Agyimisɛm Ho Kɔkɔbɔ
1Me ba, sɛ woadi akagyinamu ama ɔyɔnko bi,
sɛ wode wo biribi asi awowa ama obi,
2sɛ nea wokae ayi ka ama wo
na sɛ wʼano asɛm afiri ayi wo a,
3ɛno de yɛ eyi, me ba, na fa tetew wo ho,
sɛ ɔyɔnko nsa aka wo no nti:
fa ahobrɛase kɔ nʼanim;
na kɔ so pa wo yɔnko no kyɛw!
4Mma wʼani nkum
na ntɔ nko.
5Gye wo ho, sɛnea ɔforote guan fi ɔbɔmmɔfo nsam
anaa sɛnea anomaa guan fi ofirisumfo afiri mu no.
6Ɔkwadwofo, kɔ ɔtɛtea nkyɛn;
hwɛ nʼakwan, na hu nyansa!
7Onni ɔsahene,
onni ɔhwɛfo anaa sodifo bi,
8nanso ɔde aduan sie wɔ ahuhurubere mu,
ɔboaboa nnuan ano wɔ twabere.
9Wo, ɔkwadwofo, wobɛda akosi da bɛn?
Wubenyan bere bɛn?
10Nna kakra, nkotɔ kakra,
nsa a woabobɔw de rehome kakra,
11ɛbɛma ohia aba wo so sɛ ɔkwanmukafo
na ahokyere atow akyere wo sɛnea okura otuo.
12Onipa teta ne ohuhuni a
odi atoro kyin,
13nea obu nʼani,
na ɔde ne nan yɛ nsɛnkyerɛnne
na ɔde ne nsateaa kyerɛkyerɛ ade,
14nea ɔde ne koma mu nnaadaa bɔ pɔw bɔne,
na ɔde mpaapaemu ba bere biara.
15Ɛno nti amanehunu bɛba no so prɛko pɛ;
wɔbɛsɛe no mpofirim, a wɔrenya ano aduru.
16Nneɛma asia na Awurade mpɛ,
nneɛma ason na ɛyɛ nʼakyiwade:
17ani a ɛtra ntɔn,
atoro tɛkrɛma,
nsa a ɛka mogya a edi bem gu,
18koma a edwen amumɔyɛ ho,
anan a etutu mmirika kɔyɛ bɔne,
19ɔdansekurumni a odi atoro
ne onipa a ɔde mpaapaemu ba anuanom mu.
Aguamammɔ Ho Kɔkɔbɔ
20Me ba, tie wʼagya ahyɛde
na nnyaa wo na nkyerɛkyerɛ mu.
21Fa kyekyere wo koma ho daa;
na fa kyekyere wɔ kɔn mu.
22Wonantew a, ɛbɛkyerɛ wo kwan;
sɛ woda a, ɛbɛwɛn wo;
sɛ wunyan a, ɛbɛkasa akyerɛ wo.
23Na saa ahyɛde yi yɛ kanea
saa nkyerɛkyerɛ yi yɛ hann,
na ahohyɛso nteɛso yi
yɛ nkwa kwan,
24ɛtwe wo fi ɔbea a onni suban pa no ho,
fi ɔbeawarefo huhuni tɛkrɛmadɛ ho.
25Mma wo kɔn nnɔ nʼahoɔfɛ,
mma nʼani akyideda no ntwetwe wo,
26efisɛ oguamanfo ma wʼanuonyam yɛ sɛ brodosin,
na obi yere gyigye wo kɔ owu mu.
27Obi betumi asɔ gya agu ne srɛ so a
nhyew nʼatade ana?
28Obi betumi anantew nnyansramma so a
mpumpunnya mmobɔ nʼanan ho ana?
29Saa na ɔbarima a ɔne ɔbarima foforo yere da no te;
obiara a ɔde ne nsa bɛka no no, remfa ne ho nni da.
30Nnipa mmu ɔkorɔmfo a wakowia ade animtiaa
sɛ ɔkɔm de no na ɔde rekodwudwo ano nti.
31Mmom, sɛ wɔkyere no a, ɛsɛ sɛ otua mmɔho ason;
sɛ ɛbɛma wahwere ne fi agyapade nyinaa mpo a.
32Ɔbarima a ɔsɛe aware no nni adwene;
obiara a ɔyɛ saa no sɛe ne ho.
33Ɔhwe ne animguase na obenya,
na nʼahohora rempepa da.
34Ninkutwe hwanyan okunu abufuw
na sɛ ɔtɔ were a, ahummɔbɔ biara nni mu.
35Ɔrennye mpata biara;
na ɔbɛpo adanmude, sɛ ɛso sɛ dɛn mpo a.
Warnings against folly
1My son, if you have put up security for your neighbour,
if you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger,
2you have been trapped by what you said,
ensnared by the words of your mouth.
3So do this, my son, to free yourself,
since you have fallen into your neighbour’s hands:
go – to the point of exhaustion – 6:3 Or Go and humble yourself,
and give your neighbour no rest!
4Allow no sleep to your eyes,
no slumber to your eyelids.
5Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,
like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
6Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
7It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
8yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
9How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?
10A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest –
11and poverty will come on you like a thief
and scarcity like an armed man.
12A troublemaker and a villain,
who goes about with a corrupt mouth,
13who winks maliciously with his eye,
signals with his feet
and motions with his fingers,
14who plots evil with deceit in his heart –
he always stirs up conflict.
15Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant;
he will suddenly be destroyed – without remedy.
16There are six things the Lord hates,
seven that are detestable to him:
17haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
18a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
19a false witness who pours out lies
and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.
Warning against adultery
20My son, keep your father’s command
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
21Bind them always on your heart;
fasten them round your neck.
22When you walk, they will guide you;
when you sleep, they will watch over you;
when you awake, they will speak to you.
23For this command is a lamp,
this teaching is a light,
and correction and instruction
are the way to life,
24keeping you from your neighbour’s wife,
from the smooth talk of a wayward woman.
25Do not lust in your heart after her beauty
or let her captivate you with her eyes.
26For a prostitute can be had for a loaf of bread,
but another man’s wife preys on your very life.
27Can a man scoop fire into his lap
without his clothes being burned?
28Can a man walk on hot coals
without his feet being scorched?
29So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife;
no-one who touches her will go unpunished.
30People do not despise a thief if he steals
to satisfy his hunger when he is starving.
31Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold,
though it costs him all the wealth of his house.
32But a man who commits adultery has no sense;
whoever does so destroys himself.
33Blows and disgrace are his lot,
and his shame will never be wiped away.
34For jealousy arouses a husband’s fury,
and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
35He will not accept any compensation;
he will refuse a bribe, however great it is.
