Agur Nsɛm A Ɔkae
1Yake babarima Agur nsɛm a ɔkae a ɛyɛ nkuranhyɛ:
Saa ɔbarima yi ka kyerɛɛ Itiel ne Ukal se:
2“Me na minnim hwee koraa wɔ nnipa mu,
minni onipa ntease.
3Minsuaa nyansa,
na minni Ɔkronkronni no ho nimdeɛ nso.
4Hena na waforo akɔ ɔsoro na wasian aba fam?
Hena na wabɔ mframa boa wɔ ne nsam?
Hena na ɔde nʼatade abɔ nsu boa?
Hena na ɔbɔɔ asase tamaa yi?
Ne din de dɛn, na ne babarima nso din de dɛn?
Sɛ wunim a ka kyerɛ me!
5“Onyankopɔn asɛm biara yɛ nokware;
ɔyɛ nkatabo ma wɔn a woguan toa no.
6Mfa biribi nka nʼasɛm ho,
anyɛ saa a ɔbɛka wʼanim ama woayɛ ɔtorofo.
7“Awurade, nneɛma abien na mehwehwɛ afi wo nkyɛn;
mfa nkame me ansa na mawu:
8ma me ne atoro ne nnaadaasɛm ntam nware koraa;
mma mennyɛ ohiani anaa ɔdefo;
nanso ma me me daa aduan nkutoo.
9Anyɛ saa a, ebia minya me ho pii a ɛbɛma mapa wo
na maka se, ‘Hena ne Awurade?’
Anaa mɛyɛ ohiani na mabɔ korɔn,
na ama magu me Nyankopɔn din ho fi.
10“Nsɛe ɔsomfo din nkyerɛ ne wura;
sɛ woyɛ saa a, ɔbɛdome wo na wubetua so ka.
11“Nnipa bi dome wɔn agyanom,
na wonhyira wɔn nanom nso;
12Wɔn a wɔteɛ wɔ wɔn ankasa ani so
nanso wɔnhohoroo wɔn ho fi no;
13wɔn a wɔn ani tra ntɔn,
na wobu animtiaa;
14wɔn a wɔn se yɛ afoa
na asekan hyehyɛ wɔn abogye mu
wɔn na wɔbɛtɔre ahiafo ase afi asase so,
na wɔayi ahiafo afi adesamma mu.
15“Amemem wɔ mmabea baanu
a wɔteɛ mu se, ‘Fa ma! Fa ma!’
“Nneɛma abiɛsa na ɛmmee da
anan na ɛnka da se, ‘Eye!’
16Ɔda,
obonin awotwaa,
asase a ɛyɛ wosee daa,
ne ogya a ɛnka da se, ‘Eye!’
17“Ani a eyi agya ahi,
na ebu ɛna animtiaa no,
obon mu kwaakwaadabi betutu,
na apete abedi.
18“Nneɛma abiɛsa na ɛyɛ me nwonwa,
anan na mente ase:
19Ɔkwan a ɔkɔre nam so wɔ wim,
sɛnea ɔwɔ nantew ɔbotan so,
ɔkwan a hyɛn nam so wɔ po tamaa so,
ne sɛnea ɔbarima dɔ ababaa.
20“Ɔbea ɔwaresɛefo kwan ni:
Odidi, ɔpepa nʼano
na ɔka se, ‘Menyɛɛ mfomso biara.’
21“Nneɛma abiɛsa na ɛma asase wosow,
anan na asase ntumi nnyina ano:
22akoa a wabɛyɛ ɔhene,
ɔkwasea a wadidi amee,
23ɔbea a wɔmpɛ no na waware,
afenaa a otu nʼawuraa tena nʼanan mu.
24“Nneɛma nketenkete anan na ɛwɔ asase so,
nanso wɔyɛ anyansafo ankasa:
25Ntɛtea yɛ abɔde nketewa a wonni ahoɔden,
nanso wɔboaboa wɔn aduan ano ahuhuru bere mu;
26Nkukuban30.26 Nkukuban yɛ nnanko mu ahorow bi a, wɔtena akuwakuw wɔ mmepɔw mu. yɛ abɔde a wonni ahoɔden,
nanso wɔyɛ wɔn afi wɔ abotan mu,
27mmoadabi nni ɔhene,
nanso wɔsa so akuwakuw, kɔ wɔn anim;
28wotumi de nsa kyere ɔketew,
nanso wohu no abirɛmpɔn ahemfi.
