Mmɛbusɛm 4
1 Me mma, montie me, montie agya nkyerɛkyerɛ; monyɛ aso na moanya nteaseɛ.
Hear, you 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 you not my law.
3 Meyɛ ɔbabanin wɔ mʼagya fie, meda so yɛ abadomaa na me maame di me bakorɔ no,
For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
4 ɔkyerɛkyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Ma me nsɛm nni wʼakoma mu dɛm di me nkyerɛkyerɛ so na wobɛnya nkwa.
He taught me also, and said to me, Let your heart retain 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 it 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 preserve you: love her, and she shall keep you.
7 Nyansa boro biribiara so; enti hwehwɛ nyansa. Ɛwom sɛ ne boɔ te sɛ wʼahodeɛ nyinaa deɛ nanso nya nteaseɛ.
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all your getting get understanding.
8 Di no nni na ɛbɛpagya wo; yɛ no atuu, na ɛbɛhyɛ wo animuonyam.
Exalt her, and she shall promote you: she shall bring you to honor, when you do embrace her.
9 Ɔde nkonimdie nhwiren hankra bɛgu wo tiri so na wama wo ahenkyɛ a ɛyɛ fɛ.”
She shall give to your head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to you.
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 your life shall be many.
11 Mɛkyerɛ wo nyansakwan na mede wo afa akwan a ɛtene so.
I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths.
12 Sɛ wonante a, wʼanammɔntuo bɛkɔ yɛɛ na sɛ wotu mmirika a, worensunti.
When you go, your steps shall not be straitened; and when you run, you shall 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 your life.
14 Ntu wo nan nsi amumuyɛfoɔ kwan so na nnante abɔnefoɔ kwan so.
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go 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 away.
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 mischief; 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 just is as the shining light, that shines more and more to 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 your ear to my sayings.
21 Mma ɛmfiri wʼani so, fa sie wʼakoma mu;
Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the middle of your 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 your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
24 Mma akontonkyesɛm mfiri wʼano; mma nkontomposɛm mmɛn wʼano koraa.
Put away from you a fraudulent mouth, and perverse lips put far from you.
25 Hwɛ wʼanim tee, na ma wʼani nkɔ deɛ ɛwɔ wʼanim no so.
Let your eyes look right on, and let your eyelids look straight before you.
26 Bɔ ɛkwan tamaa ma wo nan na fa akwan a atim so.
Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your 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 your foot from evil.
