Mmɛbusɛm 7
1 Me ba, fa me nsɛm sie na kora mʼahyɛdeɛ wɔ wo mu.
My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
2 Di mʼahyɛdeɛ so na wobɛnya nkwa; bɔ me nkyerɛkyerɛ ho ban sɛ deɛ wodɔ noɔ.
Keep my commandments, and live; and my teaching, as the apple of thine eye.
3 Kyekyere bɔ wo nsateaa ho; twerɛ no yie gu wʼakoma ɛpono so.
Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the tablet of thy heart.
4 Ka kyerɛ nyansa sɛ, “Wo yɛ me nuabaa,” na frɛ nteaseɛ wo busuani;
Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister, and call intelligence [thy] kinswoman:
5 Wɔbɛtwe wo afiri ɔbaawaresɛefoɔ ho, afiri ɔbaawarefoɔ sansani nsɛmmɔdɛ ho.
that they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger who flattereth with her words.
6 Me fie mpomma ano mede mʼani faa ntokua mu.
For at the window of my house, I looked forth through my lattice,
7 Mehunuu wɔ ntetekwaafoɔ mu, mehyɛɛ mmeranteɛ no mu baako nso, ɔbabunu a ɔnni adwene.
and I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the sons, a young man void of understanding,
8 Na ɔnam borɔno a ɛbɛn ɔbaa no fie so a nʼani kyerɛ ɔbaa no fie
passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,
9 ɛberɛ a ɔnwunu redwoɔ, na animu rebiribiri no.
in the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the blackness of night and the darkness.
10 Afei ɔbaa bi firi bɛhyiaa no a wasiesie ne ho sɛ odwamanfoɔ a nnaadaa wɔ nʼakomam.
And behold, there met him a woman in the attire of a harlot, and subtle of heart.
11 (Ɔyɛ hyirenn na hwee mfa ne ho, ɔntena efie koraa;
She is clamorous and unmanageable; her feet abide not in her house:
12 ɛnnɛ wɔhunu no mmɔntene so, ɔkyena na ɔte adwaberem, ɔtetɛ wɔ mmantwea mmantwea.)
now without, now in the broadways, — and she lieth in wait at every corner.
13 Ɔsɔɔ ne mu fee nʼano wamfɛre, na ɔkaa sɛ,
And she caught him and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,
14 “Mewɔ ayɔnkofa ayɛyɛdeɛ wɔ efie; ɛnnɛ madi me bɔhyɛ so.
I have peace-offerings with me; this day have I paid my vows:
15 Enti mebaeɛ sɛ merebɛhyia wo; mehwehwɛɛ wo na mahunu wo!
therefore came I forth to meet thee, to seek earnestly thy face, and I have found thee.
16 Mato me mpa mede nwera a wɔahyɛ no aduro a ɛfiri Misraim.
I have decked my bed with tapestry coverlets of variegated linen from Egypt;
17 Mede nnuhwam apete me mpa so: kurobo, pɛperɛ ne sinamon.
I have perfumed my couch with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Bra, ma yɛmfa ɔdɔ mmɔ ɔdɔ mu nkɔsi anɔpa;
Come, let us revel in love until the morning, let us delight ourselves with loves.
19 Me kunu nni efie; watu kwan na ɔbɛkyɛre.
For the husband is not at home, he is gone a long journey;
20 Ɔde sika a ɛdɔɔso hyɛɛ ne sikabɔtɔ ma na ɔremma kɔsi ɔsrane no korokumatwa berɛ mu.”
he hath taken the money-bag with him, he will come home on the day of the full moon.
21 Ɔde akorɔkorɔ bɔɔ no asɔn; ɔde nnaadaa nyaa no ne no daeɛ.
With her much enticement she beguiled him; with the smoothness of her lips she constrained him.
22 Ɔdii nʼakyi prɛko pɛ te sɛ nantwie a ɔrekɔ akumiiɛ, anaa ɔwansane a ɔde ne tiri rekɔhyɛ hankrafidie mu
He went after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, and as stocks [serve] for the correction of the fool;
23 kɔsi sɛ bɛmma bɛhwire ne brɛboɔ mu, te sɛ anomaa a ɔrekɔtɔ anomaa afidie mu na ɔnnim sɛ ɔbɛhwere ne nkwa.
till an arrow strike through his liver: as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for its life.
24 Na afei, me mma, montie me; monyɛ aso mma deɛ meka.
And now, ye sons, hearken unto me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Mommma mo akoma mpatere nkɔ ne so na mommane mfa nʼakwan so.
Let not thy heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths:
26 Bebree na wɔnam ne so ahwehwe ase; wɔn a wakum wɔn dɔɔso pa ara.
for she hath cast down many wounded, and all slain by her were strong.
