Mmɛbusɛm 27
1 Mfa ɔkyena nhoahoa wo ho, na wonnim deɛ ɛda bi de bɛba.
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.
2 Ma ɔfoforɔ nkamfo wo; na ɛnyɛ wʼankasa; ma ɛmfiri ɔfoforɔ anomu na ɛnyɛ wo.
Let someone else praise you and not your own mouth; a stranger and not your own lips.
3 Ɛboɔ mu yɛ duru, na anwea yɛ adesoa, nanso ɔkwasea abufuhyeɛ yɛ duru sene emu biara.
Consider the heaviness of a stone and the weight of sand— the provocation of a fool is heavier than both.
4 Abufuo tirim yɛ den, na abufuhyeɛ sɛe adeɛ, na hwan na ɔbɛtumi agyina ninkuntwe ano?
There is the cruelty of rage and the flood of anger, but who is able to stand before jealousy?
5 Animka a ɛda edwa yɛ sene ɔdɔ a asuma.
Better is an open rebuke than hidden love.
6 Apirakuro a ɛfiri adamfo nkyɛn no yɛ sene ɔtamfoɔ mfeano bebrebe.
Faithful are the wounds caused by a friend, but an enemy may kiss you profusely.
7 Ɛwoɔ nyɛ deɛ wameeɛ akɔnnɔ, nanso deɛ ɛkɔm de noɔ no, deɛ ɛyɛ nwono yɛ nʼanom dɛ.
A person who has eaten to the full rejects even a honeycomb, but to the hungry person, every bitter thing is sweet.
8 Onipa a wayera ne fie ɛkwan, te sɛ anomaa a wafiri ne pirebuo mu rekyinkyini.
Like a bird that wanders from its nest is a man who strays from where he lives.
9 Ngo ne aduhwam ma akoma ani gye, adamfo ho anigyeɛ firi nʼafotu pa a ɔma.
Perfume and incense make the heart rejoice, but the sweetness of a friend comes from his sincere 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.
Do not forsake your friend and your friend's father, and do not go to your brother's house on the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is nearby than a brother who is far away.
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 rejoice; then I will give back an answer to the one who mocks me.
12 Mmadwemma hunu asiane na wɔhinta, nanso ntetekwaafoɔ kɔ wɔn anim kɔtɔ mu.
A prudent man sees trouble and hides himself, but the naive people go on and suffer because of it.
13 Fa atadeɛ a ɛhyɛ obi a ɔdi ɔhɔhoɔ akagyinamu; sɛ ɔregyina ɔbaa huhufoɔ akyi a, fa si awowa.
Take a garment of one who has put up security for a stranger, and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for an immoral woman.
14 Sɛ obi team hyira ne yɔnko anɔpahema a, wɔbɛfa no sɛ ɛyɛ nnome.
Whoever gives his neighbor a blessing with a loud voice early in the morning, that blessing will be considered to be a curse!
15 Ɔyere ntɔkwapɛfoɔ te sɛ osutɔ da nsusosɔ a ɛnnyae da;
A quarreling wife is like the constant dripping on a rainy day;
16 sɛ wopata no a, ɛte sɛ deɛ wopata mframa anaa wode wo nsa bɛsɔ ngo mu.
restraining her is like restraining the wind, or trying to catch oil in your right hand.
17 Dadeɛ se dadeɛ, saa ara na onipa se ɔfoforɔ.
Iron sharpens iron; in the same way, a man sharpens his friend.
18 Deɛ ɔhwɛ borɔdɔma dua so no bɛdi ɛso aba, na deɛ ɔsom ne wura no, wɔbɛhyɛ no animuonyam.
The one who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and the one who protects his master will be honored.
19 Sɛdeɛ nsuo yi animdua kyerɛ no, saa ara na onipa akoma da onipa no adi.
Just as water reflects a person's face, so a person's heart reflects the person.
Just as Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, so a man's eyes 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.
A crucible is for silver and a furnace is for gold; and a person is tested when he is praised.
22 Sɛ wowɔ ɔkwasea wɔ ɔwaduro mu, sɛ wode ɔwɔma wɔ no te sɛ deɛ wosi aburoo a, worentumi nnyi agyimisɛm mfiri ne ho.
Even if you crush a fool with the pestle—along with the grain— yet his foolishness will not leave him.
23 Ma ɛnyɛ wo asɛnhia sɛ wobɛhunu wo nnwankuo tebea, na ma wʼani nkɔ wʼanantwikuo so;
Be sure you know the condition of your flocks and be concerned about your herds,
24 ɛfiri sɛ, ahonya ntena hɔ daa, na ahenkyɛ ntena hɔ mma awoɔ ntoantoasoɔ nyinaa.
for wealth is not forever. Does a crown endure for all generations?
25 Sɛ wotwa ɛserɛ no na foforɔ fifiri na wɔboaboa nkokoɔ so ɛserɛ no ano a,
You should know when the hay is gone and the new growth appears, and the time when the grass from the hills is gathered in.
26 ɛnneɛ nnwammaa no bɛma wo ntoma, na mpɔnkye ama sika a ɛtɔ mfuo.
Those lambs will provide your clothing and the goats will provide the price of the field.
27 Wobɛnya mmirekyie nufosuo bebree ama wo ne wʼabusuafoɔ adi ne aduane ama wo mmaawa.
There will be goats' milk for your food—the food for your household— and nourishment for your servant girls.
