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 law as the apple of thy eye.
3 Kyekyere bɔ wo nsateaa ho; twerɛ no yie gu wʼakoma ɛpono so.
Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thy heart.
4 Ka kyerɛ nyansa sɛ, “Wo yɛ me nuabaa,” na frɛ nteaseɛ wo busuani;
Say to wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:
5 Wɔbɛtwe wo afiri ɔbaawaresɛefoɔ ho, afiri ɔbaawarefoɔ sansani nsɛmmɔdɛ ho.
That they may keep thee from the adulteress, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.
6 Me fie mpomma ano mede mʼani faa ntokua mu.
For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,
7 Mehunuu wɔ ntetekwaafoɔ mu, mehyɛɛ mmeranteɛ no mu baako nso, ɔbabunu a ɔnni adwene.
And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, 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, in the black and dark night:
10 Afei ɔbaa bi firi bɛhyiaa no a wasiesie ne ho sɛ odwamanfoɔ a nnaadaa wɔ nʼakomam.
And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.
11 (Ɔyɛ hyirenn na hwee mfa ne ho, ɔntena efie koraa;
(She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:
12 ɛnnɛ wɔhunu no mmɔntene so, ɔkyena na ɔte adwaberem, ɔtetɛ wɔ mmantwea mmantwea.)
Now is she outside, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)
13 Ɔsɔɔ ne mu fee nʼano wamfɛre, na ɔkaa sɛ,
So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said to 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 I came forth to meet thee, diligently to seek 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 coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.
17 Mede nnuhwam apete me mpa so: kurobo, pɛperɛ ne sinamon.
I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Bra, ma yɛmfa ɔdɔ mmɔ ɔdɔ mu nkɔsi anɔpa;
Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.
19 Me kunu nni efie; watu kwan na ɔbɛkyɛre.
For my 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 a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.
21 Ɔde akorɔkorɔ bɔɔ no asɔn; ɔde nnaadaa nyaa no ne no daeɛ.
With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she seduced him.
22 Ɔdii nʼakyi prɛko pɛ te sɛ nantwie a ɔrekɔ akumiiɛ, anaa ɔwansane a ɔde ne tiri rekɔhyɛ hankrafidie mu
He goeth after her quickly, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
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 striketh through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.
24 Na afei, me mma, montie me; monyɛ aso mma deɛ meka.
Now therefore hearken to me, O ye children, 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: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.
