Mmɛbusɛm 8
1 Tie: Nyansa refrɛ. Nteaseɛ ma ne nne so.
Doth not wisdom call? And understanding give forth her voice?
2 Ɛkwan no so, sorɔnsorɔmmea hɔ, nkwantanan no so, ɛhɔ na ɛgyina,
At the head of high places by the way, Between the paths she hath stood,
3 apono a ɛkɔ kuropɔn no mu ho, ɛteam wɔ aboboano hɔ sɛ,
At the side of the gates, at the mouth of the city, The entrance of the openings, she crieth aloud,
4 “Ao, mo mmarimma na meteam mefrɛ; meteam frɛ adasamma nyinaa.
'Unto you, O men, I call, And my voice [is] unto the sons of men.
5 Mo a moyɛ ntetekwaa, mo mma mo ani nte; mo a moyɛ nkwaseafoɔ, monnya nteaseɛ.
Understand, ye simple ones, prudence, And ye fools, understand the heart,
6 Montie, na mewɔ nsɛm pa bi ka kyerɛ mo; mebue mʼano ka deɛ ɛyɛ.
Hearken, for noble things I speak, And the opening of my lips [is] uprightness.
7 Mʼano ka deɛ ɛyɛ nokorɛ, ɛfiri sɛ mʼanofafa kyiri amumuyɛsɛm.
For truth doth my mouth utter, And an abomination to my lips [is] wickedness.
8 Mʼano mu nsɛm nyinaa yɛ pɛ; ebiara nni mu a ɛyɛ nkontompo anaa nnaadaasɛm.
In righteousness [are] all the sayings of my mouth, Nothing in them is froward and perverse.
9 Ne nyinaa mu da hɔ ma deɛ ɔwɔ nhunumu; ɛho nni asɛm ma wɔn a wɔwɔ nimdeɛ.
All of them [are] plain to the intelligent, And upright to those finding knowledge.
10 Mompo dwetɛ na momfa mʼakwankyerɛ, momfa nimdeɛ na mompo sikakɔkɔɔ amapa.
Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold.
11 Ɛfiri sɛ nimdeɛ som bo sene mmota, na wɔrentumi mfa deɛ wopɛ biara ntoto ho.
For better [is] wisdom than rubies, Yea, all delights are not comparable with it.
12 “Me, nyansa, mene aniteɛ na ɛteɛ; nimdeɛ ne nhunumu wɔ me.
I, wisdom, have dwelt with prudence, And a knowledge of devices I find out.
13 Sɛ wɔsuro Awurade ɛne sɛ wɔkyiri bɔne; mekyiri ahantan ne ahomasoɔ, ɔbra bɔne ne nnaadaasɛm.
The fear of Jehovah [is] to hate evil; Pride, and arrogance, and an evil way, And a froward mouth, I have hated.
14 Afotuo ne atemmuo pa wɔ me; mewɔ nteaseɛ ne tumi.
Mine [is] counsel and substance, I [am] understanding, I have might.
15 Me so na ahemfo nam di adeɛ na sodifoɔ nam me so hyehyɛ mmara a ɛyɛ pɛ;
By me kings reign, and princes decree righteousness,
16 Mmapɔmma de me bu ɔman ne atitire nyinaa a wɔdi asase so ɔhene.
By me do chiefs rule, and nobles, All judges of the earth.
17 Medɔ wɔn a wɔdɔ me, na wɔn a wɔhwehwɛ me no hunu me.
I love those loving me, And those seeking me earnestly do find me.
18 Ahonyadeɛ ne animuonyam wɔ me nkyɛn, ahodeɛ a ɛkyɛre ne yiedie nso saa ara.
Wealth and honour [are] with me, Lasting substance and righteousness.
19 Mʼaba yɛ sene sikakɔkɔɔ amapa; deɛ ɛfiri me mu boro dwetɛ a wɔasɔne so so.
Better [is] my fruit than gold, even fine gold, And mine increase than choice silver.
20 Tenenee akwan so na menam atɛntenenee akwan so,
In a path of righteousness I cause to walk, In midst of paths of judgment,
21 mede ahodeɛ ma wɔn a wɔdɔ me na mehyɛ wɔn adekoradan ma ma.
To cause my lovers to inherit substance, Yea, their treasures I fill.
22 “Awurade bɔɔ me sɛ nʼabɔdeɛ mu abakan dii ne tete nneyɛɛ anim;
Jehovah possessed me — the beginning of His way, Before His works since then.
23 ɔyii me sii hɔ firi tete, ansa na ewiase rehyɛ aseɛ.
From the age I was anointed, from the first, From former states of the earth.
24 Wɔwoo me ansa na wɔrebɔ ɛpo kakraka no ansa na wɔreyɛ nsutire a nsuo ahyɛ no ma no;
In there being no depths, I was brought forth, In there being no fountains heavy [with] waters,
25 ansa na wɔde mmepɔ resisi hɔ, wɔwoo me ansa na nkokoɔ reba,
Before mountains were sunk, Before heights, I was brought forth.
26 ansa na ɔbɔɔ asase ne ne mfuo anaa dɔteɛ biara a ɛwɔ asase soɔ.
While He had not made the earth, and out-places, And the top of the dusts of the world.
27 Mewɔ hɔ ansa na wɔbɔɔ soro, ɛberɛ a ɔtwaa hyeɛ too ebunu no ani no,
In His preparing the heavens I [am] there, In His decreeing a circle on the face of the deep,
28 ɛberɛ a ɔbɔɔ omununkum wɔ soro na ɔde ebunu mu nsutire tintim hɔ denden no,
In His strengthening clouds above, In His making strong fountains of the deep,
29 ɛberɛ a ɔtwaa hyeɛ maa ɛpo sɛdeɛ nsuo no rentra ne hyeɛ, ne ɛberɛ a ɔtwaa asase fapem no,
In His setting for the sea its limit, And the waters transgress not His command, In His decreeing the foundations of earth,
30 na meyɛ odwumfoɔ a mete ne nkyɛn. Anigyeɛ hyɛɛ me ma daa na medii ahurisie wɔ nʼanim ɛberɛ biara,
Then I am near Him, a workman, And I am a delight — day by day. Rejoicing before Him at all times,
31 na mʼani gye wɔ ne ewiase nyinaa mu na mʼani ka wɔ adasamma mu.
Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth, And my delights [are] with the sons of men.
32 “Enti me mma, montie me; nhyira ne wɔn a wɔnante mʼakwan so.
And now, ye sons, hearken to me, Yea, happy are they who keep my ways.
33 Montie mʼakwankyerɛ na monhunu nyansa; mommu mo ani nngu so.
Hear instruction, and be wise, and slight not.
34 Nhyira ne onipa a ɔtie me, ɔwɛn mʼaboboano daa, na ɔtwɛn wɔ hɔ.
O the happiness of the man hearkening to me, To watch at my doors day by day, To watch at the door-posts of my entrance.
35 Na obiara a ɔhunu me no nya nkwa na ɔnya anisɔ firi Awurade nkyɛn.
For whoso is finding me, hath found life, And bringeth out good-will from Jehovah.
36 Na deɛ woanhwehwɛ me no ha ne ho na wɔn a wɔtane me no dɔ owuo.”
And whoso is missing me, is wronging his soul, All hating me have loved death!
