Agur Nsɛm A Ɔkaeɛ
1Yake babarima Agur nsɛm a ɔkaeɛ a ɛyɛ nkɔmhyɛ:
Saa ɔbarima yi ka kyerɛɛ Itiel ne Ukal sɛ:
2“Me na mennim hwee koraa wɔ nnipa mu,
menni onipa nteaseɛ.
3Mensuaa nyansa,
na menni Ɔkronkronni no ho nimdeɛ nso.
4Hwan na waforo akɔ soro na wasiane aba fam?
Hwan na wabɔ mframa boa wɔ ne nsa mu?
Hwan na ɔde nʼatadeɛ abɔ nsuo boa?
Hwan na ɔbɔɔ asase hahanaa yi?
Ne din de sɛn, na ne ba barima nso din de sɛn?
Sɛ wonim a ka kyerɛ me!
5“Onyankopɔn asɛm biara yɛ nokorɛ;
ɔyɛ kyɛm ma wɔn a wɔdwane toa no.
6Mfa biribi nka nʼasɛm ho,
anyɛ saa a ɔbɛka wʼanim ama woayɛ ɔtorofoɔ.
7“Ao Awurade, nneɛma mmienu na mehwehwɛ firi wo nkyɛn;
mfa nkame me ansa na mawu:
8Yi atorɔ ne ahohwisɛm firi me mu;
mma mennyɛ ohiani anaa ɔdefoɔ;
nanso ma me deɛ medi daa.
9Anyɛ saa a, ebia menya me ho pii ama mapa wo
na maka sɛ, ‘Hwan ne Awurade?’
Anaa mɛyɛ ohiani na mabɔ korɔno,
na ama magu me Onyankopɔn din ho fi.
10“Nsɛe ɔsomfoɔ din nkyerɛ ne wura;
sɛ woyɛ saa a, ɔbɛdome wo na wobɛtua so ka.
11“Nnipa bi dome wɔn agyanom,
na wɔnnhyira wɔn maamenom nso;
12Wɔn a wɔtene wɔ wɔn ankasa ani so
a ɛnso wɔnhohoroo wɔn ho fi;
13wɔn a wɔn ani tra ntɔn,
na wɔbu animtiaa;
14wɔn a wɔn se yɛ akofena
na sekammoa hyehyɛ wɔn apantan
wɔn na wɔbɛtɔre ahiafoɔ ase afiri asase so,
na woayi onibie afiri adasamma mu.
15“Amemem wɔ mmammaa mmienu
a wɔteam sɛ, ‘Fa ma me! Fa ma me.’
“Nneɛma mmiɛnsa na ɛmmee da.
Dabi, nneɛma ɛnan wɔ hɔ a ɛnka da sɛ, ‘Ɛyɛ!’
16Damena,
obonini awotwaa,
asase a ɛyɛ wesee daa,
ne ogya a ɛnka da sɛ, ‘Ɛyɛ!’
17“Ani a ɛyi agya ahi,
na ɛbu ɛna animtia no,
bɔnhwa ho anene bɛtutu,
na apete abɛdi.
18“Nneɛma mmiɛnsa na ɛyɛ me nwanwa,
ɛnan na mente aseɛ:
19Ɛkwan a ɔkɔdeɛ nam so wɔ ewiem,
sɛdeɛ ɔwɔ nante ɔbotan so,
ɛkwan a ɛhyɛn nam so wɔ ɛpo hahanaa so,
ne sɛdeɛ ɔbarima dɔ ababaawa.
20“Ɔbaa waresɛefoɔ ɛkwan nie:
Ɔdidi, ɔpepa nʼano
na ɔka sɛ, ‘Menyɛɛ mfomsoɔ biara.’
21“Nneɛma mmiɛnsa na ɛma asase woso,
ɛnan na asase ɛntumi nnyina ano:
22akoa a wabɛyɛ ɔhene,
ɔkwasea a wadidi amee,
23ɔbaa a wɔmmpɛ no na wawareɛ,
afenaa a ɔtu nʼawurakwaa tena nʼanan mu.
24“Nneɛma nketenkete ɛnan na ɛwɔ asase so,
nanso wɔyɛ anyansafoɔ ankasa:
25Ntɛtea yɛ abɔdeɛ nketewa a wɔnni ahoɔden,
nanso wɔboaboa wɔn aduane ano ahuhuro berɛ mu;
26Nkukuban30.26 Nkukuban yɛ nnanko mu ahodoɔ bi a, wɔtena akuakuo wɔ mmepɔ mu.—yɛ abɔdeɛ a wɔnni ahoɔden,
nanso wɔyɛ wɔn afie wɔ abotan mu,
27ntutummɛ nni ɔhene,
nanso wɔsa so akuakuo, kɔ wɔn anim;
28wɔtumi de nsa kyere ɔkoterɛ,
nanso wɔhunu no aberempɔn ahemfie.
