Mmɛbusɛm 1
1 Dawid babarima Salomo, Israelhene, mmɛbusɛm nie:
THE PROVERBS of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
2 Ne botaeɛ ne sɛ ɛbɛkyerɛ nnipa nyansa ne ahohyɛsoɔ; ne sɛ ɛbɛboa ma wɔate nsɛm a emu dɔ ase;
To know wisdom and instruction; to comprehend the words of understanding;
3 sɛ wɔbɛnya ahohyɛsoɔ na wɔabɔ ɔbra pa, a ɛbɛma wɔayɛ ade pa, deɛ ɛtene na ɛho nni asɛm;
To receive the discipline of wisdom, justice, and right, and equity;
4 sɛ ɛbɛma deɛ nʼadwene mu nnɔ anya nyansa na mmabunu anya nimdeɛ ne adwene.
To give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion;
5 Anyansafoɔ ntie na wɔmfa nka deɛ wɔnim ho, na deɛ ɔwɔ nhunumu nya akwankyerɛ a
That the wise man may hear, and increase in learning, and the man of understanding may attain unto wise counsels;
6 ɛbɛma woate mmɛ ne akasabɛbuo, anyansafoɔ nsɛnka ne aborɔme ase.
To understand a proverb, and a figure; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
7 Awurade suro yɛ nimdeɛ ahyɛaseɛ, na nkwaseafoɔ bu nyansa ne ahohyɛsoɔ animtiaa.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and discipline.
8 Me ba, tie wʼagya akwankyerɛ na mpo wo maame nkyerɛkyerɛ.
Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;
9 Ɛbɛyɛ wo tiri animuonyam abotire ne wo kɔn mu ntweaban.
For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
10 Me ba, sɛ nnebɔneyɛfoɔ daadaa wo a, mma wɔn ho ɛkwan.
My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
11 Sɛ wɔka sɛ, “Bra ma yɛnkɔ; ma yɛnkɔtetɛ na yɛnkum obi, ma yɛnkɔtɛ ntwɛn mmɔborɔni bi;
If they say: 'Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us lurk for the innocent without cause;
Let us swallow them up alive as the grave, and whole, as those that go down into the pit; (Sheol h7585)
13 yɛbɛnya nneɛma a ɛsom bo ahodoɔ na yɛde afodeɛ ahyɛ yɛn afie ma;
We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil;
14 enti, fa wo ho bɛhyɛ mu, na wobɛnya wo kyɛfa wɔ ahonyadeɛ no mu” a,
Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse' —
15 Me ba, wo ne wɔn nnante, mfa wo nan nsi wɔn akwan so;
My son, walk not thou in the way with them, restrain thy foot from their path;
16 Wɔn nan de ntɛmpɛ kɔ bɔne mu, na wɔde ahoɔherɛ ka mogya gu.
For their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
17 Ɛho nni mfasoɔ sɛ obi bɛsum nnomaafidie wɔ ɛberɛ a nnomaa nyinaa hwɛ!
For in vain the net is spread in the eyes of any bird;
18 Saa nnipa yi tetɛ pɛ wɔn ankasa mogya; wɔtetɛ wɔn ankasa wɔn ho!
And these lie in wait for their own blood, they lurk for their own lives.
19 Saa na wɔn a wɔdi korɔnodeɛ akyi no awieeɛ teɛ; ɛma wɔhwere wɔn nkwa!
So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; it taketh away the life of the owners thereof.
20 Nyansa team wɔ mmɔntene so, ɔma ne nne so wɔ adwaberem,
Wisdom crieth aloud in the streets, she uttereth her voice in the broad places;
21 ɔteaam wɔ afasuo no atifi, ɔkasa wɔ kuropɔn no apono ano sɛ,
She calleth at the head of the noisy streets, at the entrances of the gates, in the city, she uttereth her words:
22 “Mo adwenemherɛfoɔ, mobɛyɛ adwenemherɛ akɔsi da bɛn? Fɛdifoɔ bɛdi fɛ akɔsi da bɛn? Nkwaseafoɔ bɛkyiri nimdeɛ akɔsi da bɛn?
'How long, ye thoughtless, will ye love thoughtlessness? And how long will scorners delight them in scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
23 Sɛ motiee mʼaninka a, anka mekaa mʼakoma mu nsɛm nyinaa kyerɛɛ mo maa mo hunuu me nsusuiɛ.
Turn you at my reproof; behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
24 Nanso, sɛ moyii mo aso ɛberɛ a mefrɛɛ mo na amfa obiara ho ɛberɛ a metenee me nsa mu,
Because I have called, and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no man attended,
25 sɛ mopoo mʼafotuo, na moampɛ mʼanimka enti,
But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof;
26 me nso mɛsere mo wɔ mo amanehunu mu; sɛ abɛbrɛsɛ bi bu fa mo so a, medi mo ho fɛw,
I also, in your calamity, will laugh, I will mock when your dread cometh;
27 sɛ abɛbrɛsɛ bi bu fa mo so te sɛ ahum, na amanehunu bi bɔ fa mo so sɛ twahoframa, na awerɛhoɔ ne ɔhaw mene mo a,
When your dread cometh as a storm, and your calamity cometh on as a whirlwind; when trouble and distress come upon you.
28 “Afei mobɛfrɛ me, nanso meremmua mo; mobɛhwehwɛ me, nanso morenhunu me.
Then will they call me, but I will not answer, they will seek me earnestly, but they shall not find me.
29 Esiane sɛ wɔkyirii nimdeɛ na wɔampɛ sɛ wobɛsuro Awurade.
For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD;
30 Esiane sɛ w ɔpoo mʼafotuo, na wɔbuu me ntenesoɔ animtiaa enti,
They would none of my counsel, they despised all my reproof.
31 wɔbɛdi wɔn akwan so aba na wɔn nhyehyɛeɛ mu aduane bɛmee wɔn.
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
32 Na ntetekwaafoɔ asoɔden bɛkum wɔn, na nkwaseafoɔ tirimudɛ bɛsɛe wɔn;
For the waywardness of the thoughtless shall slay them, and the confidence of fools shall destroy them.
33 Nanso, obiara a ɔbɛtie me no, ɔbɛtena ase asomdwoeɛ mu na ne ho bɛtɔ no a ɔrensuro ɔhaw biara.”
But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell securely, and shall be quiet without fear of evil.'
