Mmɛbusɛm 4
1 Me mma, montie me, montie agya nkyerɛkyerɛ; monyɛ aso na moanya nteaseɛ.
Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.
2 Mema mo adenim a ɛkɔ anim, enti monnyaa me nkyerɛkyerɛ mu.
For I give you sound teaching; do not abandon my directive.
3 Meyɛ ɔbabanin wɔ mʼagya fie, meda so yɛ abadomaa na me maame di me bakorɔ no,
When I was a son to my father, tender and the only child of my mother,
4 ɔkyerɛkyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Ma me nsɛm nni wʼakoma mu dɛm di me nkyerɛkyerɛ so na wobɛnya nkwa.
he taught me and said, “Let your heart lay hold of my words; keep my commands and you will live.
5 Nya nyansa, nya nteaseɛ; mma wo werɛ mfiri me nsɛm anaa ntwe wo ho mfiri ho.
Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn from them.
6 Nnya nyansa hɔ, na ɛbɛbɔ wo ho ban; dɔ no, na ɛbɛhwɛ wo so.
Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will guard you.
7 Nyansa boro biribiara so; enti hwehwɛ nyansa. Ɛwom sɛ ne boɔ te sɛ wʼahodeɛ nyinaa deɛ nanso nya nteaseɛ.
Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.
8 Di no nni na ɛbɛpagya wo; yɛ no atuu, na ɛbɛhyɛ wo animuonyam.
Prize her, and she will exalt you; if you embrace her, she will honor you.
9 Ɔde nkonimdie nhwiren hankra bɛgu wo tiri so na wama wo ahenkyɛ a ɛyɛ fɛ.”
She will set a garland of grace on your head; she will present you with a crown of beauty.”
10 Me ba, tie na fa deɛ meka no, na wo nkwanna bɛyɛ bebree.
Listen, my son, and receive my words, and the years of your life will be many.
11 Mɛkyerɛ wo nyansakwan na mede wo afa akwan a ɛtene so.
I will guide you in the way of wisdom; I will lead you on straight paths.
12 Sɛ wonante a, wʼanammɔntuo bɛkɔ yɛɛ na sɛ wotu mmirika a, worensunti.
When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Di nkyerɛkyerɛ so; na nnyaa mu bɔ ho ban yie, ɛfiri sɛ ɛyɛ wo nkwa.
Hold on to instruction; do not let go. Guard it, for it is your life.
14 Ntu wo nan nsi amumuyɛfoɔ kwan so na nnante abɔnefoɔ kwan so.
Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers.
15 Kwati no, ntu kwan mfa so; dane firi so na kɔ wo baabi.
Avoid it; do not travel on it. Turn from it and pass on by.
16 Ɛfiri sɛ wɔntumi nna kɔsi sɛ wɔbɛyɛ bɔne; na wɔntɔ nko kɔsi sɛ wɔbɛma obi ahwe ase.
For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; they are deprived of slumber until they make someone fall.
17 Amumuyɛsɛm yɛ wɔn aduane, na basabasayɛ yɛ wɔn nsa.
For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
18 Teneneefoɔ kwan te sɛ adekyeɛ hann a ɛdi ɛkan, ɛkɔ so hyerɛn yie kɔduru awia ketee.
The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.
19 Nanso, amumuyɛfoɔ kwan te sɛ esum kabii; wɔnnim deɛ ɛma wɔsunti.
But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble.
20 Me ba, yɛ aso ma deɛ meka; tie me nsɛm no yie.
My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Mma ɛmfiri wʼani so, fa sie wʼakoma mu;
Do not lose sight of them; keep them within your heart.
22 ɛfiri sɛ, ɛyɛ nkwa ma wɔn a wɔhunu ne akwahosan ma onipadua no nyinaa.
For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body.
23 Ne nyinaa akyi, bɔ wʼakoma ho ban, ɛfiri sɛ, ɛno ne wo nkwa asutire.
Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.
24 Mma akontonkyesɛm mfiri wʼano; mma nkontomposɛm mmɛn wʼano koraa.
Put away deception from your mouth; keep your lips from perverse speech.
25 Hwɛ wʼanim tee, na ma wʼani nkɔ deɛ ɛwɔ wʼanim no so.
Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead.
26 Bɔ ɛkwan tamaa ma wo nan na fa akwan a atim so.
Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure.
27 Mmane mfa nifa anaa benkum; twe wo nan firi bɔne ho.
Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil.
