Proverbs 19
1 Conducting our lives as we should [even though] we are poor is better than being foolish and telling lies.
Ohiani a ne nanteɛ ho nni asɛm no yɛ sene ɔkwasea a nʼasɛm mfa ɛkwan mu.
2 Being enthusiastic but not thinking carefully [about what we are about to do] is not good; doing things hastily can cause us a lot of trouble [IDM].
Mmɔdemmɔ a nimdeɛ nka ho no nyɛ, saa ara na ntɛmpɛ a ɛma obi yera ɛkwan nso nyɛ.
3 Some people are ruined as a result of their [own] foolish actions, and when that happens, they [SYN] angrily say that it is Yahweh’s fault.
Onipa agyimisɛm sɛe nʼabrabɔ, nanso nʼakoma huru tia Awurade.
4 Those who are rich easily find people who want to be their friends, but when [people become] poor, their friends [often] desert them.
Ahonya frɛfrɛ nnamfonom bebree; nanso ohiani adamfo gya no hɔ.
5 Those who tell lies in court will surely be punished [LIT]; they will not escape it.
Adansekurumni bɛnya nʼakatua, na deɛ ɔtwa nkontompo remfa ne ho nni.
6 Many [people] try to persuade important people to do favors for them; everyone [wants to] be a friend of those who give gifts.
Nnipa pii pɛ adom firi sodifoɔ nkyɛn, na deɛ ɔkyɛ adeɛ yɛ obiara adamfo.
7 [Even] the relatives of someone who becomes poor hate him, and his friends certainly stay away from him, too; [even] if he tries to talk with them, they will not be his friends [again].
Ohiani abusuafoɔ nyinaa po no, na saa ara na ne nnamfonom po no! Mpo ɔhwehwɛ wɔn pɛ sɛ ɔpa wɔn kyɛw, nanso ɔnhunu wɔn baabiara.
8 Those who become wise [IDM] are doing a favor for themselves; those who get good sense will prosper.
Deɛ ɔnya nyansa no dɔ ne kra; deɛ ɔpɛ nhunumu no nya nkɔsoɔ.
9 Those who tell lies in court will certainly be punished [LIT]; they will be ruined.
Adansekurumni bɛnya asotwe, na deɛ ɔtwa nkontompo no bɛyera.
10 It is not appropriate for foolish people to live (luxuriously/like rich people), and it is even less appropriate for slaves to rule important officials.
Akɛsesɛm mfata ɔkwasea, anaasɛ akoa bɛdi mmapɔmma so!
11 Those who have good sense do not quickly become angry; people respect those who ignore offensive [things that people say to them].
Onipa nyansa ma no ntoboaseɛ; sɛ ɔbu nʼani gu mfomsoɔ bi so a ɛhyɛ no animuonyam.
12 When a king is angry, [that causes people to be afraid of him], like the roar of a lion [causes people to be afraid] [SIM], but if he acts kindly toward people, [they like it just] like [they like] dew on the grass [in the morning].
Ɔhene abufuo te sɛ gyata mmobom, na nʼadom te sɛ ɛserɛ so bosuo.
13 Foolish children [can] cause disasters to happen to their parents. A wife who constantly (nags/quarrels with) [her husband is as annoying as] water that continually drips [MET].
Ɔba kwasea yɛ nʼagya ɔsɛeɛ, ɔyere ntɔkwapɛfoɔ te sɛ nsusosɔ a ɛntwa da.
14 We [can] inherit a house or money from our parents [when they die], but only Yahweh [can] give someone a sensible wife.
Afie ne ahonyadeɛ yɛ agyapadeɛ a ɛfiri awofoɔ, na ɔyere nimdefoɔ firi Awurade.
15 Those who are lazy sleep soundly, but if they are lazy, they will be hungry [because of not earning money to buy food].
Akwadworɔ de nnahɔɔ ba, na ɛkɔm de ɔkwadwofoɔ.
16 Those who obey [God’s] commandments will remain alive [for a long time]; those who despise/disobey them (OR, those who do not control their own conduct) will die [while they are still young].
Deɛ ɔdi nkyerɛkyerɛ so no bɔ ne nkwa ho ban, na deɛ ɔgyaagyaa ne ho no bɛwu.
17 When we give things to poor [people], [it is as though] we are lending to Yahweh, and he will (pay us back/reward us for what we did).
Deɛ ɔyɛ adɔeɛ ma ohiani no yɛ de fɛm Awurade, na ɔbɛtua no deɛ ɔyɛ no so ka.
18 Discipline your children while [they are young], while you still hope that [they will learn to behave as they should]; [if you do not discipline them], you are helping them to destroy [themselves].
Tene wo ba, na ɛno mu na anidasoɔ wɔ, na ɛnyɛ wɔn a wɔde no kɔ owuo mu no mu baako.
19 Those who (do not control their temper/quickly become very angry) will have to endure what happens as a result; [but] if we rescue them [from those troubles once], we will have to continue rescuing them.
Ɛsɛ sɛ onipa a nʼakoma ha no no tua so ka; sɛ woka ma no a wobɛyɛ bio.
20 Pay attention when [people give you good] advice and learn from them, in order that you will become wise for the rest of your life.
Tie afotuo na gye nkyerɛkyerɛ to mu, na awieeɛ no, wobɛhunu nyansa.
21 People plan to do many [kinds of things], but what will happen is what Yahweh has decided will happen.
Nhyehyɛeɛ bebree wɔ onipa akoma mu, nanso deɛ Awurade pɛ no na ɛba mu.
22 People want others to be loyal to them; it is better to be poor than to tell a lie [to a judge in court in order to get money].
Deɛ onipa pɛ ne nokorɛ dɔ; ɛyɛ sɛ wobɛyɛ ohiani sene sɛ wobɛyɛ ɔtorofoɔ.
23 [Those who have] an awesome respect for Yahweh will live [a long life]; they rest peacefully and are not harmed [during the night].
Awurade suro kɔ nkwa mu; na onipa de abotɔyam home a ɔhaw bi nni mu.
24 Some people are extremely lazy; they put their hand in a dish [to take some food] but do not even lift the food up to their mouths.
Ɔkwadwofoɔ nsa ka ayowaa mu na ɔremma so mpo nkɔ nʼano!
25 If you punish someone who makes fun of those who are wise, those who (are naive/need to be instructed) will learn to do what is smart; if you rebuke those who are wise, they will [listen to what you say and] become wiser.
Twa ɔfɛdifoɔ mmaa, na atetekwaa bɛfa adwene; ka deɛ ɔwɔ nhunumu anim, na ɔbɛnya nimdeɛ.
26 Anyone who mistreats/abuses his father or forces his mother to leave the home is a child who is acting shamefully and disgracefully.
Deɛ ɔbɔ nʼagya korɔno na ɔpamo ne maame no yɛ ɔba a ɔde aniwuo ne animguaseɛ ba.
27 My son, if you stop learning things, you will [soon] forget what [you already] know.
Me ba, sɛ wogyae nkyerɛkyerɛ tie a, wobɛmane afiri nimdeɛ nsɛm ho.
28 Worthless witnesses [in court] make fun of [judges who try to] make fair decisions, and wicked people [enjoy] doing evil [like] they enjoy eating [good food] [MET].
Adansekurumni di atɛntenenee ho fɛw; na omumuyɛfoɔ ano mene bɔne.
29 [God] is ready to punish those who make fun [of him/religion]; those who do foolish things deserve to be flogged/whipped.
Wɔasiesie asotwe ama fɛdifoɔ, ne mmaabɔ ama nkwaseafoɔ akyi.
