Mmɛbusɛm 4
1 Me mma, montie me, montie agya nkyerɛkyerɛ; monyɛ aso na moanya nteaseɛ.
Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
2 Mema mo adenim a ɛkɔ anim, enti monnyaa me nkyerɛkyerɛ mu.
For I give you a good gift; forsake ye not my law.
3 Meyɛ ɔbabanin wɔ mʼagya fie, meda so yɛ abadomaa na me maame di me bakorɔ no,
For I also was a son obedient to [my] father, and loved in the sight of [my] mother:
4 ɔkyerɛkyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Ma me nsɛm nni wʼakoma mu dɛm di me nkyerɛkyerɛ so na wobɛnya nkwa.
who spoke and instructed me, [saying], Let our speech be fixed in thine heart, keep [our] commandments, forget them not:
5 Nya nyansa, nya nteaseɛ; mma wo werɛ mfiri me nsɛm anaa ntwe wo ho mfiri ho.
and do not neglect the speech of my mouth.
6 Nnya nyansa hɔ, na ɛbɛbɔ wo ho ban; dɔ no, na ɛbɛhwɛ wo so.
And forsake it not, and it shall cleave to thee: love it, and it shall keep thee.
7 Nyansa boro biribiara so; enti hwehwɛ nyansa. Ɛwom sɛ ne boɔ te sɛ wʼahodeɛ nyinaa deɛ nanso nya nteaseɛ.
8 Di no nni na ɛbɛpagya wo; yɛ no atuu, na ɛbɛhyɛ wo animuonyam.
Secure it, and it shall exalt thee: honour it, that it may embrace thee;
9 Ɔde nkonimdie nhwiren hankra bɛgu wo tiri so na wama wo ahenkyɛ a ɛyɛ fɛ.”
that it may give unto thy head a crown of graces, and may cover thee with a crown of delight.
10 Me ba, tie na fa deɛ meka no, na wo nkwanna bɛyɛ bebree.
Hear, [my] son, and receive my words; and the years of thy life shall be increased, that the resources of thy life may be many.
11 Mɛkyerɛ wo nyansakwan na mede wo afa akwan a ɛtene so.
For I teach thee the ways of wisdom; and I cause thee to go in right paths.
12 Sɛ wonante a, wʼanammɔntuo bɛkɔ yɛɛ na sɛ wotu mmirika a, worensunti.
For when thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not be distressed.
13 Di nkyerɛkyerɛ so; na nnyaa mu bɔ ho ban yie, ɛfiri sɛ ɛyɛ wo nkwa.
Take hold of my instruction; let it not go, —but keep it for thyself for thy life.
14 Ntu wo nan nsi amumuyɛfoɔ kwan so na nnante abɔnefoɔ kwan so.
Go not in the ways of the ungodly, neither covet the ways of transgressors.
15 Kwati no, ntu kwan mfa so; dane firi so na kɔ wo baabi.
In whatever place they shall pitch their camp, go not thither; but turn from them, and pass away.
16 Ɛfiri sɛ wɔntumi nna kɔsi sɛ wɔbɛyɛ bɔne; na wɔntɔ nko kɔsi sɛ wɔbɛma obi ahwe ase.
For they cannot sleep, unless they have done evil: their sleep is taken away, and they rest not.
17 Amumuyɛsɛm yɛ wɔn aduane, na basabasayɛ yɛ wɔn nsa.
For these live upon the bread of ungodliness, and are drunken with wine of transgression.
18 Teneneefoɔ kwan te sɛ adekyeɛ hann a ɛdi ɛkan, ɛkɔ so hyerɛn yie kɔduru awia ketee.
But the ways of the righteous shine like light; they go on and shine, until the day be fully come.
19 Nanso, amumuyɛfoɔ kwan te sɛ esum kabii; wɔnnim deɛ ɛma wɔsunti.
But the ways of the ungodly are dark; they know not how they stumble.
20 Me ba, yɛ aso ma deɛ meka; tie me nsɛm no yie.
[My] son, attend to my speech; and apply thine ear to my words:
21 Mma ɛmfiri wʼani so, fa sie wʼakoma mu;
that thy fountains may not fail thee; keep them in [thine] heart.
22 ɛfiri sɛ, ɛyɛ nkwa ma wɔn a wɔhunu ne akwahosan ma onipadua no nyinaa.
For they are life to those that find them, and health to all [their] flesh.
23 Ne nyinaa akyi, bɔ wʼakoma ho ban, ɛfiri sɛ, ɛno ne wo nkwa asutire.
Keep thine heart with the utmost care; for out of these are the issues of life.
24 Mma akontonkyesɛm mfiri wʼano; mma nkontomposɛm mmɛn wʼano koraa.
Remove from thee a froward mouth, and put far away from thee unjust lips.
25 Hwɛ wʼanim tee, na ma wʼani nkɔ deɛ ɛwɔ wʼanim no so.
Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids assent [to] just [things].
26 Bɔ ɛkwan tamaa ma wo nan na fa akwan a atim so.
Make straight paths for thy feet, and order thy ways aright.
27 Mmane mfa nifa anaa benkum; twe wo nan firi bɔne ho.
Turn not aside to the right hand nor to the left, but turn away thy foot from an evil way.
