Ɔbeawaresɛefo Ho Kɔkɔbɔ
1Me ba, fa me nsɛm sie
na kora mʼahyɛde wɔ wo mu.
2Di mʼahyɛde so na wubenya nkwa;
bɔ me nkyerɛkyerɛ ho ban sɛ nea wodɔ no.
3Kyekyere bɔ wo nsateaa ho;
kyerɛw no yiye gu wo koma pon so.
4Ka kyerɛ nyansa se, “Woyɛ me nuabea,”
na frɛ ntease wo busuani;
5Wɔbɛtwe wo afi ɔbeawaresɛefo ho,
afi ɔbeawarefo huhuni nsɛmmɔdɛ ho.
6Me fi mfɛnsere ano,
mede mʼani faa mfɛnsere mu.
7Mihuu wɔ ntetekwaafo mu,
mehyɛɛ mmerante no mu baako nsow,
ɔbabun a onni adwene.
8Na ɔnam borɔn a ɛbɛn ɔbea no fi so
a nʼani kyerɛ ɔbea no fi
9bere a onwini redwo,
na anim rebiribiri no.
10Afei ɔbea bi fi behyiaa no a
wasiesie ne ho sɛ oguamanfo a nnaadaa wɔ ne koma mu.
11(Ɔyɛ hyirenn na hwee mfa ne ho,
ɔntena fie koraa;
12nnɛ wohu no mmɔnten so, ɔkyena na ɔte aguabɔbea,
ɔtetɛw wɔ mmantwea mmantwea.)
13Osoo ne mu few nʼano,
wamfɛre, na ɔkae se,
14“Mewɔ asomdwoe afɔrebɔde wɔ fie;
nnɛ madi me bɔhyɛ so.
15Enti mebae sɛ merebehyia wo;
mehwehwɛɛ wo na mahu wo!
16Mato me mpa,
mede nwera a wɔahyɛ no aduru a efi Misraim.
17Mede nnuhuam apete me mpa so:
kurobow, pɛprɛ ne dupapo.
18Bra, ma yɛmfa ɔdɔ mmɔ ɔdɔ mu nkosi anɔpa;
19Me kunu nni fie;
watu kwan na ɔbɛkyɛ.
20Ɔde sika a ɛdɔɔso hyɛɛ ne sika kotoku ma
na ɔremma kosi ɔsram no kurokumatwa bere mu.”
21Ɔde tɛkrɛmakyene bɔɔ no adafa;
ɔde nnaadaa nyaa no ne no dae.
22Odii nʼakyi prɛko pɛ
te sɛ nantwi a ɔrekɔ akumii,
anaa ɔwansan a ɔde ne ti rekɔhyɛ hankare fi mu
23kosi sɛ bɛmma bɛwɔ ne brɛbo mu,
te sɛ anomaa a ɔrekɔtɔ anomaa afiri mu
na onnim sɛ ɔbɛhwere ne nkwa.
24Na afei, me mma, muntie me;
monyɛ aso mma nea meka.
25Mommma mo koma mpatiri nkɔ no so
na momman mmfa nʼakwan so.
26Bebree na wɔnam no so ahwehwe ase;
wɔn a wakum wɔn dɔɔso pa ara.
27Ne fi yɛ ɔda tempɔn a
ɛkɔ owu pia mu.
Warning against the adulterous woman
1My son, keep my words
and store up my commands within you.
2Keep my commands and you will live;
guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
3Bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4Say to wisdom, ‘You are my sister,’
and to insight, ‘You are my relative.’
5They will keep you from the adulterous woman,
from the wayward woman with her seductive words.
6At the window of my house
I looked down through the lattice.
7I saw among the simple,
I noticed among the young men,
a youth who had no sense.
8He was going down the street near her corner,
walking along in the direction of her house
9at twilight, as the day was fading,
as the dark of night set in.
10Then out came a woman to meet him,
dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.
11(She is unruly and defiant,
her feet never stay at home;
12now in the street, now in the squares,
at every corner she lurks.)
13She took hold of him and kissed him
and with a brazen face she said:
14‘Today I fulfilled my vows,
and I have food from my fellowship offering at home.
15So I came out to meet you;
I looked for you and have found you!
16I have covered my bed
with coloured linens from Egypt.
17I have perfumed my bed
with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.
18Come, let’s drink deeply of love till morning;
let’s enjoy ourselves with love!
19My husband is not at home;
he has gone on a long journey.
20He took his purse filled with money
and will not be home till full moon.’
21With persuasive words she led him astray;
she seduced him with her smooth talk.
22All at once he followed her
like an ox going to the slaughter,
like a deer7:22 Syriac (see also Septuagint); Hebrew fool stepping into a noose7:22 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
23till an arrow pierces his liver,
like a bird darting into a snare,
little knowing it will cost him his life.
24Now then, my sons, listen to me;
pay attention to what I say.
25Do not let your heart turn to her ways
or stray into her paths.
26Many are the victims she has brought down;
her slain are a mighty throng.
27Her house is a highway to the grave,
leading down to the chambers of death.
