Mmɛbusɛm 6
1 Me ba, sɛ woadi akagyinamu ama ɔyɔnko bi, sɛ wode wo biribi asi awowa ama obi,
My son, if thou have become surety for thy neighbour, —have struck for a stranger thy hands,
2 sɛ deɛ wokaeɛ ayi ka ama wo na sɛ wʼano asɛm afidie ayi wo a,
Thou hast been snared by the sayings of thy mouth, —thou hast been caught by the sayings 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 then, my son, and deliver thyself, When thou hast come into the hand of thy neighbour, Go, haste thee, and urge thy neighbour;
4 Mma wʼani nkum na nntɔ nko.
Do not give sleep to thine eyes, or slumber to thine eyelashes;
5 Gye wo ho, sɛdeɛ ɔforoteɛ dwane firi ɔbɔmmɔfoɔ nsam anaa sɛdeɛ anomaa dwane firi fidisumfoɔ afidie mu.
Deliver thyself, as a gazelle out of the hand, and as a bird, out of the hand of the fowler.
6 Ɔkwadwofoɔ, kɔ atɛtea nkyɛn; hwɛ nʼakwan, na hunu nyansa!
Go to the ant, thou sluggard, observe her ways, and be wise;
7 Ɔnni ɔsahene, ɔnni ɔhwɛfoɔ anaa sodifoɔ bi,
Which, having no harvest, scribe, or ruler,
8 nanso, ɔde aduane sie wɔ ahuhuro ɛberɛ mu ɔboaboa nnuane ano wɔ twaberɛ.
Prepareth, in the summer, her food, hath collected, in the harvest, her sustenance.
9 Wo, ɔkwadwofoɔ, wobɛda akɔsi da bɛn? Wɔbɛnyane ɛberɛ bɛn?
How long, O sluggard, wilt thou lie? how long ere thou rise from thy sleep?
10 Nna kakra, nkotɔ kakra, nsa a woabobɔ de rehome kakra,
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest: —
11 ɛbɛma ohia aba wo so sɛ ɔkwanmukafoɔ na ahokyere ato ahyɛ wo so sɛ deɛ ɔkura tuo.
So shall come in, as a highwayman, thy poverty, and, thy want, as one armed with a shield.
12 Onipa teta ne ohuhuni a ɔde atorɔ kyini,
An abandoned man, a man of iniquity, [is he] who—goeth on in perversity of mouth;
13 deɛ ɔbu nʼani, na ɔde ne nan yɛ nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ na ɔde ne nsateaa kyerɛkyerɛ adeɛ,
Winketh with his eyes, speaketh with his foot, pointeth with his fingers;
14 deɛ ɔde nʼakoma mu nnaadaa bɔ ɛpɔ bɔne, na ɔde mpaapaemu ba ɛberɛ biara.
[Hath] perverse things in his heart, deviseth mischief on every occasion, strifes, he sendeth forth.
15 Ɛno enti amanehunu bɛba ne so prɛko pɛ; wɔbɛsɛe no mpofirim, a wɔrenya ano aduro.
For this cause, suddenly cometh his doom, in a moment, shall he be torn in pieces and there be no mending.
16 Nneɛma nsia na Awurade mpɛ, nneɛma nson na ɛyɛ nʼakyiwadeɛ:
These six things, doth Yahweh hate, yea, seven, are the abomination of his soul: —
17 ani a ɛtra ntɔn, atorɔ tɛkrɛma, nsa a ɛka mogya a ɛdi bem guo,
Eyes that are lofty, a tongue that is false, and hands shedding innocent blood;
18 akoma a ɛdwene amumuyɛ ho, nan a ɛtutu mmirika kɔyɛ bɔne,
A heart contriving iniquitous devices, feet hasting to run into mischief;
19 Ɔdansekurumni a ɔdi atorɔ ne onipa a ɔde mpaapaemu ba anuanom mu.
One that uttereth lies—a false witness, and one sending forth strifes between brethren.
20 Me ba, tie wʼagya ahyɛdeɛ na nnyaa wo maame nkyerɛkyerɛ mu.
Observe thou, my son, the commandment of thy father, and do not decline from the instruction of thy mother:
21 Fa kyekyere wʼakoma ho daa; na fa kyekyere wɔ kɔn mu.
Bind them upon thy heart continually, fasten them upon thy neck;
22 Wonante a, ɛbɛkyerɛ wo ɛkwan; sɛ woda a, ɛbɛwɛn wo; sɛ wonyane a, ɛbɛkasa akyerɛ wo.
When thou walkest abroad, it shall guide thee, when thou sleepest, it shall watch over thee, when thou wakest, it shall speak to thee:
23 Na saa ahyɛdeɛ yi yɛ kanea; saa nkyerɛkyerɛ yi yɛ hann, na ahohyɛsoɔ ntenesoɔ yi yɛ nkwa kwan,
For, a lamp, is the commandment, and, the instruction, a light, and, the way of life, are the reproofs of correction:
24 ɛtwe wo firi ɔbaa a ɔnni suban pa no ho, firi ɔbaawarefoɔ sansani tɛkrɛmadɛ ho.
To keep thee from the wicked woman, from the flattery of the tongue of her that is a stranger.
25 Mma wo kɔn nnɔ nʼahoɔfɛ mma nʼani akyideda no ntwetwe wo,
Do not covet her beauty, in thy heart, neither let her take thee, by her eyelashes;
26 ɛfiri sɛ, odwamanfoɔ de animguaseɛ bɛbrɛ wo, na obi yere gyegye wo kɔ owuo mu.
Because, for the sake of an impure woman, [a man may be brought] even to a cake of bread, —and, a man’s wife, for a precious soul, may hunt!
27 Obi bɛtumi asɔ ogya agu ne srɛ so a ɛnhye nʼatadeɛ anaa?
Can a man snatch up fire in his bosom, and, his clothes, not be burned?
28 Obi bɛtumi anante gyasramma so a mpumpunnya mmobɔ ne nan ho anaa?
Or can a man walk 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 unto his neighbour’s wife, no man shall be guiltless who toucheth her!
30 Nnipa mmu ɔkorɔmfoɔ a wakɔwia adeɛ animtiaa sɛ ɛkɔm de no na ɔde rekɔdwodwo ano enti.
Men despise not a thief, when he stealeth, to satisfy his appetite, because he is famished;
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.
Yet, if found, he must pay back sevenfold, All the substance of his house, must he give:
32 Ɔbarima a ɔsɛe awadeɛ no nni adwene; obiara a ɔyɛ saa no sɛe ne ho.
He that committeth adultery with a woman, lacketh sense, A destroyer of his own life, is he that doeth it;
33 Ɔboro ne animguaseɛ na ɔbɛnya, na nʼahohora rempepa da.
Smiting and shame, shall he find, and, his reproach, shall not be wiped out;
34 Ninkunutweɛ hwanyane okunu abufuo na sɛ ɔtɔ were a, ahummɔborɔ biara nni mu.
For, jealousy, is the rage of a man, nor will he spare, in the day of avenging;
35 Ɔrennye mpata biara; na ɔbɛpo adanmudeɛ, sɛ ɛso sɛ ɛdeɛn mpo a.
He will not look, at any ransom, neither will he consent, though thou increase the bribe.
