1Obiara a ɔpɛ ahohyɛso no pɛ nimdeɛ,
na nea okyi nteɛso no yɛ ogyimifo.
2Nnipa pa nya Awurade nkyɛn adom,
na Awurade bu amumɔyɛfo fɔ.
3Amumɔyɛsɛm rentumi mma onipa ase ntim,
na wɔrentumi ntu ɔtreneeni ase.
4Ɔyere a ɔwɔ suban pa yɛ ne kunu ahenkyɛw,
nanso ɔyere nimguasefo te sɛ porɔwee wɔ ne kunu nnompe mu.
5Atreneefo nhyehyɛe yɛ pɛ,
na amumɔyɛfo afotu yɛ nnaadaa.
6Amumɔyɛfo nsɛm da hɔ twɛn mogya,
na ɔtreneeni kasa yi wɔn fi mu.
7Wotu amumɔyɛfo gu na wɔyera,
nanso atreneefo fi gyina pintinn.
8Wɔkamfo onipa sɛnea ne nyansa te
na nnipa a wɔn adwene yɛ kɔntɔnkye de, wobu wɔn animtiaa.
9Eye sɛ wobɛyɛ wo ho sɛ ɔteta nanso wowɔ ɔsomfo,
sen sɛ wobɛyɛ wo ho sɛ obi, nanso wunni aduan.
10Ɔtreneeni ma ne nyɛmmoa nea wɔpɛ,
na amumɔyɛfo nneyɛe a eye pa ara yɛ atirimɔden.
11Nea ɔyɛ nʼasase so adwuma no benya aduan bebree,
na nea odi nsɛm huhuw akyi no nni adwene.
12Amumɔyɛfo pɛ abɔnefo asade,
nanso ɔtreneeni ase dɔ.
13Ɔbɔnefo anosɛm yi no sɛ afiri,
nanso ɔtreneeni nya ne ho tetew wɔ ahohia mu.
14Nneɛma pa fi onipa anom aba mu hyɛ no ma
sɛnea ne nsa ano adwuma ma no akatua no.
15Ɔkwasea akwan teɛ nʼani so,
na onyansafo tie afotu.
16Nkwaseafo bo nkyɛ fuw,
nanso mmadwemma bu wɔn ani gu animka so.
17Ɔdanseni nokwafo di adanse turodoo,
na nea odi adansekurum no twa nkontompo.
18Nsɛm hunu keka wowɔ te sɛ afoa
nanso onyansafo tɛkrɛma ma abodwo.
19Ano a ɛka nokware no tim hɔ daa,
na atoro tɛkrɛma renkyɛ koraa.
20Nnaadaa hyɛ wɔn a wodwen bɔne ho no koma mu,
na wɔn a wɔpɛ asomdwoe nya ahosɛpɛw.
21Ɔhaw biara rento ɔtreneeni,
nanso amanehunu mee amumɔyɛfo.
22Awurade kyi ano a etwa atoro,
na nʼani gye nnipa a wodi nokware ho.
23Ɔtreneeni mmɔ ne nimdeɛ ho dawuru
nanso ɔkwasea koma da agyimisɛm adi.
24Nsa a ɛyɛ adwuma no bedi tumi,
nanso akwadworɔ wie nkoasom mu.
25Koma a ɛpere ade ho ma onipa botow,
nanso nkuranhyɛsɛm bi hyɛ no den.
26Ɔtreneeni wɔ ntoboase wɔ ayɔnkofa mu,
nanso amumɔyɛfo kwan ma wɔfom.
27Onihawfo ntoto ne hanam,
nanso nsiyɛfo ahonyade som bo ma wɔn.
28Trenee kwan mu wɔ nkwa;
na owu nni saa kwan no so.
1Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but whoever hates correction is stupid.
2Good people obtain favour from the Lord,
but he condemns those who devise wicked schemes.
3No-one can be established through wickedness,
but the righteous cannot be uprooted.
4A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown,
but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.
5The plans of the righteous are just,
but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.
6The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
but the speech of the upright rescues them.
7The wicked are overthrown and are no more,
but the house of the righteous stands firm.
8A person is praised according to their prudence,
and one with a warped mind is despised.
9Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant
than pretend to be somebody and have no food.
10The righteous care for the needs of their animals,
but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.
11Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase fantasies have no sense.
12The wicked desire the stronghold of evildoers,
but the root of the righteous endures.
13Evildoers are trapped by their sinful talk,
and so the innocent escape trouble.
14From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things,
and the work of their hands brings them reward.
15The way of fools seems right to them,
but the wise listen to advice.
16Fools show their annoyance at once,
but the prudent overlook an insult.
17An honest witness tells the truth,
but a false witness tells lies.
18The words of the reckless pierce like swords,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
19Truthful lips endure for ever,
but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.
20Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil,
but those who promote peace have joy.
21No harm overtakes the righteous,
but the wicked have their fill of trouble.
22The Lord detests lying lips,
but he delights in people who are trustworthy.
23The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves,
but a fool’s heart blurts out folly.
24Diligent hands will rule,
but laziness ends in forced labour.
25Anxiety weighs down the heart,
but a kind word cheers it up.
26The righteous choose their friends carefully,
but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
27The lazy do not roast12:27 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain. any game,
but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.
28In the way of righteousness there is life;
along that path is immortality.
