Mmɛbusɛm 6
1 Me ba, sɛ woadi akagyinamu ama ɔyɔnko bi, sɛ wode wo biribi asi awowa ama obi,
My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, [if] thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,
2 sɛ deɛ wokaeɛ ayi ka ama wo na sɛ wʼano asɛm afidie ayi wo a,
Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy 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!
Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.
4 Mma wʼani nkum na nntɔ nko.
Give not sleep 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.
Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand [of the hunter], and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Ɔkwadwofoɔ, kɔ atɛtea nkyɛn; hwɛ nʼakwan, na hunu nyansa!
Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
7 Ɔnni ɔsahene, ɔnni ɔhwɛfoɔ anaa sodifoɔ bi,
Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
8 nanso, ɔde aduane sie wɔ ahuhuro ɛberɛ mu ɔboaboa nnuane ano wɔ twaberɛ.
Provideth her meat in the summer, [and] gathereth her food in the harvest.
9 Wo, ɔkwadwofoɔ, wobɛda akɔsi da bɛn? Wɔbɛnyane ɛberɛ bɛn?
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
10 Nna kakra, nkotɔ kakra, nsa a woabobɔ de rehome kakra,
[Yet] a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
11 ɛbɛma ohia aba wo so sɛ ɔkwanmukafoɔ na ahokyere ato ahyɛ wo so sɛ deɛ ɔkura tuo.
So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.
12 Onipa teta ne ohuhuni a ɔde atorɔ kyini,
A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.
13 deɛ ɔbu nʼani, na ɔde ne nan yɛ nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ na ɔde ne nsateaa kyerɛkyerɛ adeɛ,
He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;
14 deɛ ɔde nʼakoma mu nnaadaa bɔ ɛpɔ bɔne, na ɔde mpaapaemu ba ɛberɛ biara.
Frowardness [is] in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.
15 Ɛno enti amanehunu bɛba ne so prɛko pɛ; wɔbɛsɛe no mpofirim, a wɔrenya ano aduro.
Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.
16 Nneɛma nsia na Awurade mpɛ, nneɛma nson na ɛyɛ nʼakyiwadeɛ:
These six [things] doth the LORD hate: yea, seven [are] an abomination unto him:
17 ani a ɛtra ntɔn, atorɔ tɛkrɛma, nsa a ɛka mogya a ɛdi bem guo,
A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 akoma a ɛdwene amumuyɛ ho, nan a ɛtutu mmirika kɔyɛ bɔne,
An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19 Ɔdansekurumni a ɔdi atorɔ ne onipa a ɔde mpaapaemu ba anuanom mu.
A false witness [that] speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
20 Me ba, tie wʼagya ahyɛdeɛ na nnyaa wo maame nkyerɛkyerɛ mu.
My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
21 Fa kyekyere wʼakoma ho daa; na fa kyekyere wɔ kɔn mu.
Bind them continually upon thine heart, [and] tie them about thy neck.
22 Wonante a, ɛbɛkyerɛ wo ɛkwan; sɛ woda a, ɛbɛwɛn wo; sɛ wonyane a, ɛbɛkasa akyerɛ wo.
When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and [when] thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
23 Na saa ahyɛdeɛ yi yɛ kanea; saa nkyerɛkyerɛ yi yɛ hann, na ahohyɛsoɔ ntenesoɔ yi yɛ nkwa kwan,
For the commandment [is] a lamp; and the law [is] light; and reproofs of instruction [are] the way of life:
24 ɛtwe wo firi ɔbaa a ɔnni suban pa no ho, firi ɔbaawarefoɔ sansani tɛkrɛmadɛ ho.
To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
25 Mma wo kɔn nnɔ nʼahoɔfɛ mma nʼani akyideda no ntwetwe wo,
Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.
26 ɛfiri sɛ, odwamanfoɔ de animguaseɛ bɛbrɛ wo, na obi yere gyegye wo kɔ owuo mu.
For by means of a whorish woman [a man is brought] to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.
27 Obi bɛtumi asɔ ogya agu ne srɛ so a ɛnhye nʼatadeɛ anaa?
Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
28 Obi bɛtumi anante gyasramma so a mpumpunnya mmobɔ ne nan ho anaa?
Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?
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 neighbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.
30 Nnipa mmu ɔkorɔmfoɔ a wakɔwia adeɛ animtiaa sɛ ɛkɔm de no na ɔde rekɔdwodwo ano enti.
[Men] do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
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 found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
32 Ɔbarima a ɔsɛe awadeɛ no nni adwene; obiara a ɔyɛ saa no sɛe ne ho.
[But] whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he [that] doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
33 Ɔboro ne animguaseɛ na ɔbɛnya, na nʼahohora rempepa da.
A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
34 Ninkunutweɛ hwanyane okunu abufuo na sɛ ɔtɔ were a, ahummɔborɔ biara nni mu.
For jealousy [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 will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.