29“Nneɛma mmiɛnsa na wɔwɔ aberempɔn nanteɛ,
ɛnan na wɔkeka wɔn ho te sɛ aberempɔn:
30gyata, mmoadoma ɔhene a, biribiara mmɔ no hu;
31akokɔnini a ɔretutu taataa,
ɔpapo,
ne ɔhene a nʼasraafoɔ atwa ne ho ahyia.
32“Sɛ woayɛ ɔkwasea ama wo ho so,
anaa woadwene bɔne a,
ma wʼani nwu na mua wʼano!
33Sɛdeɛ wɔka nufosuo nu mu a sradeɛ firi mu ba
na wɔkyinkyim hwene a ɛtu mogya no,
saa ara na abufuo de akasakasa ba.”
The Sayings of Agur
1These sayings are the words of Agur, son of Jakeh. These sayings came from God.
This man said to Ithiel:
“I am weary, God.
But I can still have success.
2Surely I am only a dumb animal and not a man.
I don’t understand as other men do.
3I haven’t learned wisdom.
And I don’t know the things the Holy One knows.
4Who has gone up to heaven and come down?
Whose hands have gathered up the wind?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a coat?
Who has set in place all the boundaries of the earth?
What is his name? What is his son’s name?
Surely you know!
5“Every word of God is perfect.
He is like a shield to those who trust in him.
He keeps them safe.
6Don’t add to his words.
If you do, he will correct you.
He will prove that you are a liar.
7“Lord, I ask you for two things.
Don’t refuse me before I die.
8Keep lies far away from me.
Don’t make me either poor or rich,
but give me only the bread I need each day.
9If you don’t, I might have too much.
Then I might say I don’t know you.
I might say, ‘Who is the Lord?’
Or I might become poor and steal.
Then I would bring shame to the name of my God.
10“Don’t tell lies about a servant when you talk to their master.
If you do, they will curse you, and you will pay for your lies.
11“Some people curse their fathers.
Others don’t bless their mothers.
12Some are pure in their own eyes.
But their dirty sins haven’t been washed away.
13Some have eyes that are very proud.
They look down on others.
14Some people have teeth like swords.
The teeth in their jaws are as sharp as knives.
They are ready to eat up the poor people of the earth.
They are ready to eat up those who are the most needy.
15“A leech has two daughters.
They cry out, ‘Give! Give!’
“Three things are never satisfied.
Four things never say, ‘Enough!’
16The first is the grave.
The second is a woman who can’t have a baby.
The third is land, which never gets enough water.
And the fourth is fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’
17“One person makes fun of their father.
Another doesn’t honor their mother when she is old.
The ravens of the valley will peck out their eyes.
Then the vultures will eat them.
18“Three things are too amazing for me.
There are four things I don’t understand.
19The first is the way of an eagle in the sky.
The second is the way of a snake on a rock.
The third is the way of a ship on the ocean.
And the fourth is the way of a man with a young woman.
20“This is the way of a woman who commits adultery.
She eats and wipes her mouth.
Then she says, ‘I haven’t done anything wrong.’
21“Under three things the earth shakes.
Under four things it can’t stand up.
22The first is a servant who becomes a king.
The second is a foolish and ungodly person who gets plenty to eat.
23The third is a mean woman who gets married.
And the fourth is a servant who takes the place of the woman she works for.
24“Four things on earth are small.
But they are very wise.
25The first are ants, which aren’t very strong.
But they store up their food in the summer.
26The second are hyraxes, which aren’t very powerful.
But they make their home among the rocks.
27The third are locusts, which don’t have a king.
But they all march forward in ranks.
28And the fourth are lizards, which your hand can catch.
But you will find them in kings’ palaces.
29“Three things walk as if they were kings.
Four things move as kings do.
30The first is a lion, which is mighty among the animals. It doesn’t back away from anything.
31The second is a rooster, which walks proudly.
The third is a billy goat.
And the fourth is a king, who is secure against any who might oppose him.
32“Do you do foolish things?
Do you think you are better than others?
Do you plan evil?
If you do, put your hand over your mouth and stop talking!
33If you churn cream, you will produce butter.
If you twist a nose, you will produce blood.
And if you stir up anger, you will produce a fight.”
