Mmɛbusɛm 5
1 Me ba, yɛ aso ma me nyansa; tie me nhunumu nsɛm no yie,
My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:
2 sɛdeɛ ɛbɛma woahwɛ yie, na wʼano akora nimdeɛ.
That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy 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 twoedged 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 thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.
7 Enti, afei, me mma, montie me; Monntwe mo ho mfiri deɛ meka ho.
Hear me now therefore, O ye 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 thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:
9 anyɛ saa a, mode mo ahoɔden bɛma afoforɔ na mode mo mfeɛ ama otirimuɔdenfoɔ,
Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel:
10 anyɛ saa a, ahɔhoɔ bɛfom mo ahonyadeɛ na mobrɛ de ahonya akɔ afoforɔ fie.
Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger;
11 Mo nkwanna akyi, mobɛsi apinie ɛberɛ a mo honam ne mo onipadua asa no.
And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy 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 mine ear to them that instructed me!
14 Maduru ɔsɛeɛ ntɛntɛnoa wɔ asafo no nyinaa mu.”
I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.
15 Nom nsuo firi wʼankasa ankorɛ mu, nsuo a ɛtene firi wʼankasa abura mu.
Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
16 Ɛsɛ sɛ wo nsutire yiri fa mmɔntene so na wo nsuwa kokɔ ɔman adwaberem anaa?
Let thy 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 thine own, and not strangers' with thee.
18 Nhyira nka wʼasubura na wʼani nka wʼababunuberɛ mu yere ho.
Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy 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 thee at all times; and be thou 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 wilt thou, 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 YHWH, and he pondereth 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 holden 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.
