Proverbs 1
1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
Dawid babarima Salomo, Israelhene, mmebusɛm ni:
2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
Ne botae ne sɛ ɛbɛkyerɛ nnipa nyansa ne ahohyɛso; ne sɛ ɛbɛboa ama wɔate nsɛm a emu dɔ ase;
3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
sɛ wobenya akwankyerɛ wɔ abrabɔ pa mu, a ɛbɛma wɔayɛ ade pa, nea ɛteɛ na ho nni asɛm;
4 To give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
sɛ ɛbɛma nea nʼadwene mu nnɔ anya nyansa na mmabun anya nimdeɛ ne adwene,
5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain to wise counsels:
anyansafo ntie na wɔmfa nka nea wonim ho, na nea ɔwɔ nhumu nya akwankyerɛ a
6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
ɛbɛma wate mmɛ ne kasammebu, anyansafo nsɛnka ne abisaa ase.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Awurade suro yɛ nimdeɛ mfiase, na nkwaseafo bu nyansa ne ahohyɛso animtiaa.
8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
Me ba, tie wʼagya akwankyerɛ na mpo wo na nkyerɛkyerɛ.
9 For they shall be an ornament of grace to thy head, and chains about thy neck.
Ɛbɛyɛ wo ti anuonyam abotiri ne wo kɔn mu atweaban.
10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
Me ba, sɛ nnebɔneyɛfo twetwe wo a, mma wɔn ho kwan.
11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause:
Sɛ wɔka se, “Bra ma yɛnkɔ; ma yɛnkɔtetɛw na yenkum obi, ma yɛnkɔtɛw ntwɛn mmɔborɔni bi;
12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: (Sheol h7585)
ma yɛmmemene wɔn anikann sɛ ɔda, koraa, te sɛ wɔn a wɔkɔ ɔda mu; (Sheol h7585)
13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
yebenya nneɛma a ɛsom bo ahorow na yɛde asade ahyɛ yɛn afi ma;
14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:
fa wo ho bɛhyɛ mu, na wubenya wo kyɛfa wɔ ahonyade no mu.”
15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; keep thy foot from their path:
Me ba, wo ne wɔn nnantew, mfa wo nan nsi wɔn akwan so;
16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
Wɔn anan de ntɛmpɛ kɔ bɔne mu, na wɔde ahoɔhare ka mogya gu.
17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.
So nni mfaso sɛ obi besum nnomaafiri wɔ beae a anomaa biara hu!
18 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk secretly for their own lives.
Saa nnipa yi tetɛw pɛ wɔn ankasa mogya; wɔtetɛw wɔn ankasa wɔn ho!
19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; who taketh away the life of its owners.
Saa na wɔn a wodi akorɔnne akyi no awiei te; ɛma wɔhwere wɔn nkwa!
20 Wisdom crieth outside; she uttereth her voice in the streets:
Nyansa teɛ mu wɔ mmɔnten so, ɔma ne nne so wɔ aguabɔbea,
21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,
ɔteɛ mu wɔ afasu no atifi, ɔkasa wɔ kuropɔn no apon ano se,
22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
“Mo adwenharefo, mobɛyɛ adwenhare akosi da bɛn? Fɛwdifo bedi fɛw akosi da bɛn? Nkwaseafo bekyi nimdeɛ akosi da bɛn?
23 Turn ye at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit to you, I will make known to you my words.
Sɛ mutiee mʼanimka a, anka mekaa me koma mu nsɛm nyinaa kyerɛɛ mo ma muhuu me nsusuwii.
24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
Nanso sɛ muyii mo aso, bere a mefrɛɛ mo na amfa obiara ho, bere a meteɛɛ me nsa mu,
25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and rejected my reproof:
sɛ mopoo mʼafotu, na moampɛ mʼanimka nti,
26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
me nso mɛserew mo wɔ mo amanehunu mu; sɛ abɛbrɛsɛ bi bu fa mo so a, midi mo ho fɛw,
27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
sɛ abɛbrɛsɛ bi bu fa mo so te sɛ ahum, na amanehunu bi bɔ fa mo so sɛ mfɛtɛ, na awerɛhow ne ɔhaw mene mo a,
28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
“Afei wɔbɛfrɛ me, nanso meremmua; wɔbɛhwehwɛ me, nanso wɔrenhu me.
29 Because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
Esiane sɛ wokyii nimdeɛ na wɔampɛ sɛ wobesuro Awurade,
30 They rejected my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
sɛ wɔpoo mʼafotu, na wobuu me nteɛso animtiaa nti,
31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
wobedi wɔn akwan so aba; na wɔn nhyehyɛe mu aduan bɛmee wɔn.
32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
Na ntetekwaafo asoɔden bekum wɔn, na nkwaseafo tirimudɛ bɛsɛe wɔn;
33 But whoever hearkeneth to me shall dwell in safety, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
Nanso obiara a obetie me no, ɔbɛtena ase asomdwoe mu na ne ho bɛtɔ no a ɔrensuro ɔhaw biara.”
