Mmɛbusɛm 5
1 Me ba, yɛ aso ma me nyansa; tie me nhunumu nsɛm no yie,
My son, attend to my wisdom. And bow thine ear to my understanding;
2 sɛdeɛ ɛbɛma woahwɛ yie, na wʼano akora nimdeɛ.
That thou mayest keep discretion, And that thy lips may preserve knowledge!
3 Ɛfiri sɛ ɔbaa dwamanfoɔ ano sosɔ ɛwoɔ, na ne kasa kɔ yɛɛ sene ngo;
Truly, the lips of a strange woman drop honey, 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 lay hold of the under-world. (Sheol h7585)
6 Ɔnnwene ɛkwan a ɛkɔ nkwa mu ho; nʼakwan yɛ kɔntɔnkye, nanso ɔnnim.
That she may not ponder the way of life, Her paths waver when she heedeth it not.
7 Enti, afei, me mma, montie me; Monntwe mo ho mfiri deɛ meka ho.
Hear me now, therefore, O children! And turn not away 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 thy bloom to others, And thy years to a cruel one;
10 anyɛ saa a, ahɔhoɔ bɛfom mo ahonyadeɛ na mobrɛ de ahonya akɔ afoforɔ fie.
Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth, And thine earnings be in the house of an alien;
11 Mo nkwanna akyi, mobɛsi apinie ɛberɛ a mo honam ne mo onipadua asa no.
And lest thou mourn in thy latter end. 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 how hath my heart despised reproof!
13 Manyɛ ɔsetie amma mʼakyerɛkyerɛfoɔ na mantie mʼakwankyerɛfoɔ asɛm.
I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, Nor inclined mine ear to my instructors;
14 Maduru ɔsɛeɛ ntɛntɛnoa wɔ asafo no nyinaa mu.”
I have well-nigh fallen into utter misery; In the midst of the congregation and the assembly.”
15 Nom nsuo firi wʼankasa ankorɛ mu, nsuo a ɛtene firi wʼankasa abura mu.
Drink water out of thine own cistern. And running water out of thine own well:
16 Ɛsɛ sɛ wo nsutire yiri fa mmɔntene so na wo nsuwa kokɔ ɔman adwaberem anaa?
So shall thy fountains overflow in the streets, In the wide streets, as streams of water;
17 Ma ɛnyɛ wo nko ara dea, a wone ahɔhoɔ nnkyɛ da.
They shall belong to thee alone, And not to strangers with thee;
18 Nhyira nka wʼasubura na wʼani nka wʼababunuberɛ mu yere ho.
And thy fountain shall be blessed, Yea, thou shalt have joy in the wife of thy youth.
19 Ɔte sɛ ɔtwe bereɛ dɔfoɔ, ɔwansane animuonyamfoɔ. Ma ne nufoɔ nsɔ wʼani daa na ne dɔ nkyekyere wo.
A lovely hind, a graceful doe, Her breasts shall satisfy thee at all times, And thou shalt be always ravished with her love.
20 Me ba, adɛn enti na woma ɔbaa dwamanfoɔ kyekyere wo? Adɛn enti na woda ɔbarima foforɔ bi yere kokom?
Why, then, my son, wilt thou be ravished with a wanton, 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 weigheth well all his paths.
22 Omumuyɛfoɔ nnebɔne sum no afidie; na ne bɔne nhoma kyekyere no papee.
His own iniquities shall ensnare the wicked; Yea, he shall be held fast by the cords of his own sins.
23 Ɔbɛwu ɛsiane ahohyɛsoɔ a ɔnni enti, na wayera ɛsiane nʼagyegyentwisɛm enti.
He shall die for want of instruction; Yea, through the greatness of his folly he shall stagger.
