Mmɛbusɛm 6
1 Me ba, sɛ woadi akagyinamu ama ɔyɔnko bi, sɛ wode wo biribi asi awowa ama obi,
My sonne, if thou be surety for thy neighbour, and hast striken hands with the stranger,
2 sɛ deɛ wokaeɛ ayi ka ama wo na sɛ wʼano asɛm afidie ayi wo a,
Thou art snared with the wordes of thy mouth: thou art euen taken with the woordes of thine owne mouth.
3 ɛnneɛ yɛ yei, me ba, na fa tete wo ho, sɛ ɔyɔnko nsa aka woɔ no nti: fa ahobrɛaseɛ kɔ nʼanim; na kɔ so pa wo yɔnko no kyɛw!
Doe this nowe, my sonne, and deliuer thy selfe: seeing thou art come into the hande of thy neighbour, goe, and humble thy selfe, and sollicite thy friends.
4 Mma wʼani nkum na nntɔ nko.
Giue no sleepe to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
5 Gye wo ho, sɛdeɛ ɔforoteɛ dwane firi ɔbɔmmɔfoɔ nsam anaa sɛdeɛ anomaa dwane firi fidisumfoɔ afidie mu.
Deliuer thy selfe as a doe from the hande of the hunter, and as a birde from the hande of the fouler.
6 Ɔkwadwofoɔ, kɔ atɛtea nkyɛn; hwɛ nʼakwan, na hunu nyansa!
Goe to the pismire, O sluggarde: beholde her waies, and be wise.
7 Ɔnni ɔsahene, ɔnni ɔhwɛfoɔ anaa sodifoɔ bi,
For shee hauing no guide, gouernour, nor ruler,
8 nanso, ɔde aduane sie wɔ ahuhuro ɛberɛ mu ɔboaboa nnuane ano wɔ twaberɛ.
Prepareth her meat in the sommer, and gathereth her foode in haruest.
9 Wo, ɔkwadwofoɔ, wobɛda akɔsi da bɛn? Wɔbɛnyane ɛberɛ bɛn?
Howe long wilt thou sleepe, O sluggarde? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleepe?
10 Nna kakra, nkotɔ kakra, nsa a woabobɔ de rehome kakra,
Yet a litle sleepe, a litle slumber, a litle folding of the hands to sleepe.
11 ɛbɛma ohia aba wo so sɛ ɔkwanmukafoɔ na ahokyere ato ahyɛ wo so sɛ deɛ ɔkura tuo.
Therefore thy pouertie commeth as one that trauaileth by the way, and thy necessitie like an armed man.
12 Onipa teta ne ohuhuni a ɔde atorɔ kyini,
The vnthriftie man and the wicked man walketh with a froward mouth.
13 deɛ ɔbu nʼani, na ɔde ne nan yɛ nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ na ɔde ne nsateaa kyerɛkyerɛ adeɛ,
He maketh a signe with his eyes: he signifieth with his feete: he instructeth with his fingers.
14 deɛ ɔde nʼakoma mu nnaadaa bɔ ɛpɔ bɔne, na ɔde mpaapaemu ba ɛberɛ biara.
Lewde things are in his heart: he imagineth euill at all times, and raiseth vp contentions.
15 Ɛno enti amanehunu bɛba ne so prɛko pɛ; wɔbɛsɛe no mpofirim, a wɔrenya ano aduro.
Therefore shall his destruction come speedily: hee shall be destroyed suddenly without recouerie.
16 Nneɛma nsia na Awurade mpɛ, nneɛma nson na ɛyɛ nʼakyiwadeɛ:
These sixe things doeth the Lord hate: yea, his soule abhorreth seuen:
17 ani a ɛtra ntɔn, atorɔ tɛkrɛma, nsa a ɛka mogya a ɛdi bem guo,
The hautie eyes, a lying tongue, and the hands that shed innocent blood,
18 akoma a ɛdwene amumuyɛ ho, nan a ɛtutu mmirika kɔyɛ bɔne,
An heart that imagineth wicked enterprises, feete that be swift in running to mischiefe,
19 Ɔdansekurumni a ɔdi atorɔ ne onipa a ɔde mpaapaemu ba anuanom mu.
