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 good doctrine; forsake ye not my teaching.
3 Meyɛ ɔbabanin wɔ mʼagya fie, meda so yɛ abadomaa na me maame di me bakorɔ no,
For I was a son unto my father, tender and an only one 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 unto me: 'Let thy heart hold fast my words, keep my commandments, and live;
5 Nya nyansa, nya nteaseɛ; mma wo werɛ mfiri me nsɛm anaa ntwe wo ho mfiri ho.
Get wisdom, get understanding; 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 will preserve thee; love her, and she will keep 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 is: Get wisdom; yea, with all thy getting get understanding.
8 Di no nni na ɛbɛpagya wo; yɛ no atuu, na ɛbɛhyɛ wo animuonyam.
Extol her, and she will exalt thee; she will bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
9 Ɔde nkonimdie nhwiren hankra bɛgu wo tiri so na wama wo ahenkyɛ a ɛyɛ fɛ.”
She will give to thy head a chaplet of grace; a crown of glory will she bestow on thee.'
10 Me ba, tie na fa deɛ meka no, na wo nkwanna bɛyɛ bebree.
Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.
11 Mɛkyerɛ wo nyansakwan na mede wo afa akwan a ɛtene so.
I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in paths of uprightness.
12 Sɛ wonante a, wʼanammɔntuo bɛkɔ yɛɛ na sɛ wotu mmirika a, worensunti.
When thou goest, thy step shall not be straitened; and if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
13 Di nkyerɛkyerɛ so; na nnyaa mu bɔ ho ban yie, ɛfiri sɛ ɛyɛ wo nkwa.
Take fast hold of instruction, let her not go; keep her, for she is thy life.
14 Ntu wo nan nsi amumuyɛfoɔ kwan so na nnante abɔnefoɔ kwan so.
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and walk not in the way of evil men.
15 Kwati no, ntu kwan mfa so; dane firi so na kɔ wo baabi.
Avoid it, pass not by it; turn from it, and pass on.
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 cause some to 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.
But the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
19 Nanso, amumuyɛfoɔ kwan te sɛ esum kabii; wɔnnim deɛ ɛma wɔsunti.
The way of the wicked is as darkness; they know not at what they stumble.
20 Me ba, yɛ aso ma deɛ meka; tie me nsɛm no yie.
My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
21 Mma ɛmfiri wʼani so, fa sie wʼakoma mu;
Let them not depart from thine 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 unto 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.
Above all that thou guardest keep thy heart; for out of it are the issues of life.
24 Mma akontonkyesɛm mfiri wʼano; mma nkontomposɛm mmɛn wʼano koraa.
Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
25 Hwɛ wʼanim tee, na ma wʼani nkɔ deɛ ɛwɔ wʼanim no so.
Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
26 Bɔ ɛkwan tamaa ma wo nan na fa akwan a atim so.
Make plain the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
27 Mmane mfa nifa anaa benkum; twe wo nan firi bɔne ho.
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.
