Mmɛbusɛm 31
1 Ɔhene Lemuel nsɛm a ɛyɛ nkɔmhyɛ a ne maame kyerɛɛ no:
The words of king Lamuel. The vision wherewith his mother instructed him.
2 Ao me babarima, me yafunu ba, Ao mebɔhyɛ ba,
What, O my beloved, what, O the beloved of my womb, what, O the beloved of my vows?
3 nsɛe wʼahoɔden wɔ mmaa ho, wɔn a wɔgu ahemfo asu no.
Give not thy substance to women, and thy riches to destroy kings.
4 Lemuel, nsã nyɛ mma ahemfo; asanom nyɛ mma ahemfo, ɛnsɛ sɛ sodifoɔ pere nsaden ho;
Give not to kings, O Lamuel, give not wine to kings: because there is no secret where drunkenness reigneth:
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 lest they drink and forget judgments, and pervert the cause of the children of the poor.
6 Fa nsaden ma wɔn a wɔresɛe, na fa nsã ma wɔn a wɔwɔ amanehunu mu;
Give strong drink to them that are sad: and wine to them that are grieved in mind:
7 Momma wɔnnom, na wɔn werɛ mfiri wɔn hia na wɔnnkae wɔn awerɛhoɔ bio.
Let them drink, and forget their want, and remember their sorrow no more.
8 Kasa ma wɔn a wɔntumi nkasa mma wɔn ho, kasa ma mmɔborɔfoɔ yiedie.
Open thy mouth for the dumb, and for the causes of all the children that pass.
9 Kasa na bu atɛntenenee; kasa ma ahiafoɔ ne onnibie yiedie.
Open thy mouth, decree that which is just, and do justice to the needy and poor.
10 Ɔyere pa, hwan na ɔbɛnya? Ɔsom bo pa ara sene nhwene pa.
Who shall find a valiant woman? far and from the uttermost coasts is the price of her.
11 Ne kunu wɔ ne mu ahotosoɔ pa ara na biribiara a ɛwɔ boɔ nhia no.
The heart of her husband trusteth in her, and he shall have no need of spoils.
12 Ɔde deɛ ɛyɛ brɛ no, na ɛnyɛ ɔhaw, ne nkwa nna nyinaa mu.
She will render him good, and not evil, all the days of her life.
13 Ɔhwehwɛ odwannwi ne asaawa na ɔde ne nsa nwono wɔ fɛ so.
She hath sought wool and flax, and hath wrought by the counsel of her hands.
14 Ɔte sɛ adwadifoɔ ahyɛn, ɔde ne nnuane firi akyirikyiri ba.
She is like the merchant’s ship, she bringeth her bread from afar.
15 Adeɛ nnya nkyeeɛ no na wasɔre; ɔsiesie aduane ma nʼabusuafoɔ na ɔkyekyɛ nnwuma ma ne mmaawa.
And she hath risen in the night, and given a prey to her household, and victuals to her maidens.
16 Ɔdwene afuo ho, na ɔtɔ; ɔfiri deɛ ɔnya mu yɛ bobefuo.
She hath considered a field, and bought it: with the fruit of her hands she hath planted a vineyard.
17 Ɔde nsi yɛ nʼadwuma; nʼabasa mu wɔ ahoɔden ma nʼadwuma.
She hath girded her loins with strength, and hath strengthened her arm.
18 Ɔhwɛ sɛ nʼadwadie ho wɔ mfasoɔ, na ne kanea ɛnnum anadwo.
She hath tasted and seen that her traffic is good: her lamp shall not be put out in the night.
19 Daa, na ne nsa kura tadua mu a ne nsateaa nso retoatoa asaawa.
She hath put out 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 hath opened her hand to the needy, and stretched out 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 for her house in the cold of snow: for all her domestics are clothed with double garments.
22 Ɔyɛ ne mpasotam; na ɔfira nwera ne serekye ntoma.
She hath made for herself clothing of tapestry: fine linen, and purple is her covering.
23 Ne kunu wɔ animuonyam wɔ kuropɔn ɛpono ano, baabi a ɔne asase no so mpanimfoɔ tena.
Her husband is honourable in the gates, when he sitteth among the senators of the land.
24 Ɔpempam nwera ntadeɛ tontɔn, na ɔtu abɔwomu ma adwadifoɔ.
She made fine linen, and sold it, and delivered a girdle to the Chanaanite.
25 Ɔwɔ ahoɔden ne animuonyam; na ɔnsuro nna a ɛwɔ nʼanim.
Strength and beauty are her clothing, and she shall laugh in the latter day.
26 Ɔkasa nyansa mu, na nokorɛ nkyerɛkyerɛ wɔ ne tɛkrɛma so.
She hath 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 hath looked well to the paths of her house, and hath not eaten her bread idle.
28 Ne mma sɔre a wɔfrɛ no nhyira; ne kunu nso saa ara, na ɔkamfo no sɛ,
Her children rose up, and called her blessed: her husband, and he praised her.
29 “Mmaa pii yɛ nneɛma a ɛwɔ edin, na wo deɛ, wosene wɔn nyinaa.”
Many daughters have gathered together riches: thou hast surpassed them all.
30 Ɔbaa kɔnɔfoɔ yɛ nnaadaa, na ahoɔfɛ twam ntɛm so; nanso ɔbaa a ɔsuro Awurade no fata nkamfoɔ.
Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: the woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Fa abasobɔdeɛ a wanya no ma no, na wɔnkamfo ne nnwuma wɔ kuropɔn ɛpono ano.
Give her of the fruit of her hands: and let her works praise her in the gates.
