Mmɛbusɛm 5
1 Me ba, yɛ aso ma me nyansa; tie me nhunumu nsɛm no yie,
My son, attend unto my wisdom; to my understanding incline thou thy ear:
2 sɛdeɛ ɛbɛma woahwɛ yie, na wʼano akora nimdeɛ.
That thou mayest observe discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.
3 Ɛfiri sɛ ɔbaa dwamanfoɔ ano sosɔ ɛwoɔ, na ne kasa kɔ yɛɛ sene ngo;
For as of fine honey drop the lips of an adulterous woman, and smoother than oil is her palate;
4 nanso, awieeɛ no ɛyɛ nwono sene bɔnwoma, ɛyɛ nam sɛ akofena anofanu.
But her end is bitter as wormwood, it is sharp as a two-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death, her steps take firm hold on the nether world: (Sheol h7585)
6 Ɔnnwene ɛkwan a ɛkɔ nkwa mu ho; nʼakwan yɛ kɔntɔnkye, nanso ɔnnim.
So that she cannot balance the path of life; her tracks are unsteady, and she knoweth it not.
7 Enti, afei, me mma, montie me; Monntwe mo ho mfiri deɛ meka ho.
And now, O ye children, hearken unto me, and depart not from the sayings of my mouth.
8 Ɛkwan a ɛmmɛn noɔ no na momfa so mommmɛn ne fie ɛpono ano,
Remove far from her thy way, and come not nigh to the door of her house;
9 anyɛ saa a, mode mo ahoɔden bɛma afoforɔ na mode mo mfeɛ ama otirimuɔdenfoɔ,
That thou mayest not give up unto others thy vigor, and thy years unto the cruel;
10 anyɛ saa a, ahɔhoɔ bɛfom mo ahonyadeɛ na mobrɛ de ahonya akɔ afoforɔ fie.
That strangers may not satisfy themselves with thy strength, and with thy exertions, in the house of an alien:
11 Mo nkwanna akyi, mobɛsi apinie ɛberɛ a mo honam ne mo onipadua asa no.
While thou moanest at thy end, when thy flesh and thy body are coming to their end,
12 Na moaka sɛ, “Na mekyiri ahohyɛsoɔ! Mʼakoma ampɛ ntenesoɔ!
And thou sayest, How have I hated correction, and how hath my heart rejected reproof;
13 Manyɛ ɔsetie amma mʼakyerɛkyerɛfoɔ na mantie mʼakwankyerɛfoɔ asɛm.
While I hearkened not to the voice of my instructors, and to my teachers I inclined not my ear;
14 Maduru ɔsɛeɛ ntɛntɛnoa wɔ asafo no nyinaa mu.”
But little more was wanting, and I had been in all [kinds of] unhappiness in the midst of the congregation and assembly.
15 Nom nsuo firi wʼankasa ankorɛ mu, nsuo a ɛtene firi wʼankasa abura mu.
Drink water out of thy own cistern, and running waters out of thy own well.
16 Ɛsɛ sɛ wo nsutire yiri fa mmɔntene so na wo nsuwa kokɔ ɔman adwaberem anaa?
So will thy springs overflow abroad; and in the open streets will be thy rivulets of water;
17 Ma ɛnyɛ wo nko ara dea, a wone ahɔhoɔ nnkyɛ da.
They will be thy own only, and not those of strangers with thee.
18 Nhyira nka wʼasubura na wʼani nka wʼababunuberɛ mu yere ho.
Thy fountain will 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.
The lovely gazelle and the graceful chamois: let her bosom satisfy thee abundantly at all times; with her love be thou ravished continually.
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 an adulteress, and embrace the bosom of an alien woman?
21 Awurade hunu onipa akwan nyinaa, na ɔhwehwɛ ne nyinaa mu.
For before the eyes of the Lord are the ways of man, and all his tracks doth he weigh in the balance.
22 Omumuyɛfoɔ nnebɔne sum no afidie; na ne bɔne nhoma kyekyere no papee.
His own iniquities will truly catch the wicked, and with the cords of his sin will he be held firmly.
23 Ɔbɛwu ɛsiane ahohyɛsoɔ a ɔnni enti, na wayera ɛsiane nʼagyegyentwisɛm enti.
He will indeed die for want of correction; and through the abundance of his folly will he sink into error.
