< Mmɛbusɛm 25 >

1 Yeinom yɛ Salomo mmɛbusɛm nkekaho a Yudahene Hesekia afotufoɔ twerɛeɛ:
These are more proverbs of Solomon, collected by the scribes of Hezekiah, king of Judah.
2 Ɛyɛ Onyankopɔn animuonyamhyɛ sɛ wɔde asɛm sie; sɛ wɔpɛɛpɛɛ asɛm mu nso hyɛ ahemfo animuonyam.
God's greatness is in doing things that can't be known, while the greatness of kings is in revealing things.
3 Sɛdeɛ ɔsoro korɔn na asase mu dɔ no, saa ara na wɔrentumi nhwehwɛ ahemfo akoma mu.
Just as the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth can't be known, the king's thinking can't be known.
4 Sɛ wɔyi dwetɛ ho a, dwetɛdwumfoɔ tumi de yɛ adeɛ a ɛho wɔ mfasoɔ;
Remove the waste from the silver, and the silversmith has pure silver to work with.
5 Yi amumuyɛfoɔ firi ɔhene anim, na tenenee bɛma nʼahennwa atim.
Remove the wicked from the king's presence and the king will rule securely and justly.
6 Mma wo ho so wɔ ɔhene anim, na mpere diberɛ wɔ atitire mu;
Don't try to make yourself look great before the king, and don't pretend to be among the important people,
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's better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be humiliated before a nobleman. Even though you've seen something with your own eyes,
8 mpɛ ntɛm mfa nkɔ asɛnniiɛ, na sɛ awieeɛ no wo yɔnko gu wʼanim ase a ɛdeɛn na wobɛyɛ?
don't rush to take legal action, for what are you going to do in the end when your neighbor shows you're wrong and humiliates you?
9 Sɛ wo ne wo yɔnko di asɛm a nna obi foforɔ ahintasɛm adi,
Discuss the case with your neighbor himself, and don't betray someone else's secret,
10 anyɛ saa a, deɛ ɔbɛte no bɛgu wʼanim ase na edin bɔne a wobɛnya no rempepa da.
otherwise whoever hears it will make you ashamed and you'll never lose your bad reputation.
11 Asɛm a wɔka no sɛdeɛ ɛfata no te sɛ sika kɔkɔɔ a wɔabɔ sɛ aprɛ de atuatua dwetɛ nsiesieɛ mu.
Advice given at the right time is like golden apples set in silver.
12 Sikakɔkɔɔ asomuadeɛ anaa sikakɔkɔɔ amapa ahyehyɛdeɛ te sɛ onyansafoɔ animka a ɔde ma deɛ ɔyɛ aso ma no.
Constructive criticism from the wise to someone who listens is like a gold ring and a necklace of fine gold.
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.
Faithful messengers are as refreshing to their master as cold snow on a hot harvest day.
14 Omununkum ne mframa a ɛmfa osutɔ mma no te sɛ onipa a ɔde akyɛdeɛ a ɔmmfa mma hoahoa ne ho.
Someone who boasts about a gift they never give is like cloud and wind without rain.
15 Ntoboaseɛ ma sodifoɔ ti da, na tɛkrɛmabereɛ tumi bu dompe mu.
If you're patient you can persuade your superior, and soft words can break down opposition.
16 Sɛ wonya ɛwoɔ a, enni ntra so, ne bebrebe bɛma woafe.
If you find honey, eat just enough, for if you eat too much, you'll be sick.
17 Ntaa nkɔ wo yɔnko fie, wo ho fono no a, ɔbɛtan wo.
Don't set foot in your neighbors' homes too often, otherwise they'll get fed up with you and hate you.
18 Onipa a ɔdi adansekurumu tia ne yɔnko no te sɛ aporibaa, afena anaa bɛmma a ano yɛ nnam.
Telling lies in court against a friend is like attacking them with a mace, or a sword, or an arrow.
19 Ɛse a ɛyare kaka anaa ɛnan a ɛyɛ apakye te sɛ deɛ wode wo ho to ɔtorofoɔ so hiada mu.
Trusting in unreliable people in times of trouble is like eating with a broken tooth or walking on a bad 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.
Singing happy songs to someone who's broken-hearted is like taking off your coat on a cold day, or pouring vinegar onto an open wound.
21 Sɛ ɛkɔm de wo ɔtamfoɔ a, ma no aduane nni; sɛ osukɔm de no a, ma no nsuo nnom.
If your enemy is hungry, give him something to eat; if he's thirsty, give him a drink of water.
22 Sɛ woyɛ saa a, wobɛsoso gyasramma agu nʼatifi, na Awurade bɛma wo akatua.
This will make him ashamed as if he had burning coals piled on his head, and the Lord will reward you.
23 Sɛdeɛ atifi fam mframa de osutɔ ba no, saa ara na tɛkrɛma a ɛdi nsekuro de omuna ba.
In the same way that the north wind brings rain, slandering people makes them angry.
24 Ɛyɛ sɛ wobɛtena suhyɛ ase mantweaa bi, sene sɛ wo ne ɔyere ntɔkwapɛfoɔ bɛtena efie.
It's better to live in a corner of a housetop than to share a whole house with an argumentative wife.
25 Nsuonwunu a ɔkra a ato baha nya no te sɛ asɛmmɔdɛ a ɛfiri akyirikyiri.
Good news from a distant country is like cold water to an exhausted traveler.
26 Asutire a ahono anaa abura a ayɛ pɔtɔɔ, te sɛ ɔteneneeni a ɔgyaa ne ho ma amumuyɛfoɔ.
Good people who give in to the wicked are like a muddied spring or a polluted well.
27 Ɛnyɛ sɛ wɔdi ɛwoɔ ntrasoɔ, na ɛnyɛ fɛ nso sɛ obi pɛ animuonyam ma ne ho.
It's not good to eat too much honey, or to want too much praise.
28 Onipa a ɔnni ahohyɛsoɔ no te sɛ kuropɔn a nʼafasuo abubu agu fam.
Someone without control is as exposed as a town whose walls have been breached.

< Mmɛbusɛm 25 >