1Ohiani a ne nanteɛ ho nni asɛm no
yɛ sene ɔkwasea a nʼasɛm mfa ɛkwan mu.
2Mmɔdemmɔ a nimdeɛ nka ho no nyɛ,
saa ara na ntɛmpɛ a ɛma obi yera ɛkwan nso nyɛ.
3Onipa agyimisɛm sɛe nʼabrabɔ,
nanso nʼakoma huru tia Awurade.
4Ahonya frɛfrɛ nnamfonom bebree;
nanso ohiani adamfo gya no hɔ.
5Adansekurumni bɛnya nʼakatua,
na deɛ ɔtwa nkontompo remfa ne ho nni.
6Nnipa pii pɛ adom firi sodifoɔ nkyɛn,
na deɛ ɔkyɛ adeɛ yɛ obiara adamfo.
7Ohiani abusuafoɔ nyinaa po no,
na saa ara na ne nnamfonom po no!
Mpo ɔhwehwɛ wɔn pɛ sɛ ɔpa wɔn kyɛw,
nanso ɔnhunu wɔn baabiara.
8Deɛ ɔnya nyansa no dɔ ne kra;
deɛ ɔpɛ nhunumu no nya nkɔsoɔ.
9Adansekurumni bɛnya asotwe,
na deɛ ɔtwa nkontompo no bɛyera.
10Akɛsesɛm mfata ɔkwasea,
anaasɛ akoa bɛdi mmapɔmma so!
11Onipa nyansa ma no ntoboaseɛ;
sɛ ɔbu nʼani gu mfomsoɔ bi so a ɛhyɛ no animuonyam.
12Ɔhene abufuo te sɛ gyata mmobom,
na nʼadom te sɛ ɛserɛ so bosuo.
13Ɔba kwasea yɛ nʼagya ɔsɛeɛ,
ɔyere ntɔkwapɛfoɔ te sɛ nsusosɔ a ɛntwa da.
14Afie ne ahonyadeɛ yɛ agyapadeɛ a ɛfiri awofoɔ,
na ɔyere nimdefoɔ firi Awurade.
15Akwadworɔ de nnahɔɔ ba,
na ɛkɔm de ɔkwadwofoɔ.
16Deɛ ɔdi nkyerɛkyerɛ so no bɔ ne nkwa ho ban,
na deɛ ɔgyaagyaa ne ho no bɛwu.
17Deɛ ɔyɛ adɔeɛ ma ohiani no yɛ de fɛm Awurade,
na ɔbɛtua no deɛ ɔyɛ no so ka.
18Tene wo ba, na ɛno mu na anidasoɔ wɔ,
na ɛnyɛ wɔn a wɔde no kɔ owuo mu no mu baako.
19Ɛsɛ sɛ onipa a nʼakoma ha no no tua so ka;
sɛ woka ma no a wobɛyɛ bio.
20Tie afotuo na gye nkyerɛkyerɛ to mu,
na awieeɛ no, wobɛhunu nyansa.
21Nhyehyɛeɛ bebree wɔ onipa akoma mu,
nanso deɛ Awurade pɛ no na ɛba mu.
22Deɛ onipa pɛ ne nokorɛ dɔ;
ɛyɛ sɛ wobɛyɛ ohiani sene sɛ wobɛyɛ ɔtorofoɔ.
23Awurade suro kɔ nkwa mu;
na onipa de abotɔyam home a ɔhaw bi nni mu.
24Ɔkwadwofoɔ nsa ka ayowaa mu
na ɔremma so mpo nkɔ nʼano!
25Twa ɔfɛdifoɔ mmaa, na atetekwaa bɛfa adwene;
ka deɛ ɔwɔ nhunumu anim, na ɔbɛnya nimdeɛ.
26Deɛ ɔbɔ nʼagya korɔno na ɔpamo ne maame no
yɛ ɔba a ɔde aniwuo ne animguaseɛ ba.
27Me ba, sɛ wogyae nkyerɛkyerɛ tie a,
wobɛmane afiri nimdeɛ nsɛm ho.
28Adansekurumni di atɛntenenee ho fɛw;
na omumuyɛfoɔ ano mene bɔne.
29Wɔasiesie asotwe ama fɛdifoɔ,
ne mmaabɔ ama nkwaseafoɔ akyi.
1Better the poor whose way of life is blameless
than a fool whose lips are perverse.
2Desire without knowledge is not good –
how much more will hasty feet miss the way!
3A person’s own folly leads to their ruin,
yet their heart rages against the Lord.
4Wealth attracts many friends,
but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.
5A false witness will not go unpunished,
and whoever pours out lies will not go free.
6Many curry favour with a ruler,
and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.
7The poor are shunned by all their relatives –
how much more do their friends avoid them!
Though the poor pursue them with pleading,
they are nowhere to be found.19:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.
8The one who gets wisdom loves life;
the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.
9A false witness will not go unpunished,
and whoever pours out lies will perish.
10It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury –
how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!
11A person’s wisdom yields patience;
it is to one’s glory to overlook an offence.
12A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion,
but his favour is like dew on the grass.
13A foolish child is a father’s ruin,
and a quarrelsome wife is like
the constant dripping of a leaky roof.
14Houses and wealth are inherited from parents,
but a prudent wife is from the Lord.
15Laziness brings on deep sleep,
and the shiftless go hungry.
16Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life,
but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die.
17Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,
and he will reward them for what they have done.
18Discipline your children, for in that there is hope;
do not be a willing party to their death.
19A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty;
rescue them, and you will have to do it again.
20Listen to advice and accept discipline,
and at the end you will be counted among the wise.
21Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.
22What a person desires is unfailing love19:22 Or Greed is a person’s shame;
better to be poor than a liar.
23The fear of the Lord leads to life;
then one rests content, untouched by trouble.
24A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
he will not even bring it back to his mouth!
25Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence;
rebuke the discerning, and they will gain knowledge.
26Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother
is a child who brings shame and disgrace.
27Stop listening to instruction, my son,
and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
28A corrupt witness mocks at justice,
and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.
29Penalties are prepared for mockers,
and beatings for the backs of fools.
