Mmɛbusɛm 27
1 Mfa ɔkyena nhoahoa wo ho, na wonnim deɛ ɛda bi de bɛba.
Boast not thyself of to-morrow; For thou knowest not what a day may bring forth!
2 Ma ɔfoforɔ nkamfo wo; na ɛnyɛ wʼankasa; ma ɛmfiri ɔfoforɔ anomu na ɛnyɛ wo.
Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; 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 is weighty; 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 cruel, and anger overwhelming; But who is able to stand before jealousy?
5 Animka a ɛda edwa yɛ sene ɔdɔ a asuma.
Better is open rebuke Than love kept concealed.
6 Apirakuro a ɛfiri adamfo nkyɛn no yɛ sene ɔtamfoɔ mfeano bebrebe.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
7 Ɛwoɔ nyɛ deɛ wameeɛ akɔnnɔ, nanso deɛ ɛkɔm de noɔ no, deɛ ɛyɛ nwono yɛ nʼanom dɛ.
He who is fed to the full loatheth the honeycomb; But to the hungry any bitter thing is sweet.
8 Onipa a wayera ne fie ɛkwan, te sɛ anomaa a wafiri ne pirebuo mu rekyinkyini.
As a bird that wandereth from its nest, So is a man who wandereth from his place.
9 Ngo ne aduhwam ma akoma ani gye, adamfo ho anigyeɛ firi nʼafotu pa a ɔma.
Oil and perfume gladden the heart; Sweet also is one's friend by hearty counsel.
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 go not into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity. Better is a neighbor that is near, than a brother far off.
11 Me ba, hunu nyansa na ma mʼakoma ani nnye; ɛno na ɛbɛma manya mmuaeɛ ama obiara a ɔbu me animtiaa.
Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad, That I may give an answer to him that reproacheth me.
12 Mmadwemma hunu asiane na wɔhinta, nanso ntetekwaafoɔ kɔ wɔn anim kɔtɔ mu.
A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; The simple pass on, and are punished.
13 Fa atadeɛ a ɛhyɛ obi a ɔdi ɔhɔhoɔ akagyinamu; sɛ ɔregyina ɔbaa huhufoɔ akyi a, fa si awowa.
Take his garment who is surety for another; Yea, take a pledge of him who is bound for a stranger.
14 Sɛ obi team hyira ne yɔnko anɔpahema a, wɔbɛfa no sɛ ɛyɛ nnome.
He who blesseth his neighbor with a loud voice, rising early for it, It shall be accounted to him as a curse.
15 Ɔyere ntɔkwapɛfoɔ te sɛ osutɔ da nsusosɔ a ɛnnyae da;
A continual dropping in a very rainy day And a quarrelsome wife are alike.
16 sɛ wopata no a, ɛte sɛ deɛ wopata mframa anaa wode wo nsa bɛsɔ ngo mu.
He who restraineth her restraineth the wind; And his right hand layeth hold of oil.
17 Dadeɛ se dadeɛ, saa ara na onipa se ɔfoforɔ.
Iron sharpeneth iron; So one man sharpeneth the face of another.
18 Deɛ ɔhwɛ borɔdɔma dua so no bɛdi ɛso aba, na deɛ ɔsom ne wura no, wɔbɛhyɛ no animuonyam.
He that watcheth the fig-tree shall eat its fruit; So he that is careful for his master shall come to honor.
19 Sɛdeɛ nsuo yi animdua kyerɛ no, saa ara na onipa akoma da onipa no adi.
As in water face answereth to face, So doth the heart of man to man.
The realms of the dead are never full; So the eyes of man are never satisfied. (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.
The refining-pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold; So let a man be to the mouth that giveth him praise.
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 shouldst beat a fool in a mortar, Among bruised wheat, with a pestle, Yet will not his folly depart from him.
23 Ma ɛnyɛ wo asɛnhia sɛ wobɛhunu wo nnwankuo tebea, na ma wʼani nkɔ wʼanantwikuo so;
Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, And look well to thy herds!
24 ɛfiri sɛ, ahonya ntena hɔ daa, na ahenkyɛ ntena hɔ mma awoɔ ntoantoasoɔ nyinaa.
For riches last not for ever; Not even a crown endureth from generation to generation.
25 Sɛ wotwa ɛserɛ no na foforɔ fifiri na wɔboaboa nkokoɔ so ɛserɛ no ano a,
The hay disappeareth, and the tender grass showeth itself, And the herbage of the mountains is gathered in.
26 ɛnneɛ nnwammaa no bɛma wo ntoma, na mpɔnkye ama sika a ɛtɔ mfuo.
The lambs are thy clothing, And the goats the price of thy field.
27 Wobɛnya mmirekyie nufosuo bebree ama wo ne wʼabusuafoɔ adi ne aduane ama wo mmaawa.
There is goat's milk enough for thy food, For the food of thy household, And for the sustenance of thy maidens.
