Botaeɛ Ne Nsɛmpɔ
1Dawid babarima Salomo, Israelhene, mmɛbusɛm nie:
2Ne botaeɛ ne sɛ ɛbɛkyerɛ nnipa nyansa ne ahohyɛsoɔ;
ne sɛ ɛbɛboa ma wɔate nsɛm a emu dɔ ase;
3sɛ wɔbɛnya ahohyɛsoɔ na wɔabɔ ɔbra pa,
a ɛbɛma wɔayɛ ade pa, deɛ ɛtene na ɛho nni asɛm;
4sɛ ɛbɛma deɛ nʼadwene mu nnɔ anya nyansa
na mmabunu anya nimdeɛ ne adwene.
5Anyansafoɔ ntie na wɔmfa nka deɛ wɔnim ho,
na deɛ ɔwɔ nhunumu nya akwankyerɛ a
6ɛbɛma woate mmɛ ne akasabɛbuo,
anyansafoɔ nsɛnka ne aborɔme ase.
7Awurade suro yɛ nimdeɛ ahyɛaseɛ,
na nkwaseafoɔ bu nyansa ne ahohyɛsoɔ animtiaa.
Nyansa Pɛ Ho Afutusɛm
Nnaadaa Ho Kɔkɔbɔ
8Me ba, tie wʼagya akwankyerɛ
na mpo wo maame nkyerɛkyerɛ.
9Ɛbɛyɛ wo tiri animuonyam abotire
ne wo kɔn mu ntweaban.
10Me ba, sɛ nnebɔneyɛfoɔ daadaa wo a,
mma wɔn ho ɛkwan.
11Sɛ wɔka sɛ, “Bra ma yɛnkɔ;
ma yɛnkɔtetɛ na yɛnkum obi,
ma yɛnkɔtɛ ntwɛn mmɔborɔni bi;
12ma yɛmmemmene wɔn anikann sɛ ɛda,
yɛmmene wɔn sɛ wɔn a wɔkɔ damena mu;
13yɛbɛnya nneɛma a ɛsom bo ahodoɔ
na yɛde afodeɛ ahyɛ yɛn afie ma;
14enti, fa wo ho bɛhyɛ mu,
na wobɛnya wo kyɛfa wɔ ahonyadeɛ no mu” a,
15Me ba, wo ne wɔn nnante,
mfa wo nan nsi wɔn akwan so;
16Wɔn nan de ntɛmpɛ kɔ bɔne mu,
na wɔde ahoɔherɛ ka mogya gu.
17Ɛho nni mfasoɔ sɛ obi bɛsum nnomaafidie
wɔ ɛberɛ a nnomaa nyinaa hwɛ!
18Saa nnipa yi tetɛ pɛ wɔn ankasa mogya;
wɔtetɛ wɔn ankasa wɔn ho!
19Saa na wɔn a wɔdi korɔnodeɛ akyi no awieeɛ teɛ;
ɛma wɔhwere wɔn nkwa!
Nyansa A Wɔpo Ho Kɔkɔbɔ
20Nyansa team wɔ mmɔntene so,
ɔma ne nne so wɔ adwaberem,
21ɔteaam wɔ afasuo no atifi,
ɔkasa wɔ kuropɔn no apono ano sɛ,
22“Mo adwenemherɛfoɔ, mobɛyɛ adwenemherɛ akɔsi da bɛn?
Fɛdifoɔ bɛdi fɛ akɔsi da bɛn?
Nkwaseafoɔ bɛkyiri nimdeɛ akɔsi da bɛn?
23Sɛ motiee mʼaninka a,
anka mekaa mʼakoma mu nsɛm nyinaa kyerɛɛ mo
maa mo hunuu me nsusuiɛ.
24Nanso, sɛ moyii mo aso ɛberɛ a mefrɛɛ mo
na amfa obiara ho ɛberɛ a metenee me nsa mu,
25sɛ mopoo mʼafotuo,
na moampɛ mʼanimka enti,
26me nso mɛsere mo wɔ mo amanehunu mu;
sɛ abɛbrɛsɛ bi bu fa mo so a, medi mo ho fɛw,
27sɛ abɛbrɛsɛ bi bu fa mo so te sɛ ahum,
na amanehunu bi bɔ fa mo so sɛ twahoframa,
na awerɛhoɔ ne ɔhaw mene mo a,
28“Afei mobɛfrɛ me, nanso meremmua mo;
mobɛhwehwɛ me, nanso morenhunu me.
29Esiane sɛ wɔkyirii nimdeɛ
na wɔampɛ sɛ wobɛsuro Awurade.
30Esiane sɛ w ɔpoo mʼafotuo,
na wɔbuu me ntenesoɔ animtiaa enti,
31wɔbɛdi wɔn akwan so aba
na wɔn nhyehyɛeɛ mu aduane bɛmee wɔn.
32Na ntetekwaafoɔ asoɔden bɛkum wɔn,
na nkwaseafoɔ tirimudɛ bɛsɛe wɔn;
33Nanso, obiara a ɔbɛtie me no, ɔbɛtena ase asomdwoeɛ mu
na ne ho bɛtɔ no a ɔrensuro ɔhaw biara.”
Purpose and Theme
1The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
2for gaining wisdom and instruction;
for understanding words of insight;
3for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
doing what is right and just and fair;
4for giving prudence to those who are simple,1:4 The Hebrew word rendered simple in Proverbs denotes a person who is gullible, without moral direction and inclined to evil.
knowledge and discretion to the young—
5let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance—
6for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.1:6 Or understanding a proverb, namely, a parable, / and the sayings of the wise, their riddles
7The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools1:7 The Hebrew words rendered fool in Proverbs, and often elsewhere in the Old Testament, denote a person who is morally deficient. despise wisdom and instruction.
Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom
Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men
8Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
9They are a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck.
10My son, if sinful men entice you,
do not give in to them.
11If they say, “Come along with us;
let’s lie in wait for innocent blood,
let’s ambush some harmless soul;
12let’s swallow them alive, like the grave,
and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
13we will get all sorts of valuable things
and fill our houses with plunder;
14cast lots with us;
we will all share the loot”—
15my son, do not go along with them,
do not set foot on their paths;
16for their feet rush into evil,
they are swift to shed blood.
17How useless to spread a net
where every bird can see it!
18These men lie in wait for their own blood;
they ambush only themselves!
19Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
it takes away the life of those who get it.
Wisdom’s Rebuke
20Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,
she raises her voice in the public square;
21on top of the wall1:21 Septuagint; Hebrew / at noisy street corners she cries out,
at the city gate she makes her speech:
22“How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?
How long will mockers delight in mockery
and fools hate knowledge?
23Repent at my rebuke!
Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
I will make known to you my teachings.
24But since you refuse to listen when I call
and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,
25since you disregard all my advice
and do not accept my rebuke,
26I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;
I will mock when calamity overtakes you—
27when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
28“Then they will call to me but I will not answer;
they will look for me but will not find me,
29since they hated knowledge
and did not choose to fear the Lord.
30Since they would not accept my advice
and spurned my rebuke,
31they will eat the fruit of their ways
and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
32For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33but whoever listens to me will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm.”