A false witnesse that speaketh lyes, and him that rayseth vp contentions among brethren.
20 Me ba, tie wʼagya ahyɛdeɛ na nnyaa wo maame nkyerɛkyerɛ mu.
My sonne, keepe thy fathers commandement, and forsake not thy mothers instruction.
21 Fa kyekyere wʼakoma ho daa; na fa kyekyere wɔ kɔn mu.
Binde them alway vpon thine heart, and tye them about thy necke.
22 Wonante a, ɛbɛkyerɛ wo ɛkwan; sɛ woda a, ɛbɛwɛn wo; sɛ wonyane a, ɛbɛkasa akyerɛ wo.
It shall leade thee, when thou walkest: it shall watch for thee, when thou sleepest, and when thou wakest, it shall talke with thee.
23 Na saa ahyɛdeɛ yi yɛ kanea; saa nkyerɛkyerɛ yi yɛ hann, na ahohyɛsoɔ ntenesoɔ yi yɛ nkwa kwan,
For the commandement is a lanterne, and instruction a light: and corrections for instruction are the way of life,
24 ɛtwe wo firi ɔbaa a ɔnni suban pa no ho, firi ɔbaawarefoɔ sansani tɛkrɛmadɛ ho.
To keepe thee from the wicked woman, and from ye flatterie of ye tongue of a strange woman.
25 Mma wo kɔn nnɔ nʼahoɔfɛ mma nʼani akyideda no ntwetwe wo,
Desire not her beautie in thine heart, neither let her take thee with her eye lids.
26 ɛfiri sɛ, odwamanfoɔ de animguaseɛ bɛbrɛ wo, na obi yere gyegye wo kɔ owuo mu.
For because of the whorish woman a man is brought to a morsell of bread, and a woman wil hunt for the precious life of a man.
27 Obi bɛtumi asɔ ogya agu ne srɛ so a ɛnhye nʼatadeɛ anaa?
Can a man take fire in his bosome, and his clothes not be burnt?
28 Obi bɛtumi anante gyasramma so a mpumpunnya mmobɔ ne nan ho anaa?
Or can a man go vpon coales, and his feete not be burnt?
29 Saa na ɔbarima a ɔne ɔbarima foforɔ yere da no teɛ obiara a ɔde ne nsa bɛka noɔ no remfa ne ho nni da.
So he that goeth in to his neighbours wife, shall not be innocent, whosoeuer toucheth her.
30 Nnipa mmu ɔkorɔmfoɔ a wakɔwia adeɛ animtiaa sɛ ɛkɔm de no na ɔde rekɔdwodwo ano enti.
Men do not despise a thiefe, when he stealeth, to satisfie his soule, because he is hungrie.
31 Mmom sɛ wɔkyere no a, ɛsɛ sɛ ɔtua ka mmɔho nson; sɛ ɛhia sɛ wɔtɔn ne fie agyapadeɛ nyinaa mpo a, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtɔn.
But if he be founde, he shall restore seuen folde, or he shall giue all the substance of his house.
32 Ɔbarima a ɔsɛe awadeɛ no nni adwene; obiara a ɔyɛ saa no sɛe ne ho.
But he that committeth adulterie with a woman, he is destitute of vnderstanding: he that doeth it, destroyeth his owne soule.
33 Ɔboro ne animguaseɛ na ɔbɛnya, na nʼahohora rempepa da.
He shall finde a wounde and dishonour, and his reproch shall neuer be put away.
34 Ninkunutweɛ hwanyane okunu abufuo na sɛ ɔtɔ were a, ahummɔborɔ biara nni mu.
For ielousie is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35 Ɔrennye mpata biara; na ɔbɛpo adanmudeɛ, sɛ ɛso sɛ ɛdeɛn mpo a.
He cannot beare the sight of any raunsome: neither will he consent, though thou augment the giftes.
