Mmɛbusɛm 27
1 Mfa ɔkyena nhoahoa wo ho, na wonnim deɛ ɛda bi de bɛba.
Boast not of to-morrow; for thou knowest not what the next day shall bring forth.
2 Ma ɔfoforɔ nkamfo wo; na ɛnyɛ wʼankasa; ma ɛmfiri ɔfoforɔ anomu na ɛnyɛ wo.
Let thy neighbour, and not thine own mouth, praise thee; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
3 Ɛboɔ mu yɛ duru, na anwea yɛ adesoa, nanso ɔkwasea abufuhyeɛ yɛ duru sene emu biara.
A stone is heavy, and sand cumbersome; but a fool's wrath is heavier than both.
4 Abufuo tirim yɛ den, na abufuhyeɛ sɛe adeɛ, na hwan na ɔbɛtumi agyina ninkuntwe ano?
Wrath is merciless, and anger sharp: but envy can bear nothing.
5 Animka a ɛda edwa yɛ sene ɔdɔ a asuma.
Open reproofs are better than secret love.
6 Apirakuro a ɛfiri adamfo nkyɛn no yɛ sene ɔtamfoɔ mfeano bebrebe.
The wounds of a friend are more to be trusted than the spontaneous kisses of an enemy.
7 Ɛwoɔ nyɛ deɛ wameeɛ akɔnnɔ, nanso deɛ ɛkɔm de noɔ no, deɛ ɛyɛ nwono yɛ nʼanom dɛ.
A full soul scorns honeycombs; but to a hungry soul even bitter things appear sweet.
8 Onipa a wayera ne fie ɛkwan, te sɛ anomaa a wafiri ne pirebuo mu rekyinkyini.
As when a bird flies down from its own nest, so a man is brought into bondage whenever he estranges himself from his own place.
9 Ngo ne aduhwam ma akoma ani gye, adamfo ho anigyeɛ firi nʼafotu pa a ɔma.
The heart delights in ointments and wines and perfumes: but the soul is broken by calamities.
10 Nnyaa wʼadamfo ne wʼagya adamfo mu, nkɔ wo nuabarima fie ɛberɛ a ɔhaw ato woɔ, na ɔyɔnko a ɔbɛn woɔ no yɛ sene onuabarima a ɔwɔ akyirikyiri.
Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; and when thou art in distress go not into thy brother's house: better is a friend [that is] near than a brother living far off.
11 Me ba, hunu nyansa na ma mʼakoma ani nnye; ɛno na ɛbɛma manya mmuaeɛ ama obiara a ɔbu me animtiaa.
Son, be wise, that thy heart may rejoice; and remove thou from thyself reproachful words.
12 Mmadwemma hunu asiane na wɔhinta, nanso ntetekwaafoɔ kɔ wɔn anim kɔtɔ mu.
A wise man, when evils are approaching, hides himself; but fools pass on, and will be punished.
13 Fa atadeɛ a ɛhyɛ obi a ɔdi ɔhɔhoɔ akagyinamu; sɛ ɔregyina ɔbaa huhufoɔ akyi a, fa si awowa.
Take away the man's garment, (for a scorner has passed by) whoever lays waste another's goods.
14 Sɛ obi team hyira ne yɔnko anɔpahema a, wɔbɛfa no sɛ ɛyɛ nnome.
Whosoever shall bless a friend in the morning with a loud voice, shall seem to differ nothing from one who curses [him].
15 Ɔyere ntɔkwapɛfoɔ te sɛ osutɔ da nsusosɔ a ɛnnyae da;
On a stormy day drops [of rain] drive a man out of his house; so also does a railing woman [drive a man] out of his own house.
16 sɛ wopata no a, ɛte sɛ deɛ wopata mframa anaa wode wo nsa bɛsɔ ngo mu.
The north wind is sharp, but it is called by name propitious.
17 Dadeɛ se dadeɛ, saa ara na onipa se ɔfoforɔ.
Iron sharpens iron; and a man sharpens his friend's countenance.
18 Deɛ ɔhwɛ borɔdɔma dua so no bɛdi ɛso aba, na deɛ ɔsom ne wura no, wɔbɛhyɛ no animuonyam.
He that plants a fig-tree shall eat the fruits of it: so he that waits on his own master shall be honoured.
19 Sɛdeɛ nsuo yi animdua kyerɛ no, saa ara na onipa akoma da onipa no adi.
As faces are not like [other] faces, so neither are the thoughts of men.
Hell and destruction are not filled; so also are the eyes of men insatiable. [He that fixes his eye is an abomination to the Lord; and the uninstructed do not restrain their tongue.] (Sheol h7585)
21 Kyɛmferɛ wɔ hɔ ma dwetɛ na fononoo wɔ hɔ ma sikakɔkɔɔ, nanso wɔnam nkamfo a onipa nya so na ɛso no hwɛ.
Fire is the trial for silver and gold; and a man is tried by the mouth of them that praise him. The heart of the transgressor seeks after mischiefs; but an upright heart seeks knowledge.
22 Sɛ wowɔ ɔkwasea wɔ ɔwaduro mu, sɛ wode ɔwɔma wɔ no te sɛ deɛ wosi aburoo a, worentumi nnyi agyimisɛm mfiri ne ho.
Though thou scourge a fool, disgracing him in the midst of the council, thou wilt [still] in no wise remove his folly from him.
23 Ma ɛnyɛ wo asɛnhia sɛ wobɛhunu wo nnwankuo tebea, na ma wʼani nkɔ wʼanantwikuo so;
Do thou thoroughly know the number of thy flock, and pay attention to thine herds.
24 ɛfiri sɛ, ahonya ntena hɔ daa, na ahenkyɛ ntena hɔ mma awoɔ ntoantoasoɔ nyinaa.
For a man [has] not strength and power for ever; neither does he transmit it from generation to generation.
25 Sɛ wotwa ɛserɛ no na foforɔ fifiri na wɔboaboa nkokoɔ so ɛserɛ no ano a,
Take care of the herbage in the field, and thou shalt cut grass, and gather the mountain hay;
26 ɛnneɛ nnwammaa no bɛma wo ntoma, na mpɔnkye ama sika a ɛtɔ mfuo.
that thou mayest have [wool of] sheep for clothing: pay attention to the land, that thou mayest have lambs.
27 Wobɛnya mmirekyie nufosuo bebree ama wo ne wʼabusuafoɔ adi ne aduane ama wo mmaawa.
[My] son, thou hast from me words very useful for thy life, and for the life of thy servants.
