Mmebusɛm 26
1 Sɛnea sukyerɛmma te ahuhurubere anaasɛ osu wɔ otwabere no, saa ara na anuonyam mfata ɔkwasea.
Just [like] [SIM] [it is not appropriate for] snow [to fall] in summer time, or rain [to fall] at harvest time, it is not appropriate to praise/honor foolish people.
2 Sɛnea apatuprɛw tu anaasɛ asomfena tu dannan ne ho no, saa ara na nnuabɔ hunu nsi hwee.
Like [SIM] birds that fly by [and do not alight/land on anything], if someone curses you, it cannot hurt you if you (do not deserve them/have not done to him what is wrong).
3 Ɔkafo abaa wɔ hɔ ma ɔpɔnkɔ, nnareka wɔ hɔ ma afurum, na abaa wɔ hɔ ma nkwaseafo akyi.
It is necessary to whip a horse and to put a bridle on a donkey [to force them to go where we want them to go], and similarly [SIM] [it is often necessary to strike] foolish people with a stick [to cause them to do what is right].
4 Nhwɛ ɔkwasea agyimisɛm so mma no mmuae, anyɛ saa a wo nso bɛyɛ sɛ ɔno.
If a foolish person asks a foolish question, [do not answer him], because [if you answer his question], you are just as foolish as he is.
5 Gyina ɔkwasea agyimisɛm so ma no mmuae, anyɛ saa a ɛbɛyɛ no sɛ onim nyansa.
If you give a foolish answer to someone who asks a foolish question, he will realize that he is (not very wise/foolish).
6 Sɛ wode nkra bi soma ɔkwasea a, ɛte sɛ wutwitwa wʼankasa wʼanan anaasɛ wonom awuduru.
Anyone who asks a foolish person to take a message to someone [is himself doing something as foolish as] cutting off his own feet or drinking poison.
7 Apakye nan a awu na ɛsensɛn hɔ no, yɛ mmebusɛm a ɛda ɔkwasea ano.
A lame man cannot use his legs, and similarly [SIM] [it is useless for] a foolish person to speak [MTY] (proverbs/wise sayings).
8 Ɔbo a wɔakyekyere afam ahwimmo so te sɛ anuonyam a wɔde ama ɔkwasea.
Tying a stone in a sling [so that it cannot be thrown at a target] is [as foolish as] [SIM] honoring a foolish person.
9 Nsɔe dua a ɔkɔwensani kita no te sɛ mmebusɛm a ɛda ɔkwasea ano.
If a drunk person waves some thorns/brambles with his hand, [he is not able to accomplish anything useful by doing that] (OR, [he does not feel it when a thorn sticks in his hand]); similarly, if foolish people speak [MTY] proverbs, [they do not help anyone who hears them].
10 Nea ɔbɔ ɔkwasea anaa obi hunu paa no te sɛ agyantowni a opira nnipa kwa.
A man who shoots arrows [to try] to wound everybody who is near [is foolish]; similarly, anyone who hires a foolish person [who passes by is very foolish].
11 Sɛnea ɔkraman san kɔ ne fe ho no, saa ara na ɔkwasea ti nʼagyimisɛm mu.
A foolish person will foolishly do something stupid a second time; it is [like] [SIM] a dog returning to [eat] what it has vomited.
12 Wuhu obi a ɔyɛ onyansafo wɔ nʼankasa ani so ana? Anidaso pii wɔ ɔkwasea mu sen no.
[God] can help/bless foolish people more easily than he can help/bless people who are not wise [RHQ], but think that they are wise.
13 Ɔkwadwofo ka se, “Gyata wɔ ɔkwan no mu, gyatakeka nenam mmɔnten no so!”
Lazy people [just stay inside their houses and do nothing]; [they keep] saying “[I think] there is a lion in the street!”
14 Sɛnea ɔpon di akɔneaba wɔ ne mpontare so no, saa ara na ɔkwadwofo twa ne ho wɔ ne mpa so.
A door [continually] swings back and forth on its hinges [and does not go anywhere]; similarly [SIM], lazy people [just continually turn over] in their beds [and never do anything].
15 Ɔkwadwofo de ne nsa si aduan mu, na ɛyɛ no anihaw sɛ obeyi akɔ nʼano.
Some people are extremely lazy; they put their hand in a dish [to get some food] but do not [even] lift the food up to their mouths.
16 Ɔkwadwofo yɛ onyansafo wɔ ɔno ankasa ani so sen nnipa baason a wodwen asɛm ho na wɔabua.
Lazy people think that they are wiser than seven/several people who can answer [others’ questions] 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.
Anyone who (meddles/involves himself) in a quarrel that does not concern him is [as foolish as] [SIM] someone who tries to grab a passing dog by its ears.
18 Ɔbɔdamfo a ɔtotow atuo anaa agyanwerɛmfo no
Crazy people who shoot burning arrows to kill people
19 te sɛ obi a, ɔdaadaa ne yɔnko na ɔka se, “Na mede redi agoru!”
are as foolish as those who deceive someone else and [then] say, “I was only joking.”
20 Nnyansin hi a ogya dum; nseku nni hɔ a ntɔkwaw to twa.
If there is no [more] firewood [to put on the fire], the fire will go out; similarly [SIM], if there are no people who (gossip/tell people things that are not true), quarreling will end.
21 Sɛnea gyabiriw dan nnyansramma na nnyina dan ogya no, saa ara na ɔtɔkwapɛfo hyɛ ntɔkwaw mu takramugya.
[Putting] charcoal on burning coals or [putting] wood on a fire [causes the fire to keep burning]; similarly, people who like to quarrel cause people to keep arguing.
22 Osekuni ano asɛm te sɛ aduan a ɛyɛ dɛ; ɛhyɛnhyɛn onipa akwaa mu nyinaa.
People [enjoy listening to what gossips say about others just like] [SIM] they enjoy tasty food; they [enjoy listening to what gossips tell them like] they enjoy swallowing tasty food.
23 Sɛnea ama kata asankagow ho no saa ara na tɛkrɛmadɛ kata amumɔyɛ koma so.
People who say nice things when they are thinking about doing evil things are like a nice glaze/covering on a [cheap] clay pot.
24 Onipa bɔne kasa te sɛ nea oye, nanso nnaadaa ahyɛ ne koma ma.
Those who hate someone and are saying [MTY] something very different from what they are thinking are hypocrites; they are only planning [to harm that person].
25 Ɛwɔ mu sɛ ne kasa yɛ dɛ de, nanso nnye no nni, efisɛ abususɛm ason ahyɛ ne koma ma.
When they say nice things, do not believe them, because in their inner beings are many things that [Yahweh] hates.
26 Ebia nnaadaa bɛkata nʼadwemmɔne so, nanso nʼamumɔyɛsɛm bɛda adi wɔ bagua mu.
They try to deceive people to cause them to think that they do not hate [that person], but in a public meeting, the people will find out the evil things [that they have done].
27 Sɛ onipa tu amoa a, ɔbɛtɔ mu; sɛ onipa pirew ɔbo a, ɛbɛsan aba no so.
Those who dig a deep pit [for other people to fall into] will fall into it themselves; rocks will roll down on those who start to cause rocks to roll down [to crush someone].
28 Atoro tɛkrɛma kyi wɔn a ogu wɔn ho fi, na adɛfɛdɛfɛ ano de ɔsɛe ba.
Those [MTY] who tell lies to others [really] hate them, and those who deceive [others] ruin them.
