Mmɛbusɛm 31
1 Ɔhene Lemuel nsɛm a ɛyɛ nkɔmhyɛ a ne maame kyerɛɛ no:
The words of king Lamuel. The vision by which his mother instructed him:
2 Ao me babarima, me yafunu ba, Ao mebɔhyɛ ba,
“What, O my beloved? What, O beloved of my womb? What, O beloved of my vows?
3 nsɛe wʼahoɔden wɔ mmaa ho, wɔn a wɔgu ahemfo asu no.
Do not give your substance to women, or your riches to overthrow kings.
4 Lemuel, nsã nyɛ mma ahemfo; asanom nyɛ mma ahemfo, ɛnsɛ sɛ sodifoɔ pere nsaden ho;
Not to kings, O Lamuel, not to kings give wine. For there are no secrets where drunkenness reigns.
5 sɛ wɔnom nsã a, wɔn werɛ bɛfiri deɛ mmara no ka, na wɔn a wɔdi wɔn nya no rennya deɛ wɔwɔ ho ɛkwan.
And perhaps they may drink and forget judgments, and alter the case of the sons of the poor.
6 Fa nsaden ma wɔn a wɔresɛe, na fa nsã ma wɔn a wɔwɔ amanehunu mu;
Give strong drink to the grieving, and wine to those who are bitter in soul.
7 Momma wɔnnom, na wɔn werɛ mfiri wɔn hia na wɔnnkae wɔn awerɛhoɔ bio.
Let them drink, and forget their needs, and remember their sorrow no more.
8 Kasa ma wɔn a wɔntumi nkasa mma wɔn ho, kasa ma mmɔborɔfoɔ yiedie.
Open your mouth for the mute and for all the cases of the sons who are passing through.
9 Kasa na bu atɛntenenee; kasa ma ahiafoɔ ne onnibie yiedie.
Open your mouth, declare what is just, and do justice to the indigent and the poor.
10 Ɔyere pa, hwan na ɔbɛnya? Ɔsom bo pa ara sene nhwene pa.
Who shall find a strong woman? Far away, and from the furthest parts, is her price.
11 Ne kunu wɔ ne mu ahotosoɔ pa ara na biribiara a ɛwɔ boɔ nhia no.
The heart of her husband confides in her, and he will not be deprived of spoils.
12 Ɔde deɛ ɛyɛ brɛ no, na ɛnyɛ ɔhaw, ne nkwa nna nyinaa mu.
She will repay him with good, and not evil, all the days of her life.
13 Ɔhwehwɛ odwannwi ne asaawa na ɔde ne nsa nwono wɔ fɛ so.
She has sought wool and flax, and she has worked these by the counsel of her hands.
14 Ɔte sɛ adwadifoɔ ahyɛn, ɔde ne nnuane firi akyirikyiri ba.
She has become like a merchant’s ship, bringing her bread from far away.
15 Adeɛ nnya nkyeeɛ no na wasɔre; ɔsiesie aduane ma nʼabusuafoɔ na ɔkyekyɛ nnwuma ma ne mmaawa.
And she has risen in the night, and given a prey to her household, and provisions to her maids.
16 Ɔdwene afuo ho, na ɔtɔ; ɔfiri deɛ ɔnya mu yɛ bobefuo.
She has considered a field and bought it. From the fruit of her own hands, she has planted a vineyard.
17 Ɔde nsi yɛ nʼadwuma; nʼabasa mu wɔ ahoɔden ma nʼadwuma.
She has wrapped her waist with fortitude, and she has strengthened her arm.
18 Ɔhwɛ sɛ nʼadwadie ho wɔ mfasoɔ, na ne kanea ɛnnum anadwo.
She has tasted and seen that her tasks are good; her lamp shall not be extinguished at night.
19 Daa, na ne nsa kura tadua mu a ne nsateaa nso retoatoa asaawa.
She has put her hand to strong things, and her fingers have taken hold of the spindle.
20 Ɔgo ne nsam ma ahiafoɔ na ne nsa so onibie so.
She has opened her hand to the needy, and she has extended her hands to the poor.
21 Sɛ sukyerɛmma tɔ a ne yam nhyehye no wɔ ne fiefoɔ ho; ɛfiri sɛ wɔn nyinaa wɔ aduradeɛ a wɔde ko awɔ.
She shall not fear, in the cold of snow, for her household. For all those of her household have been clothed two-fold.
22 Ɔyɛ ne mpasotam; na ɔfira nwera ne serekye ntoma.
She has made embroidered clothing for herself. Fine linen and purple is her garment.
23 Ne kunu wɔ animuonyam wɔ kuropɔn ɛpono ano, baabi a ɔne asase no so mpanimfoɔ tena.
Her husband is noble at the gates, when he sits among the senators of the land.
24 Ɔpempam nwera ntadeɛ tontɔn, na ɔtu abɔwomu ma adwadifoɔ.
She has made finely woven cloth and sold it, and she has delivered a waistband to the Canaanite.
25 Ɔwɔ ahoɔden ne animuonyam; na ɔnsuro nna a ɛwɔ nʼanim.
Strength and elegance are her clothing, and she will laugh in the final days.
26 Ɔkasa nyansa mu, na nokorɛ nkyerɛkyerɛ wɔ ne tɛkrɛma so.
She has opened her mouth to wisdom, and the law of clemency is on her tongue.
27 Ɔhwɛ ne fidua mu nnwuma so na ɔnnyegye aniha so.
She has considered the paths of her household, and she has not eaten her bread in idleness.
28 Ne mma sɔre a wɔfrɛ no nhyira; ne kunu nso saa ara, na ɔkamfo no sɛ,
Her sons rose up and predicted great happiness; her husband rose up and praised her.
29 “Mmaa pii yɛ nneɛma a ɛwɔ edin, na wo deɛ, wosene wɔn nyinaa.”
Many daughters have gathered together riches; you have surpassed them all.
30 Ɔbaa kɔnɔfoɔ yɛ nnaadaa, na ahoɔfɛ twam ntɛm so; nanso ɔbaa a ɔsuro Awurade no fata nkamfoɔ.
Charm is false, and beauty is vain. The woman who fears the Lord, the same shall be praised.
31 Fa abasobɔdeɛ a wanya no ma no, na wɔnkamfo ne nnwuma wɔ kuropɔn ɛpono ano.
Give to her from the fruit of her own hands. And let her works praise her at the gates.
