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;
That one may learn wisdom and instruction, And receive words of understanding;
3 sɛ wɔbɛnya ahohyɛsoɔ na wɔabɔ ɔbra pa, a ɛbɛma wɔayɛ ade pa, deɛ ɛtene na ɛho nni asɛm;
That one may gain the instruction of prudence, Justice, equity, and uprightness;
4 sɛ ɛbɛma deɛ nʼadwene mu nnɔ anya nyansa na mmabunu anya nimdeɛ ne adwene.
Which will give caution to the simple, To the young man wisdom and discretion;
5 Anyansafoɔ ntie na wɔmfa nka deɛ wɔnim ho, na deɛ ɔwɔ nhunumu nya akwankyerɛ a
Let the wise man hear, and he will increase his knowledge, And the man of understanding will gain wise counsels;
6 ɛbɛma woate mmɛ ne akasabɛbuo, anyansafoɔ nsɛnka ne aborɔme ase.
So as to understand a proverb and a deep maxim, 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; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 Me ba, tie wʼagya akwankyerɛ na mpo wo maame nkyerɛkyerɛ.
Hear, O my son! the instruction of thy father, And neglect not the teaching of thy mother!
9 Ɛbɛyɛ wo tiri animuonyam abotire ne wo kɔn mu ntweaban.
For they shall be a graceful wreath for thy head, And a chain around 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 secretly for him who is innocent in vain;
Let us swallow them up alive, like the underworld, Yea, in full health, 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 kinds of 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,
Thou shalt cast thy lot among us; We will all have one purse;”—
15 Me ba, wo ne wɔn nnante, mfa wo nan nsi wɔn akwan so;
My son, walk thou not in their way, Refrain 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 make haste to shed blood.
17 Ɛho nni mfasoɔ sɛ obi bɛsum nnomaafidie wɔ ɛberɛ a nnomaa nyinaa hwɛ!
For as the net is spread in vain Before the eyes of any bird,
18 Saa nnipa yi tetɛ pɛ wɔn ankasa mogya; wɔtetɛ wɔn ankasa wɔn ho!
So they lie in wait for their own blood; They lurk secretly for their own lives.
19 Saa na wɔn a wɔdi korɔnodeɛ akyi no awieeɛ teɛ; ɛma wɔhwere wɔn nkwa!
Such are the ways of every one greedy of unjust gain; It taketh away the life of the possessor thereof.
20 Nyansa team wɔ mmɔntene so, ɔma ne nne so wɔ adwaberem,
Wisdom crieth out in the highway; In the market-place she uttereth her voice;
21 ɔteaam wɔ afasuo no atifi, ɔkasa wɔ kuropɔn no apono ano sɛ,
At the head of the noisy streets she crieth aloud; At the entrances of the gates, throughout the city, she proclaimeth her words [[saying]]:
22 “Mo adwenemherɛfoɔ, mobɛyɛ adwenemherɛ akɔsi da bɛn? Fɛdifoɔ bɛdi fɛ akɔsi da bɛn? Nkwaseafoɔ bɛkyiri nimdeɛ akɔsi da bɛn?
How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? How long will scoffers delight themselves in scoffing, And fools hate knowledge?
23 Sɛ motiee mʼaninka a, anka mekaa mʼakoma mu nsɛm nyinaa kyerɛɛ mo maa mo hunuu me nsusuiɛ.
Turn ye at my reproof! Behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make known my words to 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 have refused, —Because I have stretched out my hand, and no one hath regarded.
25 sɛ mopoo mʼafotuo, na moampɛ mʼanimka enti,
Because ye have rejected all my counsel, And have slighted my rebuke, —
26 me nso mɛsere mo wɔ mo amanehunu mu; sɛ abɛbrɛsɛ bi bu fa mo so a, medi mo ho fɛw,
I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear 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 fear cometh upon you like a storm. And destruction overtaketh you like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 “Afei mobɛfrɛ me, nanso meremmua mo; mobɛhwehwɛ me, nanso morenhunu me.
Then will they call upon me, but I will not answer! They will seek me early, But they shall not find me!
29 Esiane sɛ wɔkyirii nimdeɛ na wɔampɛ sɛ wobɛsuro Awurade.
Because they have hated knowledge, And have not chosen the fear of the LORD, —
30 Esiane sɛ w ɔpoo mʼafotuo, na wɔbuu me ntenesoɔ animtiaa enti,
Because they would not attend to my counsel, And have 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 to the full with their own devices;
32 Na ntetekwaafoɔ asoɔden bɛkum wɔn, na nkwaseafoɔ tirimudɛ bɛsɛe wɔn;
Yea, the turning away of the simple shall slay them, And the carelessness 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 to me shall dwell securely, And shall not be disquieted with the fear of evil.”
