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 thy own mouth; a stranger, and not thy own lips.
3 Ɛboɔ mu yɛ duru, na anwea yɛ adesoa, nanso ɔkwasea abufuhyeɛ yɛ duru sene emu biara.
A stone [is] heavy, and the sand 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 [is] outrageous; but who [is] able to stand before envy?
5 Animka a ɛda edwa yɛ sene ɔdɔ a asuma.
Open rebuke [is] better than secret love.
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.
The full soul lotheth a honey-comb; but to the hungry soul every 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 her nest, so [is] a man that wandereth from his place.
9 Ngo ne aduhwam ma akoma ani gye, adamfo ho anigyeɛ firi nʼafotu pa a ɔma.
Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so [doth] the sweetness of a man'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.
Thy own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: [for] 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.
My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer 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; [but] 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 that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.
14 Sɛ obi team hyira ne yɔnko anɔpahema a, wɔbɛfa no sɛ ɛyɛ nnome.
He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.
15 Ɔyere ntɔkwapɛfoɔ te sɛ osutɔ da nsusosɔ a ɛnnyae da;
A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.
16 sɛ wopata no a, ɛte sɛ deɛ wopata mframa anaa wode wo nsa bɛsɔ ngo mu.
Whoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand [which] bewrayeth [itself].
17 Dadeɛ se dadeɛ, saa ara na onipa se ɔfoforɔ.
Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
18 Deɛ ɔhwɛ borɔdɔma dua so no bɛdi ɛso aba, na deɛ ɔsom ne wura no, wɔbɛhyɛ no animuonyam.
He that keepeth the fig-tree shall eat the fruit of it: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honored.
19 Sɛdeɛ nsuo yi animdua kyerɛ no, saa ara na onipa akoma da onipa no adi.
As in water face [answereth] to face, so the heart of man to man.
Hell and destruction 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.
[As] the fining-pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so [is] a man to his 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 bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, [yet] his foolishness will not 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 [are] not for ever: and doth the crown [endure] to every generation?
25 Sɛ wotwa ɛserɛ no na foforɔ fifiri na wɔboaboa nkokoɔ so ɛserɛ no ano a,
The plant appeareth, and the tender grass showeth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered.
26 ɛnneɛ nnwammaa no bɛma wo ntoma, na mpɔnkye ama sika a ɛtɔ mfuo.
The lambs [are] for thy clothing, and the goats [are] the price of the field.
27 Wobɛnya mmirekyie nufosuo bebree ama wo ne wʼabusuafoɔ adi ne aduane ama wo mmaawa.
And [thou shalt have] goats milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and [for] maintenance for thy maidens.
