< 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 bringeth forth.
2 Ma ɔfoforɔ nkamfo wo; na ɛnyɛ wʼankasa; ma ɛmfiri ɔfoforɔ anomu na ɛnyɛ wo.
Let another 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 the sand [is] heavy, And the anger of a fool Is heavier than they both.
4 Abufuo tirim yɛ den, na abufuhyeɛ sɛe adeɛ, na hwan na ɔbɛtumi agyina ninkuntwe ano?
Fury [is] fierce, and anger [is] overflowing, And who standeth before jealousy?
5 Animka a ɛda edwa yɛ sene ɔdɔ a asuma.
Better [is] open reproof than hidden love.
6 Apirakuro a ɛfiri adamfo nkyɛn no yɛ sene ɔtamfoɔ mfeano bebrebe.
Faithful are the wounds of a lover, And abundant the kisses of an enemy.
7 Ɛwoɔ nyɛ deɛ wameeɛ akɔnnɔ, nanso deɛ ɛkɔm de noɔ no, deɛ ɛyɛ nwono yɛ nʼanom dɛ.
A satiated soul treadeth down a honeycomb, And [to] a 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 wandering from her nest, So [is] a man wandering 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, And the sweetness of one's friend — from counsel of the soul.
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 the friend of thy father, forsake not, And the house of thy brother enter not In a day of thy calamity, Better [is] a near neighbour than a brother afar 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 rejoice my heart. And I return my reproacher a word.
12 Mmadwemma hunu asiane na wɔhinta, nanso ntetekwaafoɔ kɔ wɔn anim kɔtɔ mu.
The prudent hath seen the evil, he is hidden, The simple have passed on, they are punished.
13 Fa atadeɛ a ɛhyɛ obi a ɔdi ɔhɔhoɔ akagyinamu; sɛ ɔregyina ɔbaa huhufoɔ akyi a, fa si awowa.
Take his garment, when a stranger hath been surety, And for a strange woman pledge it.
14 Sɛ obi team hyira ne yɔnko anɔpahema a, wɔbɛfa no sɛ ɛyɛ nnome.
Whoso is saluting his friend with a loud voice, In the morning rising early, A light thing it is reckoned to him.
15 Ɔyere ntɔkwapɛfoɔ te sɛ osutɔ da nsusosɔ a ɛnnyae da;
A continual dropping in a day of rain, And a woman of contentions are alike,
16 sɛ wopata no a, ɛte sɛ deɛ wopata mframa anaa wode wo nsa bɛsɔ ngo mu.
Whoso is hiding her hath hidden the wind, And the ointment of his right hand calleth out.
17 Dadeɛ se dadeɛ, saa ara na onipa se ɔfoforɔ.
Iron by iron is sharpened, And a man sharpens the face of his friend.
18 Deɛ ɔhwɛ borɔdɔma dua so no bɛdi ɛso aba, na deɛ ɔsom ne wura no, wɔbɛhyɛ no animuonyam.
The keeper of a fig-tree eateth its fruit, And the preserver of his master is honoured.
19 Sɛdeɛ nsuo yi animdua kyerɛ no, saa ara na onipa akoma da onipa no adi.
As [in] water the face [is] to face, So the heart of man to man.
20 Sɛdeɛ Owuo ne Ɔsɛeɛ bo ntɔ da no, saa ara, na onipa ani nso bo ntɔ da. (Sheol )
Sheol and destruction are not satisfied, And the eyes of man are not satisfied. (Sheol )
21 Kyɛmferɛ wɔ hɔ ma dwetɛ na fononoo wɔ hɔ ma sikakɔkɔɔ, nanso wɔnam nkamfo a onipa nya so na ɛso no hwɛ.
A refining pot [is] for silver, and a furnace for gold, And a man according 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.
If thou dost beat the foolish in a mortar, Among washed things — with a pestle, His folly turneth not aside from off him.
23 Ma ɛnyɛ wo asɛnhia sɛ wobɛhunu wo nnwankuo tebea, na ma wʼani nkɔ wʼanantwikuo so;
Know well the face of thy flock, Set thy heart to the droves,
24 ɛfiri sɛ, ahonya ntena hɔ daa, na ahenkyɛ ntena hɔ mma awoɔ ntoantoasoɔ nyinaa.
For riches [are] not to the age, Nor a crown to generation and generation.
25 Sɛ wotwa ɛserɛ no na foforɔ fifiri na wɔboaboa nkokoɔ so ɛserɛ no ano a,
Revealed was the hay, and seen the tender grass, And gathered the herbs of mountains.
26 ɛnneɛ nnwammaa no bɛma wo ntoma, na mpɔnkye ama sika a ɛtɔ mfuo.
Lambs [are] for thy clothing, And the price of the field [are] he-goats,
27 Wobɛnya mmirekyie nufosuo bebree ama wo ne wʼabusuafoɔ adi ne aduane ama wo mmaawa.
And a sufficiency of goats' milk [is] for thy bread, For bread to thy house, and life to thy damsels!