Aguamammɔ Ho Kɔkɔbɔ
1Me ba, yɛ aso ma me nyansa;
tie me nhumu nsɛm no yiye,
2sɛnea ɛbɛma woahwɛ yiye,
na wʼano akora nimdeɛ.
3Efisɛ ɔbea aguaman ano sosɔ ɛwo,
na ne kasa yɛ fɔmm sen ngo;
4nanso awiei no, ɛyɛ nwen sen bɔnwoma,
ɛyɛ nam sɛ afoa anofanu.
5Nʼanan kɔ owu mu;
nʼanammɔntutu kɔ ɔda mu tee.
6Onsusuw ɔkwan a ɛkɔ nkwa mu ho;
nʼakwan yɛ kɔntɔnkye, nanso onnim.
7Enti afei, me mma, muntie me;
Monntwe mo ho mmfi nea meka ho.
8Ɔkwan a ɛmmɛn no no na momfa so;
mommmɛn ne fi pon ano,
9anyɛ saa a, mode mo ahoɔden bɛma afoforo
na mode mo mfe ama otirimɔdenfo,
10anyɛ saa a, ahɔho bɛfom mo ahonyade
na mo brɛ de ahonya akɔ afoforo fi.
11Mo nkwanna akyi, mubesi apini,
bere a mo honam ne mo nipadua asa no.
12Na moaka se, “Na mikyi ahohyɛso!
Me koma ampɛ nteɛso!
13Manyɛ osetie amma mʼakyerɛkyerɛfo
na mantie me kwankyerɛfo asɛm.
14Madu ɔsɛe ano
wɔ asafo no nyinaa mu.”
15Nom nsu fi wʼankasa ahina mu,
nsu a ɛteɛ fi wʼankasa abura mu.
16So ɛsɛ sɛ wʼasuti yiri fa mmɔnten so
na wo nsuwa kokɔ ɔman aguabɔbea ana?
17Ma ɛnyɛ wo nko ara de,
a wo ne ahɔho nkyɛ da.
18Nhyira nka wʼasubura
na wʼani nnye wo mmrantebere mu yere ho.
19Ɔte sɛ ɔtwe bere dɔfo, ɔwansan nuonyamfo;
ma ne nufu nsɔ wʼani daa
na ne dɔ nkyekyere wo.
20Me ba, adɛn nti na woma ɔbea aguaman kyekyere wo?
Adɛn nti na woda ɔbarima foforo bi yere kokom?
21Awurade hu onipa akwan nyinaa,
na ɔhwehwɛ ne nyinaa mu.
22Omumɔyɛfo nnebɔne sum no afiri;
na ne bɔne ahama kyekyere no papee.
23Wobewu, esiane ahohyɛso a wonni nti,
na wɔayera, esiane wɔn agyennyentwisɛm nti.
Warning Against Adultery
1My son, pay attention to my wisdom,
turn your ear to my words of insight,
2that you may maintain discretion
and your lips may preserve knowledge.
3For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey,
and her speech is smoother than oil;
4but in the end she is bitter as gall,
sharp as a double-edged sword.
5Her feet go down to death;
her steps lead straight to the grave.
6She gives no thought to the way of life;
her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it.
7Now then, my sons, listen to me;
do not turn aside from what I say.
8Keep to a path far from her,
do not go near the door of her house,
9lest you lose your honor to others
and your dignity5:9 Or years to one who is cruel,
10lest strangers feast on your wealth
and your toil enrich the house of another.
11At the end of your life you will groan,
when your flesh and body are spent.
12You will say, “How I hated discipline!
How my heart spurned correction!
13I would not obey my teachers
or turn my ear to my instructors.
14And I was soon in serious trouble
in the assembly of God’s people.”
15Drink water from your own cistern,
running water from your own well.
16Should your springs overflow in the streets,
your streams of water in the public squares?
17Let them be yours alone,
never to be shared with strangers.
18May your fountain be blessed,
and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.
19A loving doe, a graceful deer—
may her breasts satisfy you always,
may you ever be intoxicated with her love.
20Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife?
Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?
21For your ways are in full view of the Lord,
and he examines all your paths.
22The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them;
the cords of their sins hold them fast.
23For lack of discipline they will die,
led astray by their own great folly.