29“Nneɛma abiɛsa na wɔwɔ abirɛmpɔnnantew,
anan na wɔkeka wɔn ho te sɛ abirɛmpɔn:
30gyata, mmoadoma hene a, biribiara mmɔ no hu;
31akokɔnini a ɔretutu taataa,
ɔpapo,
ne ɔhene a nʼasraafo atwa no ho ahyia.
32“Sɛ woayɛ ɔkwasea ama wo ho so,
anaa woadwene bɔne a,
ma wʼani nwu na mua wʼano!
33Sɛnea wɔka nufusu nu mu a srade fi mu ba,
na wokyinkyim hwene a etu mogya no,
saa ara na abufuw de akasakasa ba.”
The Sayings of Agur
1These sayings are the words of Agur, son of Jakeh. These sayings came from God.
This man said to Ithiel:
“I am weary, God.
But I can still have success.
2Surely I am only a dumb animal and not a man.
I don’t understand as other men do.
3I haven’t learned wisdom.
And I don’t know the things the Holy One knows.
4Who has gone up to heaven and come down?
Whose hands have gathered up the wind?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a coat?
Who has set in place all the boundaries of the earth?
What is his name? What is his son’s name?
Surely you know!
5“Every word of God is perfect.
He is like a shield to those who trust in him.
He keeps them safe.
6Don’t add to his words.
If you do, he will correct you.
He will prove that you are a liar.
7“Lord, I ask you for two things.
Don’t refuse me before I die.
8Keep lies far away from me.
Don’t make me either poor or rich,
but give me only the bread I need each day.
9If you don’t, I might have too much.
Then I might say I don’t know you.
I might say, ‘Who is the Lord?’
Or I might become poor and steal.
Then I would bring shame to the name of my God.
10“Don’t tell lies about a servant when you talk to their master.
If you do, they will curse you, and you will pay for your lies.
11“Some people curse their fathers.
Others don’t bless their mothers.
12Some are pure in their own eyes.
But their dirty sins haven’t been washed away.
13Some have eyes that are very proud.
They look down on others.
14Some people have teeth like swords.
The teeth in their jaws are as sharp as knives.
They are ready to eat up the poor people of the earth.
They are ready to eat up those who are the most needy.
15“A leech has two daughters.
They cry out, ‘Give! Give!’
“Three things are never satisfied.
Four things never say, ‘Enough!’
16The first is the grave.
The second is a woman who can’t have a baby.
The third is land, which never gets enough water.
And the fourth is fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’
17“One person makes fun of their father.
Another doesn’t honor their mother when she is old.
The ravens of the valley will peck out their eyes.
Then the vultures will eat them.
18“Three things are too amazing for me.
There are four things I don’t understand.
19The first is the way of an eagle in the sky.
The second is the way of a snake on a rock.
The third is the way of a ship on the ocean.
And the fourth is the way of a man with a young woman.
20“This is the way of a woman who commits adultery.
She eats and wipes her mouth.
Then she says, ‘I haven’t done anything wrong.’
21“Under three things the earth shakes.
Under four things it can’t stand up.
22The first is a servant who becomes a king.
The second is a foolish and ungodly person who gets plenty to eat.
23The third is a mean woman who gets married.
And the fourth is a servant who takes the place of the woman she works for.
24“Four things on earth are small.
But they are very wise.
25The first are ants, which aren’t very strong.
But they store up their food in the summer.
26The second are hyraxes, which aren’t very powerful.
But they make their home among the rocks.
27The third are locusts, which don’t have a king.
But they all march forward in ranks.
28And the fourth are lizards, which your hand can catch.
But you will find them in kings’ palaces.
29“Three things walk as if they were kings.
Four things move as kings do.
30The first is a lion, which is mighty among the animals. It doesn’t back away from anything.
31The second is a rooster, which walks proudly.
The third is a billy goat.
And the fourth is a king, who is secure against any who might oppose him.
32“Do you do foolish things?
Do you think you are better than others?
Do you plan evil?
If you do, put your hand over your mouth and stop talking!
33If you churn cream, you will produce butter.
If you twist a nose, you will produce blood.
And if you stir up anger, you will produce a fight.”