Mmɛbusɛm 29
1 Obi a ɔkɔ so yɛ tufoanteɛ wɔ animka pii akyi no wɔbɛsɛe no mpofirim a wɔrentumi nsi ano.
Some people remain stubborn [IDM] [even] though they are often reproved/warned [about doing what is wrong], [but some day] they will be crushed/ruined, and nothing will be able to heal them.
2 Sɛ teneneefoɔ di yie a, nnipa no di ahurisie; sɛ amumuyɛfoɔ di nnipa so a, wosi apinie.
When righteous [people] are rulers, people are happy, but when wicked [people] rule, people (groan/are miserable).
3 Onipa a ɔdɔ nyansa no ma nʼagya anigye, nanso nnwamanfoɔ yɔnko sɛe nʼahonya.
Those who are eager to become wise cause their parents to be glad; those who spend their time with prostitutes will end up giving all their money to them.
4 Ɔhene nam atɛntenenee so ma ɔman no asomdwoeɛ, nanso deɛ ɔde adifudepɛ gye adanmudeɛ no bɔ ɔman no.
When a king rules justly/fairly, he causes his nation to be strong, but a king who is concerned [only] with getting more money from the people ruins his nation.
5 Obiara a ɔdaadaa ne yɔnko no sum ne nan afidie.
Those who (flatter others/say nice things to others [merely] to cause them to feel good) are really setting a trap for them (OR, for themselves) [SYN].
6 Ɔdebɔneyɛfoɔ bɔne sum no afidie, nanso ɔteneneeni bɛtumi ato dwom ama nʼani agye.
Evil people will be trapped by the sins that they commit, but righteous/honest people will sing and be joyful/happy.
7 Ahiafoɔ atɛnteneebuo ho hia teneneefoɔ, nanso amumuyɛfoɔ nni saa tema no.
Righteous/Good people know that poor [people] should be treated fairly/justly, [but] wicked people (are not concerned about/do not pay attention to) those matters at all.
8 Fɛdifoɔ de basabasayɛ ba kuropɔn mu, nanso anyansafoɔ dwodwo abufuo ano.
Those who make fun of [everything that is good say things that] cause [everyone in] the city to (be agitated/in turmoil); those who are wise enable [people] to remain calm.
9 Sɛ onyansafoɔ de ɔkwasea kɔ asɛnniiɛ a, ɔkwasea no bobom kasa di fɛ, na asomdwoeɛ mma.
If a wise person sues a foolish person, the foolish person merely laughs [at him] and yells [at him] and will not be quiet (OR, [the dispute will] not be resolved).
10 Mogyapɛfoɔ kyiri ɔnokwafoɔ, na wɔhwehwɛ sɛ wɔbɛkum deɛ ɔtene.
Those who murder others hate people who (are honest/always do what is right), but righteous [people] try to protect them.
11 Ɔkwasea da abufuo nyinaa adi, nanso onyansafoɔ hyɛ ne ho so.
People who are wise are patient and restrain/control themselves when they are angry, but foolish people (quickly show others that they are very angry/do not restrain themselves at all).
12 Sɛ sodifoɔ tie nkontomposɛm a, nʼadwumayɛfoɔ nyinaa bɛyɛ amumuyɛfoɔ.
If a ruler (pays attention to/believes) [people who tell] lies, all his officials will [also] become wicked.
13 Ohiani ne ɔhyɛsofoɔ nyinaa wɔ saa adeɛ baako yi: Awurade ma wɔn baanu nyinaa ani a wɔde hunu adeɛ.
There is one thing that is true about both poor people and those who oppress them: Yahweh enables all of them to see.
14 Sɛ ɔhene di ahiafoɔ asɛm yie a, nʼahennwa bɛtim hɔ daa.
If kings judge poor [people] fairly, they will continue to rule for a long time.
15 Ntenesoɔ abaa ma nyansa, na abɔfra a wɔde ne pɛ ma noɔ no, gu ne na anim ase.
If children are punished/spanked and reproved/warned, they become wise; but if they are allowed to do whatever they want to do, they [do things that] cause their mothers to be ashamed of them.
16 Sɛ amumuyɛfoɔ di yie a, bɔne nso kɔ so, na teneneefoɔ bɛhunu wɔn asehweɛ.
When wicked [people] rule, there are more crimes committed {people commit more crimes}, but [some day] those wicked people will (be defeated/no longer rule), and righteous [people] will see that happen.
17 Tene wo ba so, na ɔbɛma wo asomdwoeɛ; ɔbɛma wo ɔkra ani agye.
If you discipline your children, they will no longer [do things that] will cause you to be worried; instead, they [will do things that] will delight you [SYN].
18 Sɛ anisoadehunu nni hɔ a, nnipa no yɛ basaa; na nhyira nka deɛ ɔdi mmara so.
When the people [of a nation] do not receive messages that come directly from God, they do not control their behavior. [God] is pleased with those who obey his laws.
19 Wɔmmfa anomu nsɛm nko ara ntene ɔsomfoɔ so, ɔte aseɛ deɛ, nanso ɔremfa.
It is not possible to correct/discipline servants only by talking to them; they understand what you are saying, but they do not pay attention to it.
20 Wohunu obi a ɔpere ne nsɛm ho anaa? Ɔkwasea mu wɔ anidasoɔ sene no.
[God] can help/bless foolish people more easily [RHQ] than he can help/bless people who speak without thinking first.
21 Sɛ obi korɔkorɔ ne ɔsomfoɔ firi ne mmɔfraase a, awieeɛ no ɔde awerɛhoɔ na ɛbɛba.
If someone gives his servants everything that they want, starting from when they are young, some day those servants will take from him everything that he owns.
22 Onipa a ne bo afuo de mpaapaemu ba, na deɛ ne bo nkyɛre fu no yɛ bɔne pii.
Those who [quickly] become angry cause [many] arguments, and they [also] commit many sins.
23 Onipa ahomasoɔ brɛ no ase, nanso deɛ ɔwɔ ahobrɛaseɛ no nya animuonyam.
Proud people will be disgraced; those who are humble will be respected.
24 Deɛ ɔboa ɔkorɔmfoɔ no ha ɔno ankasa ho. Wɔama waka ntam enti ɔsuro sɛ ɔbɛdi adanseɛ.
Those who help thieves [to steal] only hurt themselves; [when they are in court], they solemnly ask [God] to curse them [if they do not tell the truth], but they do not tell the truth [about the crime that was committed], [and as a result, God will curse them].
25 Onipa ho suro bɛtumi ayɛ afidie ama wo, na deɛ ɔde ne ho to Awurade so no, wɔbɛgye no.
It is [like] a dangerous trap [MET] [for people] to be (afraid of/worried about) what others will think about them, but those who trust in Yahweh are safe/protected.
26 Bebree hwehwɛ sɛ wɔbɛnya ɔhene ne no akasa, nanso onipa nya atɛntenenee firi Awurade nkyɛn.
Many [people] request rulers to do things to help them, but Yahweh is [the only one] who surely does for people what is fair/just.
27 Teneneefoɔ kyiri atorofoɔ; na amumuyɛfoɔ kyiri wɔn a wɔn akwan tene.
Righteous [people] hate/detest those who do what is evil, and wicked [people] hate [those whose behavior is always] good.
