Mmɛbusɛm 26
1 Sɛdeɛ sukyerɛmma te ahuhuro berɛ anaasɛ osutɔ te wɔ otwa berɛ no saa ara na animuonyam mfata ɔkwasea.
Like snow in summer and rain when the grain is being cut, so honour is not natural for the foolish.
2 Sɛdeɛ apatuprɛ tuo anaasɛ asomfena tu danedane 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 Ɔkafoɔ abaa wɔ hɔ ma ɔpɔnkɔ, nnareka wɔ hɔ ma afunumu, na abaa wɔ hɔ ma nkwaseafoɔ 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 mmuaeɛ, 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 mmuaeɛ anyɛ saa a ɛbɛyɛ no sɛ ɔnim 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 woatwa wʼankasa nan anaasɛ woafrɛ basabasayɛ.
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 abɛbusɛm 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 Ɛboɔ a wɔakyekyere afam ahwimmoɔ so, te sɛ animuonyam a wɔde ama ɔkwasea.
Giving honour to a foolish man is like attempting to keep a stone fixed in a cord.
9 Nkasɛɛ dua a ɛkura ɔkɔwensani no te sɛ abɛbusɛm 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 Deɛ ɔbɔ ɔkwasea anaa obi hunu paa no te sɛ agyantoni a ɔpira nnipa kwa.
Like an archer wounding all who go by, is a foolish man overcome by drink.
11 Sɛdeɛ ɔkraman sane kɔ ne feɛ 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 Woahunu obi a ɔyɛ onyansafoɔ wɔ nʼankasa ani so? Anidasoɔ pii wɔ ɔkwasea mu sene no.
Have you seen a man who seems to himself to be wise? There is more hope for the foolish than for him.
13 Ɔkwadwofoɔ ka sɛ, “Gyata wɔ ɛkwan no mu, gyata nenam mmɔntene no so!”
The hater of work says, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
14 Sɛdeɛ ɛpono di akɔneaba wɔ ne mponterɛ so no, saa ara na ɔkwadwofoɔ twa ne ho wɔ ne mpa so.
A door is turned on its pillar, and the hater of work on his bed.
15 Ɔkwadwofoɔ de ne nsa si aduane mu, na ɛyɛ no aniha sɛ ɔbɛyi 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 Ɔkwadwofoɔ yɛ onyansafoɔ wɔ ɔno ankasa ani so sene nnipa baason a wɔdwene 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 ɔsɔ ɔkraman aso twe noɔ no te sɛ obi a ɔretwam na ɔde ne ho kɔfra ntɔkwa 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 Ɔbɔdamfoɔ a ɔtoto atuo anaa agyan kɔdiawuo 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 sɛ, “Na mede redi agorɔ!”
So is the man who gets the better of his neighbour by deceit, and says, Am I not doing so in sport?
20 Yensin hi a, ogya dum; nsekuro nni hɔ a ntɔkwa toɔ twa.
Without wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no secret talk, argument is ended.
21 Sɛdeɛ gyabidie dane gyasramma na anyina dane ogya no, saa ara na ntɔkwapɛfoɔ hyɛ ntɔkwa mu kutupa.
Like breath on coals and wood on fire, so a man given to argument gets a fight started.
22 Osekuni anom asɛm te sɛ mfremfremadeɛ; ɛwurawura kɔ 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 Sɛdeɛ wɔde dwetɛ fi adura asankago ho no saa ara na anoɔdɛ kata amumuyɛ akoma so.
Smooth lips and an evil heart are like a vessel of earth plated with silver waste.
24 Onipa bɔne kasa te sɛ deɛ ɔyɛ, nanso nnaadaa ahyɛ nʼakoma ma.
With his lips the hater makes things seem what they are not, but deceit is stored up inside him;
25 Ɛwom sɛ ne kasa yɛ dɛ deɛ, nanso ɛnnye no nni, ɛfiri sɛ akyiwadeɛ nson ahyɛ nʼakoma 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 nʼamumuyɛsɛm bɛda adi wɔ badwa mu.
Though his hate is covered with deceit, his sin will be seen openly before the meeting of the people.
27 Sɛ onipa tu amena a, ɔbɛto mu; sɛ onipa pire ɔboɔ a, ɛbɛsane aba ne 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 Atorɔ tɛkrɛma kyiri wɔn a ɔgu wɔn ho fi, na nnaadaa ano de ɔsɛeɛ ba.
A false tongue has hate for those who have clean hearts, and a smooth mouth is a cause of falling.
