1Ɔhonamkani yɛ pɛsɛmenkominya;
na nea ɛmfa atɛntrenee mma no turuw ɔham.
2Ɔkwasea nni nhumu ho anigye,
na mmom nea ɔpɛ ara ne sɛ ɔde nʼadwene bɛto gua.
3Sɛ amumɔyɛsɛm ba a animtiaabu di so,
na aniwu nso di animguase akyi.
4Onipa anom nsɛm yɛ nsu a emu dɔ,
na nyansa asuti yɛ asuwa a ɛrefi ahuru.
5Enye sɛ wodi ma omumɔyɛfo
anaasɛ wobu nea odi bem ntɛnkyew.
6Nkwaseafo ano de akasakasa ba,
na wɔn ano frɛfrɛ ɔhwe.
7Nkwaseafo ano yɛ wɔn ara wɔn sɛe,
na wɔn anofafa yɛ wɔn ara wɔn kra afiri.
8Osekuni ano asɛm te sɛ aduan a ɛyɛ dɛ;
ɛhyɛnhyɛn onipa akwaa mu nyinaa.
9Nea ɔtoto nʼadwuma ase no
yɛ ɔsɛefo nuabarima.
10Awurade din yɛ abantenten a ɛyɛ den;
ahotefo guan kɔtoa na wonya bammɔ.
11Adefo ahonyade ne wɔn kuropɔn a wɔabɔ ho ban
wɔfa no sɛ ɔfasu tenten a wontumi mforo.
12Ansa na onipa bɛhwe ase no onya ahomaso koma,
na ahobrɛase di anuonyam anim.
13Nea ontie asɛm ansa na wama mmuae no,
ɛno ne ne gyimi ne nʼanimguase.
14Onipa honhom na ɛhyɛ no den wɔ ɔyare mu
na honhom a abotow de, hena na ɔpɛ?
15Nhumu koma nya nimdeɛ;
na anyansafo aso nso hwehwɛ.
16Akyɛde bue kwan ma nea ɔde ma
na ɛde no ba atitiriw anim.
17Ɛyɛ nea ɔbɔ ne nkuro kan no sɛ nʼasɛm yɛ dɛ,
kosi sɛ ɔfoforo bɛba abebisa no nsɛm no mu.
18Ntontobɔ twa akyinnyegye so,
na ɛpata atamfo.
19Onua a wɔafom no no asɛm yɛ den sen kuropɔn a ɛwɔ bammɔ,
akyinnyegye te sɛ abankɛse apon a wɔabram akyi.
20Onipa anom asɛm so aba ma ɔyafunu mee,
nnɔbae a nʼanofafa twa no mee no.
21Tɛkrɛma kura nkwa ne owu tumi,
na wɔn a wɔdɔ no no bedi nʼaba.
22Nea wanya yere no anya ade pa
na onya adom fi Awurade hɔ.
23Ohiani srɛ ahummɔbɔ,
nanso ɔdefo de kasaden bua no.
24Ɔbarima a ne nnamfonom dɔɔso betumi ahwe ase,
nanso adamfo bi wɔ hɔ a ɔbɛfam ne ho asen onua.
1An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends
and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.
2Fools find no pleasure in understanding
but delight in airing their own opinions.
3When wickedness comes, so does contempt,
and with shame comes reproach.
4The words of the mouth are deep waters,
but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.
5It is not good to be partial to the wicked
and so deprive the innocent of justice.
6The lips of fools bring them strife,
and their mouths invite a beating.
7The mouths of fools are their undoing,
and their lips are a snare to their very lives.
8The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to the inmost parts.
9One who is slack in his work
is brother to one who destroys.
10The name of the Lord is a fortified tower;
the righteous run to it and are safe.
11The wealth of the rich is their fortified city;
they imagine it a wall too high to scale.
12Before a downfall the heart is haughty,
but humility comes before honour.
13To answer before listening –
that is folly and shame.
14The human spirit can endure in times of illness,
but a crushed spirit who can bear?
15The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge,
for the ears of the wise seek it out.
16A gift opens the way
and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.
17In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right,
until someone comes forward and cross-examines.
18Casting the lot settles disputes
and keeps strong opponents apart.
19A brother wronged is more unyielding than a fortified city;
disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.
20From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled;
with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied.
21The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.
22He who finds a wife finds what is good
and receives favour from the Lord.
23The poor plead for mercy,
but the rich answer harshly.
24One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
