Mmɛbusɛm 31
1 Ɔhene Lemuel nsɛm a ɛyɛ nkɔmhyɛ a ne maame kyerɛɛ no:
THE WORDS OF KING LEMUEL: The prophecie which his mother taught him.
2 Ao me babarima, me yafunu ba, Ao mebɔhyɛ ba,
What my sonne! and what ye sonne of my wombe! and what, O sonne of my desires!
3 nsɛe wʼahoɔden wɔ mmaa ho, wɔn a wɔgu ahemfo asu no.
Giue not thy strength vnto women, nor thy wayes, which is to destroy Kings.
4 Lemuel, nsã nyɛ mma ahemfo; asanom nyɛ mma ahemfo, ɛnsɛ sɛ sodifoɔ pere nsaden ho;
It is not for Kings, O Lemuel, it is not for Kings to drink wine nor for princes strog drinke,
5 sɛ wɔnom nsã a, wɔn werɛ bɛfiri deɛ mmara no ka, na wɔn a wɔdi wɔn nya no rennya deɛ wɔwɔ ho ɛkwan.
Lest he drinke and forget the decree, and change the iudgement of all the children of affliction.
6 Fa nsaden ma wɔn a wɔresɛe, na fa nsã ma wɔn a wɔwɔ amanehunu mu;
Giue ye strong drinke vnto him that is readie to perish, and wine vnto them that haue griefe of heart.
7 Momma wɔnnom, na wɔn werɛ mfiri wɔn hia na wɔnnkae wɔn awerɛhoɔ bio.
Let him drinke, that he may forget his pouertie, and remember his miserie no more.
8 Kasa ma wɔn a wɔntumi nkasa mma wɔn ho, kasa ma mmɔborɔfoɔ yiedie.
Open thy mouth for the domme in the cause of all the children of destruction.
9 Kasa na bu atɛntenenee; kasa ma ahiafoɔ ne onnibie yiedie.
Open thy mouth: iudge righteously, and iudge the afflicted, and the poore.
10 Ɔyere pa, hwan na ɔbɛnya? Ɔsom bo pa ara sene nhwene pa.
Who shall finde a vertuous woman? for her price is farre aboue the pearles.
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 haue no neede of spoyle.
12 Ɔde deɛ ɛyɛ brɛ no, na ɛnyɛ ɔhaw, ne nkwa nna nyinaa mu.
She will doe him good, and not euill all the dayes of her life.
13 Ɔhwehwɛ odwannwi ne asaawa na ɔde ne nsa nwono wɔ fɛ so.
She seeketh wooll and flaxe, and laboureth cheerefully with her handes.
14 Ɔte sɛ adwadifoɔ ahyɛn, ɔde ne nnuane firi akyirikyiri ba.
She is like the shippes of marchants: shee bringeth her foode from afarre.
15 Adeɛ nnya nkyeeɛ no na wasɔre; ɔsiesie aduane ma nʼabusuafoɔ na ɔkyekyɛ nnwuma ma ne mmaawa.
And she riseth, whiles it is yet night: and giueth the portion to her houshold, and the ordinarie to her maides.
16 Ɔdwene afuo ho, na ɔtɔ; ɔfiri deɛ ɔnya mu yɛ bobefuo.
She considereth a field, and getteth it: and with the fruite of her handes she planteth a vineyarde.
17 Ɔde nsi yɛ nʼadwuma; nʼabasa mu wɔ ahoɔden ma nʼadwuma.
She girdeth her loynes with strength, and strengtheneth her armes.
18 Ɔhwɛ sɛ nʼadwadie ho wɔ mfasoɔ, na ne kanea ɛnnum anadwo.
She feeleth that her marchandise is good: her candle is not put out by night.
19 Daa, na ne nsa kura tadua mu a ne nsateaa nso retoatoa asaawa.
She putteth her handes to the wherue, and her handes handle the spindle.
20 Ɔgo ne nsam ma ahiafoɔ na ne nsa so onibie so.
She stretcheth out her hand to the poore, and putteth foorth her hands to the needie.
21 Sɛ sukyerɛmma tɔ a ne yam nhyehye no wɔ ne fiefoɔ ho; ɛfiri sɛ wɔn nyinaa wɔ aduradeɛ a wɔde ko awɔ.
She feareth not the snowe for her familie: for all her familie is clothed with skarlet.
22 Ɔyɛ ne mpasotam; na ɔfira nwera ne serekye ntoma.
She maketh her selfe carpets: 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 knowen in the gates, when he sitteth with the Elders of the land.
24 Ɔpempam nwera ntadeɛ tontɔn, na ɔtu abɔwomu ma adwadifoɔ.
She maketh sheetes, and selleth them, and giueth girdels vnto the marchant.
25 Ɔwɔ ahoɔden ne animuonyam; na ɔnsuro nna a ɛwɔ nʼanim.
Strength and honour is her clothing, and in the latter day she shall reioyce.
26 Ɔkasa nyansa mu, na nokorɛ nkyerɛkyerɛ wɔ ne tɛkrɛma so.
She openeth her mouth with wisdome, and the lawe of grace is in her tongue.
27 Ɔhwɛ ne fidua mu nnwuma so na ɔnnyegye aniha so.
She ouerseeth the wayes of her housholde, and eateth not the bread of ydlenes.
28 Ne mma sɔre a wɔfrɛ no nhyira; ne kunu nso saa ara, na ɔkamfo no sɛ,
Her children rise vp, and call her blessed: her husband also shall prayse her, saying,
29 “Mmaa pii yɛ nneɛma a ɛwɔ edin, na wo deɛ, wosene wɔn nyinaa.”
Many daughters haue done vertuously: but thou surmountest them all.
30 Ɔbaa kɔnɔfoɔ yɛ nnaadaa, na ahoɔfɛ twam ntɛm so; nanso ɔbaa a ɔsuro Awurade no fata nkamfoɔ.
Fauour is deceitfull, and beautie is vanitie: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praysed.
31 Fa abasobɔdeɛ a wanya no ma no, na wɔnkamfo ne nnwuma wɔ kuropɔn ɛpono ano.
Giue her of the fruite of her hands, and let her owne workes prayse her in the gates.
