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 that you may know prudence.
2 Mema mo adenim a ɛkɔ anim, enti monnyaa me nkyerɛkyerɛ mu.
I will give you a good gift, forsake not my law.
3 Meyɛ ɔbabanin wɔ mʼagya fie, meda so yɛ abadomaa na me maame di me bakorɔ no,
For I also was my father’s son, tender and as an only son in the sight of my mother:
4 ɔkyerɛkyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Ma me nsɛm nni wʼakoma mu dɛm di me nkyerɛkyerɛ so na wobɛnya nkwa.
And he taught me, and said: Let thy heart receive my words, keep my commandments, and thou shalt live.
5 Nya nyansa, nya nteaseɛ; mma wo werɛ mfiri me nsɛm anaa ntwe wo ho mfiri ho.
Get wisdom, get prudence: forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth.
6 Nnya nyansa hɔ, na ɛbɛbɔ wo ho ban; dɔ no, na ɛbɛhwɛ wo so.
Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee: love her, and she shall preserve thee.
7 Nyansa boro biribiara so; enti hwehwɛ nyansa. Ɛwom sɛ ne boɔ te sɛ wʼahodeɛ nyinaa deɛ nanso nya nteaseɛ.
The beginning of wisdom, get wisdom, and with all thy possession purchase prudence.
8 Di no nni na ɛbɛpagya wo; yɛ no atuu, na ɛbɛhyɛ wo animuonyam.
Take hold on her, and she shall exalt thee: thou shalt be glorified by her, when thou shalt embrace her.
9 Ɔde nkonimdie nhwiren hankra bɛgu wo tiri so na wama wo ahenkyɛ a ɛyɛ fɛ.”
She shall give to thy head increase of graces, and protect thee with a noble crown.
10 Me ba, tie na fa deɛ meka no, na wo nkwanna bɛyɛ bebree.
Hear, O my son, and receive my words, that years of life may be multiplied to thee.
11 Mɛkyerɛ wo nyansakwan na mede wo afa akwan a ɛtene so.
I will shew thee the way of wisdom, I will lead thee by the paths of equity:
12 Sɛ wonante a, wʼanammɔntuo bɛkɔ yɛɛ na sɛ wotu mmirika a, worensunti.
Which when thou shalt have entered, thy steps shall not be straitened, and when thou runnest thou shalt not meet a stumblingblock.
13 Di nkyerɛkyerɛ so; na nnyaa mu bɔ ho ban yie, ɛfiri sɛ ɛyɛ wo nkwa.
Take hold on instruction, leave it not: keep it, because it is thy life.
14 Ntu wo nan nsi amumuyɛfoɔ kwan so na nnante abɔnefoɔ kwan so.
Be not delighted in the paths of the wicked, neither let the way of evil men please thee.
15 Kwati no, ntu kwan mfa so; dane firi so na kɔ wo baabi.
Flee from it, pass not by it: go aside, and forsake it.
16 Ɛfiri sɛ wɔntumi nna kɔsi sɛ wɔbɛyɛ bɔne; na wɔntɔ nko kɔsi sɛ wɔbɛma obi ahwe ase.
For they sleep not except they have done evil: and their sleep is taken away unless they have made some to fall.
17 Amumuyɛsɛm yɛ wɔn aduane, na basabasayɛ yɛ wɔn nsa.
They eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of iniquity.
18 Teneneefoɔ kwan te sɛ adekyeɛ hann a ɛdi ɛkan, ɛkɔ so hyerɛn yie kɔduru awia ketee.
But the path of the just, as a shining light, goeth forwards and increaseth even to perfect day.
19 Nanso, amumuyɛfoɔ kwan te sɛ esum kabii; wɔnnim deɛ ɛma wɔsunti.
The way of the wicked is darksome: they know not where they fall.
20 Me ba, yɛ aso ma deɛ meka; tie me nsɛm no yie.
My son, hearken to my words, and incline thy ear to my sayings.
21 Mma ɛmfiri wʼani so, fa sie wʼakoma mu;
Let them not depart from thy eyes, keep them in the midst of thy 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 flesh.
23 Ne nyinaa akyi, bɔ wʼakoma ho ban, ɛfiri sɛ, ɛno ne wo nkwa asutire.
With all watchfulness keep thy heart, because life issueth out from it.
24 Mma akontonkyesɛm mfiri wʼano; mma nkontomposɛm mmɛn wʼano koraa.
Remove from thee a froward mouth, and let detracting lips be far from thee.
25 Hwɛ wʼanim tee, na ma wʼani nkɔ deɛ ɛwɔ wʼanim no so.
Let thy eyes look straight on, and let thy eyelids go before thy steps.
26 Bɔ ɛkwan tamaa ma wo nan na fa akwan a atim so.
Make straight the path for thy feet, and all thy ways shall be established.
27 Mmane mfa nifa anaa benkum; twe wo nan firi bɔne ho.
Decline not to the right hand, nor to the left: turn away thy foot from evil. For the Lord knoweth the ways that are on the right hand: but those are perverse which are on the left hand. But he will make thy courses straight, he will bring forward thy ways in peace.
