Mmɛbusɛm 5
1 Me ba, yɛ aso ma me nyansa; tie me nhunumu nsɛm no yie,
My son, attend to my wisdom, and bow your ear to my understanding:
2 sɛdeɛ ɛbɛma woahwɛ yie, na wʼano akora nimdeɛ.
That you may regard discretion, and that your lips may keep knowledge.
3 Ɛfiri sɛ ɔbaa dwamanfoɔ ano sosɔ ɛwoɔ, na ne kasa kɔ yɛɛ sene ngo;
For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:
4 nanso, awieeɛ no ɛyɛ nwono sene bɔnwoma, ɛyɛ nam sɛ akofena anofanu.
But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell. (Sheol h7585)
6 Ɔnnwene ɛkwan a ɛkɔ nkwa mu ho; nʼakwan yɛ kɔntɔnkye, nanso ɔnnim.
Lest you should ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that you can not know them.
7 Enti, afei, me mma, montie me; Monntwe mo ho mfiri deɛ meka ho.
Hear me now therefore, O you children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.
8 Ɛkwan a ɛmmɛn noɔ no na momfa so mommmɛn ne fie ɛpono ano,
Remove your way far from her, and come not near the door of her house:
9 anyɛ saa a, mode mo ahoɔden bɛma afoforɔ na mode mo mfeɛ ama otirimuɔdenfoɔ,
Lest you give your honor to others, and your years to the cruel:
10 anyɛ saa a, ahɔhoɔ bɛfom mo ahonyadeɛ na mobrɛ de ahonya akɔ afoforɔ fie.
Lest strangers be filled with your wealth; and your labors be in the house of a stranger;
11 Mo nkwanna akyi, mobɛsi apinie ɛberɛ a mo honam ne mo onipadua asa no.
And you mourn at the last, when your flesh and your body are consumed,
12 Na moaka sɛ, “Na mekyiri ahohyɛsoɔ! Mʼakoma ampɛ ntenesoɔ!
And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;
13 Manyɛ ɔsetie amma mʼakyerɛkyerɛfoɔ na mantie mʼakwankyerɛfoɔ asɛm.
And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined my ear to them that instructed me!
14 Maduru ɔsɛeɛ ntɛntɛnoa wɔ asafo no nyinaa mu.”
I was almost in all evil in the middle of the congregation and assembly.
15 Nom nsuo firi wʼankasa ankorɛ mu, nsuo a ɛtene firi wʼankasa abura mu.
Drink waters out of your own cistern, and running waters out of your own well.
16 Ɛsɛ sɛ wo nsutire yiri fa mmɔntene so na wo nsuwa kokɔ ɔman adwaberem anaa?
Let your fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.
17 Ma ɛnyɛ wo nko ara dea, a wone ahɔhoɔ nnkyɛ da.
Let them be only your own, and not strangers’ with you.
18 Nhyira nka wʼasubura na wʼani nka wʼababunuberɛ mu yere ho.
Let your fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of your youth.
19 Ɔte sɛ ɔtwe bereɛ dɔfoɔ, ɔwansane animuonyamfoɔ. Ma ne nufoɔ nsɔ wʼani daa na ne dɔ nkyekyere wo.
Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy you at all times; and be you ravished always with her love.
20 Me ba, adɛn enti na woma ɔbaa dwamanfoɔ kyekyere wo? Adɛn enti na woda ɔbarima foforɔ bi yere kokom?
And why will you, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?
21 Awurade hunu onipa akwan nyinaa, na ɔhwehwɛ ne nyinaa mu.
For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his goings.
22 Omumuyɛfoɔ nnebɔne sum no afidie; na ne bɔne nhoma kyekyere no papee.
His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be held with the cords of his sins.
23 Ɔbɛwu ɛsiane ahohyɛsoɔ a ɔnni enti, na wayera ɛsiane nʼagyegyentwisɛm enti.
He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
