Mmɛbusɛm 4
1 Me mma, montie me, montie agya nkyerɛkyerɛ; monyɛ aso na moanya nteaseɛ.
Hear, ye children, the correction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
2 Mema mo adenim a ɛkɔ anim, enti monnyaa me nkyerɛkyerɛ mu.
For good information do I give you: my teaching must ye not forsake.
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, a tender and an only child before my mother.
4 ɔkyerɛkyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Ma me nsɛm nni wʼakoma mu dɛm di me nkyerɛkyerɛ so na wobɛnya nkwa.
And he instructed me, and said unto me, Let thy heart grasp firmly my words: observe my commandments and live.
5 Nya nyansa, nya nteaseɛ; mma wo werɛ mfiri me nsɛm anaa ntwe wo ho mfiri ho.
Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding: forget not, and depart not from the sayings of my mouth.
6 Nnya nyansa hɔ, na ɛbɛbɔ wo ho ban; dɔ no, na ɛbɛhwɛ wo so.
Forsake her not, and she will watch over 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, Acquire wisdom: and with all thy acquisition acquire understanding.
8 Di no nni na ɛbɛpagya wo; yɛ no atuu, na ɛbɛhyɛ wo animuonyam.
Hold her in high esteem, and she will exalt thee: she will bring thee to honor, when thou embracest her.
9 Ɔde nkonimdie nhwiren hankra bɛgu wo tiri so na wama wo ahenkyɛ a ɛyɛ fɛ.”
She will give to thy head a wreath of grace: a crown of ornament will she deliver to thee.
10 Me ba, tie na fa deɛ meka no, na wo nkwanna bɛyɛ bebree.
Hear, O my son, and accept my sayings: and they will increase unto thee the years of life.
11 Mɛkyerɛ wo nyansakwan na mede wo afa akwan a ɛtene so.
In the way of wisdom have I instructed thee: I have led thee in the tracks of uprightness.
12 Sɛ wonante a, wʼanammɔntuo bɛkɔ yɛɛ na sɛ wotu mmirika a, worensunti.
When thou walkest, thy step shall not be narrowed; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
13 Di nkyerɛkyerɛ so; na nnyaa mu bɔ ho ban yie, ɛfiri sɛ ɛyɛ wo nkwa.
Lay fast hold of correction; 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 step not on the way of the bad.
15 Kwati no, ntu kwan mfa so; dane firi so na kɔ wo baabi.
Avoid it, pass not through by it, turn off 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 evil, and their sleep is robbed away, unless they cause some to stumble.
17 Amumuyɛsɛm yɛ wɔn aduane, na basabasayɛ yɛ wɔn nsa.
For they eat the bread of wickedness; and the wine of violence do they drink.
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 early morning light, that shineth more and more brightly until the height of noonday.
19 Nanso, amumuyɛfoɔ kwan te sɛ esum kabii; wɔnnim deɛ ɛma wɔsunti.
The way of the wicked is like darkness: they know not against what they stumble.
20 Me ba, yɛ aso ma deɛ meka; tie me nsɛm no yie.
My son, attend to my words, unto my sayings incline thy ear.
21 Mma ɛmfiri wʼani so, fa sie wʼakoma mu;
Let them not slip away from thy eyes: guard 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 every one of those that find them, and to all his body a healing.
23 Ne nyinaa akyi, bɔ wʼakoma ho ban, ɛfiri sɛ, ɛno ne wo nkwa asutire.
Above all that is to be guarded, keep thy heart, for out of it are the issues of life.
24 Mma akontonkyesɛm mfiri wʼano; mma nkontomposɛm mmɛn wʼano koraa.
Remove from thee frowardness of mouth; and perverseness of lips put away far from thee.
25 Hwɛ wʼanim tee, na ma wʼani nkɔ deɛ ɛwɔ wʼanim no so.
Let thy eyes look right forward, and let thy eyelids see straight out before thee.
26 Bɔ ɛkwan tamaa ma wo nan na fa akwan a atim so.
Balance well the track of thy foot, and let all thy ways be firmly right.
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.
