Mmɛbusɛm 1
1 Dawid babarima Salomo, Israelhene, mmɛbusɛm nie:
The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, King of Israel:
2 Ne botaeɛ ne sɛ ɛbɛkyerɛ nnipa nyansa ne ahohyɛsoɔ; ne sɛ ɛbɛboa ma wɔate nsɛm a emu dɔ ase;
For the knowledge of wisdom and correction, for discerning the sayings of intelligence;
3 sɛ wɔbɛnya ahohyɛsoɔ na wɔabɔ ɔbra pa, a ɛbɛma wɔayɛ ade pa, deɛ ɛtene na ɛho nni asɛm;
For receiving the correction of prudence, righteousness and justice, and equity;
4 sɛ ɛbɛma deɛ nʼadwene mu nnɔ anya nyansa na mmabunu anya nimdeɛ ne adwene.
For giving To the simple shrewdness, To the young man, knowledge and discretion.
5 Anyansafoɔ ntie na wɔmfa nka deɛ wɔnim ho, na deɛ ɔwɔ nhunumu nya akwankyerɛ a
A wise man, will hear, and will increase learning, and a, discreet man, wise counsels, will acquire,
6 ɛbɛma woate mmɛ ne akasabɛbuo, anyansafoɔ nsɛnka ne aborɔme ase.
By gaining discernment of proverb, and satire, the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
7 Awurade suro yɛ nimdeɛ ahyɛaseɛ, na nkwaseafoɔ bu nyansa ne ahohyɛsoɔ animtiaa.
The reverence of Yahweh, is the beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and correction, the foolish have despised.
8 Me ba, tie wʼagya akwankyerɛ na mpo wo maame nkyerɛkyerɛ.
Hear, my son, the correction of thy father, and do not reject the instruction of thy mother;
9 Ɛbɛyɛ wo tiri animuonyam abotire ne wo kɔn mu ntweaban.
For, a wreath of beauty, shall they be to thy head, and chains of ornament, to thy neck.
10 Me ba, sɛ nnebɔneyɛfoɔ daadaa wo a, mma wɔn ho ɛkwan.
My son, if sinners entice thee, do not consent.
11 Sɛ wɔka sɛ, “Bra ma yɛnkɔ; ma yɛnkɔtetɛ na yɛnkum obi, ma yɛnkɔtɛ ntwɛn mmɔborɔni bi;
If they say—Come with us, —Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us watch in secret for him who is needlessly innocent;
Let us engulf them, like hades, alive, While in health, like them who are going down to the pit; (Sheol h7585)
13 yɛbɛnya nneɛma a ɛsom bo ahodoɔ na yɛde afodeɛ ahyɛ yɛn afie ma;
All costly substance, shall we find, We shall fill our houses with spoil;
14 enti, fa wo ho bɛhyɛ mu, na wobɛnya wo kyɛfa wɔ ahonyadeɛ no mu” a,
Thy lot, shalt thou cast into our midst, One purse, shall there be, for us all.
15 Me ba, wo ne wɔn nnante, mfa wo nan nsi wɔn akwan so;
My son, do not walk in the way with them, Withhold thy foot from their path.
16 Wɔn nan de ntɛmpɛ kɔ bɔne mu, na wɔde ahoɔherɛ ka mogya gu.
For, their feet, to mischief, do run, and haste to the shedding of blood.
17 Ɛho nni mfasoɔ sɛ obi bɛsum nnomaafidie wɔ ɛberɛ a nnomaa nyinaa hwɛ!
Surely, in vain, is spread the net, in the sight of aught that hath wings!
18 Saa nnipa yi tetɛ pɛ wɔn ankasa mogya; wɔtetɛ wɔn ankasa wɔn ho!
Yet, they, for their own blood, lie in wait, They watch in secret for their own life.
19 Saa na wɔn a wɔdi korɔnodeɛ akyi no awieeɛ teɛ; ɛma wɔhwere wɔn nkwa!
Such are the ways of every one that graspeth with greed, The life of the owners thereof, it taketh away!
20 Nyansa team wɔ mmɔntene so, ɔma ne nne so wɔ adwaberem,
Wisdom, in the open place, soundeth forth, in the broadways, she raiseth her voice;
21 ɔteaam wɔ afasuo no atifi, ɔkasa wɔ kuropɔn no apono ano sɛ,
At the head of bustling streets, she crieth aloud, —at the openings of the gates in the city—her sayings, she doth utter: —
22 “Mo adwenemherɛfoɔ, mobɛyɛ adwenemherɛ akɔsi da bɛn? Fɛdifoɔ bɛdi fɛ akɔsi da bɛn? Nkwaseafoɔ bɛkyiri nimdeɛ akɔsi da bɛn?
How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and, scoffers, in scoffing, delight them? and, dullards, hate knowledge?
23 Sɛ motiee mʼaninka a, anka mekaa mʼakoma mu nsɛm nyinaa kyerɛɛ mo maa mo hunuu me nsusuiɛ.
Will ye turn, at my reproof? Lo! I will pour out to you my spirit, I will make known my words to you.
24 Nanso, sɛ moyii mo aso ɛberɛ a mefrɛɛ mo na amfa obiara ho ɛberɛ a metenee me nsa mu,
Because I called, and ye refused, I stretched out my hand, and no one regarded;
25 sɛ mopoo mʼafotuo, na moampɛ mʼanimka enti,
But ye dismissed all my counsel, and, to my rebuke, would not yield,
26 me nso mɛsere mo wɔ mo amanehunu mu; sɛ abɛbrɛsɛ bi bu fa mo so a, medi mo ho fɛw,
I also, at your calamity, will laugh, I will mock, when cometh your dread;
27 sɛ abɛbrɛsɛ bi bu fa mo so te sɛ ahum, na amanehunu bi bɔ fa mo so sɛ twahoframa, na awerɛhoɔ ne ɔhaw mene mo a,
When cometh as a crashing your dread, and, your calamity, as a storm-wind, overtaketh, when there come upon you, distress and anguish.
28 “Afei mobɛfrɛ me, nanso meremmua mo; mobɛhwehwɛ me, nanso morenhunu me.
Then, will they call me, but I will not answer, they will seek me diligently, but shall not find me.
29 Esiane sɛ wɔkyirii nimdeɛ na wɔampɛ sɛ wobɛsuro Awurade.
Because they hated knowledge, and, the reverence of Yahweh, did not choose;
30 Esiane sɛ w ɔpoo mʼafotuo, na wɔbuu me ntenesoɔ animtiaa enti,
Consented not to my counsel, disdained all my rebuke,
31 wɔbɛdi wɔn akwan so aba na wɔn nhyehyɛeɛ mu aduane bɛmee wɔn.
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and, with their own counsels, be filled.
32 Na ntetekwaafoɔ asoɔden bɛkum wɔn, na nkwaseafoɔ tirimudɛ bɛsɛe wɔn;
For, the turning away of the simple, will slay them, —and, the carelessness of dullards, will destroy them.
33 Nanso, obiara a ɔbɛtie me no, ɔbɛtena ase asomdwoeɛ mu na ne ho bɛtɔ no a ɔrensuro ɔhaw biara.”
Whereas, he that hearkeneth unto me, shall dwell safely, and be at rest, without dread of misfortune.
