Mmebusɛm 26
1 Sɛnea sukyerɛmma te ahuhurubere anaasɛ osu wɔ otwabere no, saa ara na anuonyam mfata ɔkwasea.
Like snow in summer and rain when the grain is being cut, so honour is not natural for the foolish.
2 Sɛnea apatuprɛw tu anaasɛ asomfena tu dannan ne ho no, saa ara na nnuabɔ hunu nsi hwee.
As the sparrow in her wandering and the swallow in her flight, so the curse does not come without a cause.
3 Ɔkafo abaa wɔ hɔ ma ɔpɔnkɔ, nnareka wɔ hɔ ma afurum, na abaa wɔ hɔ ma nkwaseafo akyi.
A whip for the horse, a mouth-bit for the ass, and a rod for the back of the foolish.
4 Nhwɛ ɔkwasea agyimisɛm so mma no mmuae, anyɛ saa a wo nso bɛyɛ sɛ ɔno.
Do not give to the foolish man a foolish answer, or you will be like him.
5 Gyina ɔkwasea agyimisɛm so ma no mmuae, anyɛ saa a ɛbɛyɛ no sɛ onim nyansa.
Give a foolish man a foolish answer, or he will seem wise to himself.
6 Sɛ wode nkra bi soma ɔkwasea a, ɛte sɛ wutwitwa wʼankasa wʼanan anaasɛ wonom awuduru.
He who sends news by the hand of a foolish man is cutting off his feet and drinking in damage.
7 Apakye nan a awu na ɛsensɛn hɔ no, yɛ mmebusɛm a ɛda ɔkwasea ano.
The legs of one who has no power of walking are hanging loose; so is a wise saying in the mouth of the foolish.
8 Ɔbo a wɔakyekyere afam ahwimmo so te sɛ anuonyam a wɔde ama ɔkwasea.
Giving honour to a foolish man is like attempting to keep a stone fixed in a cord.
9 Nsɔe dua a ɔkɔwensani kita no te sɛ mmebusɛm a ɛda ɔkwasea ano.
Like a thorn which goes up into the hand of a man overcome by drink, so is a wise saying in the mouth of a foolish man.
10 Nea ɔbɔ ɔkwasea anaa obi hunu paa no te sɛ agyantowni a opira nnipa kwa.
Like an archer wounding all who go by, is a foolish man overcome by drink.
11 Sɛnea ɔkraman san kɔ ne fe ho no, saa ara na ɔkwasea ti nʼagyimisɛm mu.
Like a dog going back to the food which he has not been able to keep down, is the foolish man doing his foolish acts over again.
12 Wuhu obi a ɔyɛ onyansafo wɔ nʼankasa ani so ana? Anidaso pii wɔ ɔkwasea mu sen no.
Have you seen a man who seems to himself to be wise? There is more hope for the foolish than for him.
13 Ɔkwadwofo ka se, “Gyata wɔ ɔkwan no mu, gyatakeka nenam mmɔnten no so!”
The hater of work says, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
14 Sɛnea ɔpon di akɔneaba wɔ ne mpontare so no, saa ara na ɔkwadwofo twa ne ho wɔ ne mpa so.
A door is turned on its pillar, and the hater of work on his bed.
15 Ɔkwadwofo de ne nsa si aduan mu, na ɛyɛ no anihaw sɛ obeyi akɔ nʼano.
The hater of work puts his hand deep into the basin: lifting it again to his mouth is a weariness to him.
16 Ɔkwadwofo yɛ onyansafo wɔ ɔno ankasa ani so sen nnipa baason a wodwen asɛm ho na wɔabua.
The hater of work seems to himself wiser than seven men who are able to give an answer with good sense.
17 Obi a oso ɔkraman aso twe no no te sɛ obi a ɔretwa mu na ɔde ne ho kɔfra ntɔkwaw a ɛmfa ne ho mu.
He who gets mixed up in a fight which is not his business, is like one who takes a dog by the ears while it is going by.
18 Ɔbɔdamfo a ɔtotow atuo anaa agyanwerɛmfo no
As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death,
19 te sɛ obi a, ɔdaadaa ne yɔnko na ɔka se, “Na mede redi agoru!”
So is the man who gets the better of his neighbour by deceit, and says, Am I not doing so in sport?
20 Nnyansin hi a ogya dum; nseku nni hɔ a ntɔkwaw to twa.
Without wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no secret talk, argument is ended.
21 Sɛnea gyabiriw dan nnyansramma na nnyina dan ogya no, saa ara na ɔtɔkwapɛfo hyɛ ntɔkwaw mu takramugya.
Like breath on coals and wood on fire, so a man given to argument gets a fight started.
22 Osekuni ano asɛm te sɛ aduan a ɛyɛ dɛ; ɛhyɛnhyɛn onipa akwaa mu nyinaa.
The words of one who says evil of his neighbour secretly are like sweet food, they go down into the inner parts of the stomach.
23 Sɛnea ama kata asankagow ho no saa ara na tɛkrɛmadɛ kata amumɔyɛ koma so.
Smooth lips and an evil heart are like a vessel of earth plated with silver waste.
24 Onipa bɔne kasa te sɛ nea oye, nanso nnaadaa ahyɛ ne koma ma.
With his lips the hater makes things seem what they are not, but deceit is stored up inside him;
25 Ɛwɔ mu sɛ ne kasa yɛ dɛ de, nanso nnye no nni, efisɛ abususɛm ason ahyɛ ne koma ma.
When he says fair words, have no belief in him; for in his heart are seven evils:
26 Ebia nnaadaa bɛkata nʼadwemmɔne so, nanso nʼamumɔyɛsɛm bɛda adi wɔ bagua mu.
Though his hate is covered with deceit, his sin will be seen openly before the meeting of the people.
27 Sɛ onipa tu amoa a, ɔbɛtɔ mu; sɛ onipa pirew ɔbo a, ɛbɛsan aba no so.
He who makes a hole in the earth will himself go falling into it: and on him by whom a stone is rolled the stone will come back again.
28 Atoro tɛkrɛma kyi wɔn a ogu wɔn ho fi, na adɛfɛdɛfɛ ano de ɔsɛe ba.
A false tongue has hate for those who have clean hearts, and a smooth mouth is a cause of falling.
