Mmɛbusɛm 28
1 Omumuyɛfoɔ dwane ɛberɛ a obiara ntaa no, nanso teneneefoɔ koko yɛ duru sɛ agyata.
Wicked [people] run away [even] when no one is pursuing them, but righteous/good [people are not afraid]; they are as brave as lions.
2 Atuateɛ ɔman nya sodifoɔ pii, nanso onipa a ɔwɔ nhunumu ne nimdeɛ ma mmara yɛ adwuma.
When [the people of] a nation sin, they will have one ruler after another; but when their leaders are wise and have good sense, their government will last for a long time.
3 Sodifoɔ a ɔhyɛ ahiafoɔ so no te sɛ brampɔnsuo a ɛsɛe mfudeɛ.
A poor person who oppresses [other] poor [people] is [like] [MET] a very heavy/hard rain that [destroys the crops], with the result that there is no food [for people to eat].
4 Wɔn a wɔpo mmara no kamfo amumuyɛfoɔ, na wɔn a wɔdi mmara so no si wɔn kwan.
Those who reject/disobey [God’s] laws always speak well of wicked [people]; but those who obey [God’s] laws [always] oppose what wicked people do.
5 Abɔnefoɔ nte atɛntenenee ase, nanso wɔn a wɔhwehwɛ Awurade no, te aseɛ yie.
Evil people do not understand what it means to act justly, but those who try to obey/worship Yahweh understand that very well.
6 Ohiani a ne nanteɛ ho nni asɛm yɛ sene ɔdefoɔ a nʼakwan yɛ kɔntɔnkye.
It is better to be honest [even] though you are poor than to be dishonest [even] though you are rich.
7 Deɛ ɔdi mmara so yɛ ɔba a ɔwɔ nhunumu, nanso deɛ ɔne adidibradafoɔ bɔ no gu nʼagya anim ase.
Young people who obey the laws are wise [IDM]; parents whose children associate with those who (carouse/go to wild parties) are humiliated/disgraced because of what their children do.
8 Deɛ ɔgye mfɛntom mmorosoɔ de nya ne ho no ɔboaboa ano ma deɛ ɔbɛyɛ ahiafoɔ adɔeɛ.
When people become very rich by charging very high interest [DOU], their money will [eventually] go to someone who does kind things for the poor.
9 Sɛ obi nni mmara so a, ne mpaeɛbɔ mpo yɛ akyiwadeɛ.
If people do not obey [MTY] [God’s] laws, [God] (detests their prayers/considers that their prayers stink).
10 Deɛ ɔdi teneneefoɔ anim de wɔn fa ɛkwan bɔne so no bɛhwe ɔno ankasa afidie mu, nanso wɔn a wɔn ho nni asɛm no bɛnya agyapadeɛ a ɛyɛ.
Those who cause honest/good [people] to do what is evil will fall into their own pits/traps, but good things will happen to those who (are innocent/have not done what is wrong).
11 Ɔdefoɔ tumi yɛ onyansafoɔ wɔ nʼankasa ani so, nanso ohiani a ɔwɔ nhunumu no hunu sɛdeɛ ɔteɛ.
[Many] rich people think that they are wise, but poor people who have good sense will find out whether rich people really are wise or not.
12 Sɛ teneneefoɔ di nkonim a, nnipa di ahurisie pii; nanso sɛ amumuyɛfoɔ nya tumi a nnipa kɔhinta.
When righteous/good [people] (succeed/win [elections]), everyone (celebrates/is happy); but when wicked [people win], everyone hides [because they are afraid of what the wicked people will do].
13 Onipa a ɔkata ne bɔne soɔ no nnya nkɔsoɔ, na deɛ ɔka ne bɔne na ɔgyae yɛ no nya ahummɔborɔ.
Those who refuse to confess/admit their sins will not prosper, but [God] acts mercifully/kindly toward those who confess their sins and turn away from their sinful behavior.
14 Nhyira nka deɛ ɔsuro Awurade ɛberɛ nyinaa, nanso deɛ ɔpirim nʼakoma no tɔ amaneɛ mu.
[God] is pleased with those who always revere him, but those who are stubborn [IDM] will experience disasters.
