɔ ti da, na tɛkrɛmabereɛ tumi bu dompe mu.
A judge is moved by one who for a long time undergoes wrongs without protest, and by a soft tongue even bone is broken.
16 Sɛ wonya ɛwoɔ a, enni ntra so, ne bebrebe bɛma woafe.
If you have honey, take only as much as is enough for you; for fear that, being full of it, you may not be able to keep it down.
17 Ntaa nkɔ wo yɔnko fie, wo ho fono no a, ɔbɛtan wo.
Let not your foot be frequently in your neighbour's house, or he may get tired of you, and his feeling be turned to hate.
18 Onipa a ɔdi adansekurumu tia ne yɔnko no te sɛ aporibaa, afena anaa bɛmma a ano yɛ nnam.
One who gives false witness against his neighbour is a hammer and a sword and a sharp arrow.
19 Ɛse a ɛyare kaka anaa ɛnan a ɛyɛ apakye te sɛ deɛ wode wo ho to ɔtorofoɔ so hiada mu.
Putting one's faith in a false man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth and a shaking foot.
20 Deɛ ɔto dwom kyere ɔwerɛhoni no te sɛ deɛ ɔpa ntoma gu awɔberɛ mu anaa te sɛ nsã nyinyanyinya a wɔhwie gu afransa soɔ.
Like one who takes off clothing in cold weather and like acid on a wound, is he who makes melody to a sad heart.
21 Sɛ ɛkɔm de wo ɔtamfoɔ a, ma no aduane nni; sɛ osukɔm de no a, ma no nsuo nnom.
If your hater is in need of food, give him bread; and if he is in need of drink, give him water:
22 Sɛ woyɛ saa a, wobɛsoso gyasramma agu nʼatifi, na Awurade bɛma wo akatua.
For so you will put coals of fire on his head, and the Lord will give you your reward.
23 Sɛdeɛ atifi fam mframa de osutɔ ba no, saa ara na tɛkrɛma a ɛdi nsekuro de omuna ba.
As the north wind gives birth to rain, so is an angry face caused by a tongue saying evil secretly.
24 Ɛyɛ sɛ wobɛtena suhyɛ ase mantweaa bi, sene sɛ wo ne ɔyere ntɔkwapɛfoɔ bɛtena efie.
It is better to be living in an angle of the house-top, than with a bitter-tongued woman in a wide house.
25 Nsuonwunu a ɔkra a ato baha nya no te sɛ asɛmmɔdɛ a ɛfiri akyirikyiri.
As cold water to a tired soul, so is good news from a far country.
26 Asutire a ahono anaa abura a ayɛ pɔtɔɔ, te sɛ ɔteneneeni a ɔgyaa ne ho ma amumuyɛfoɔ.
Like a troubled fountain and a dirty spring, is an upright man who has to give way before evil-doers.
27 Ɛnyɛ sɛ wɔdi ɛwoɔ ntrasoɔ, na ɛnyɛ fɛ nso sɛ obi pɛ animuonyam ma ne ho.
It is not good to take much honey: so he who is not looking for honour will be honoured.
28 Onipa a ɔnni ahohyɛsoɔ no te sɛ kuropɔn a nʼafasuo abubu agu fam.
He whose spirit is uncontrolled is like an unwalled town which has been broken into.