15 Omumuyɛfoɔ a ɔdi nnipa a wɔnni mmoa so no te sɛ gyata a ɔbobɔm anaa sisire a nʼani abereɛ.
Wicked people who [mistreat] poor people whom they rule are [as dangerous to them as] [SIM] a lion roaring [at them] or a bear springing up [to attack them].
16 Sodifoɔ tirimuɔdenfoɔ nni adwene, na deɛ ɔkyiri mfasoɔ a wɔnam ɛkwan bɔne so nya no bɛnya nkwa tenten.
Rulers who do not have good sense cruelly oppress [the people they rule], but rulers who do not want to become rich by cheating/deceiving [people] will live (OR, rule) for a long time.
17 Deɛ awudie ma ne tiboa bu no fɔ no, ɔbɛyɛ ɔkobɔfoɔ akɔsi ne wu da; mma obiara mmɔ ne ho ban.
Those who are guilty of murdering [MTY] another person will (be fugitives/keep running away) until they die; do not help them to escape.
18 Deɛ ne nanteɛ ho nni asɛm no, wɔgye no firi ɔhaw mu, nanso deɛ nʼakwan yɛ kɔntɔnkye no bɛhwe ase mpofirim.
Those who [continually] do what is right will be safe/protected, but those who are dishonest will [suddenly] be ruined.
19 Deɛ ɔyɛ nʼasase so adwuma no bɛnya aduane pii, nanso deɛ ɔdwene nneɛma hunu ho no bɛnya ne so ne ne hia.
Farmers who work [hard] in their fields will [produce good crops and always] have plenty of food [to eat], but those who spend all their time (on useless projects/doing things that do not benefit anyone) will become very poor.
20 Wɔbɛhyira onipa nokwafoɔ pii, na deɛ ɔpere pɛ ahonyadeɛ no remfa ne ho nni.
[God] will greatly bless those who (are trustworthy/always do what they say that they will do), but he will certainly punish [LIT] those who try to become rich quickly.
21 Animhwɛ nyɛ, nanso aduane kakra enti nnipa yɛ bɔne.
It is not good [for judges] to decide matters unfairly/unjustly, but [some] people will do what is wrong [even] if they receive [only] a very small bribe [HYP] [for doing it].
22 Deɛ ɔyɛ pɛpɛɛ pere sɛ ɔbɛyɛ ɔdefoɔ na ɔnnim sɛ ohia retwɛn no.
Selfish people [IDM] are very eager to become rich quickly; they do not realize that they will [soon] become poor.
23 Deɛ ɔka obi anim no bɛsɔ nnipa ani akyire asene deɛ ɔwɔ tɛkrɛmadɛ.
Those who rebuke someone will be appreciated/thanked more than those who [say nice things to others merely] to (flatter them/cause them to feel good).
24 Deɛ ɔbɔ nʼagya anaa ne maame korɔno na ɔka sɛ, “Ɛnyɛ bɔne” no, ɔne ɔsɛefoɔ na ɛbɔ.
Anyone who steals things from his father or his mother and says “That is not sinful” is as bad as a bandit.
25 Ɔdifodepɛfoɔ de mpaapaemu ba na deɛ ɔde ne ho to Awurade so no bɛnya nkɔsoɔ.
Greedy people cause trouble/strife; those who trust in Yahweh will prosper [IDM].
26 Deɛ ɔgye ne ho die no yɛ ɔkwasea, na deɛ ɔnante nyansa mu no wɔbɛgye no.
Those who believe that what they think [is always right] are foolish; those who act wisely will (escape danger/be safe).
27 Deɛ ɔma ahiafoɔ no, hwee renhia no, nanso deɛ ɔbu nʼani gu wɔn so no nya nnome pii.
Those who give things to poor [people] will not become poor, but many [people] will curse those who refuse to help [IDM] poor people.
28 Sɛ amumuyɛfoɔ nya tumi a, nnipa kɔhinta; na sɛ amumuyɛfoɔ ase tɔre a, teneneefoɔ ase dɔre.
When wicked [people] become rulers, people hide [because they are afraid of what those wicked people will do]; but when wicked people are no longer rulers, good/righteous [people will] become the rulers.
