Warnings Against Folly
1My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor,
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 neighbor’s hands:
Go—to the point of exhaustion—6:3 Or Go and humble yourself,
and give your neighbor 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 around 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 neighbor’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.
Agyimisɛm Ho Kɔkɔbɔ
1Me ba, sɛ woadi akagyinamu ama ɔyɔnko bi,
sɛ wode wo biribi asi awowa ama obi,
2sɛ deɛ wokaeɛ ayi ka ama wo
na sɛ wʼano asɛm afidie ayi wo a,
3ɛnneɛ yɛ yei, me ba, na fa tete wo ho,
sɛ ɔyɔnko nsa aka woɔ no nti:
fa ahobrɛaseɛ kɔ nʼanim;
na kɔ so pa wo yɔnko no kyɛw!
4Mma wʼani nkum
na nntɔ nko.
5Gye wo ho, sɛdeɛ ɔforoteɛ dwane firi ɔbɔmmɔfoɔ nsam
anaa sɛdeɛ anomaa dwane firi fidisumfoɔ afidie mu.
6Ɔkwadwofoɔ, kɔ atɛtea nkyɛn;
hwɛ nʼakwan, na hunu nyansa!
7Ɔnni ɔsahene,
ɔnni ɔhwɛfoɔ anaa sodifoɔ bi,
8nanso, ɔde aduane sie wɔ ahuhuro ɛberɛ mu
ɔboaboa nnuane ano wɔ twaberɛ.
9Wo, ɔkwadwofoɔ, wobɛda akɔsi da bɛn?
Wɔbɛnyane ɛberɛ bɛn?
10Nna kakra, nkotɔ kakra,
nsa a woabobɔ de rehome kakra,
11ɛbɛma ohia aba wo so sɛ ɔkwanmukafoɔ
na ahokyere ato ahyɛ wo so sɛ deɛ ɔkura tuo.
12Onipa teta ne ohuhuni a
ɔde atorɔ kyini,
13deɛ ɔbu nʼani,
na ɔde ne nan yɛ nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ
na ɔde ne nsateaa kyerɛkyerɛ adeɛ,
14deɛ ɔde nʼakoma mu nnaadaa bɔ ɛpɔ bɔne,
na ɔde mpaapaemu ba ɛberɛ biara.
15Ɛno enti amanehunu bɛba ne so prɛko pɛ;
wɔbɛsɛe no mpofirim, a wɔrenya ano aduro.
16Nneɛma nsia na Awurade mpɛ,
nneɛma nson na ɛyɛ nʼakyiwadeɛ:
17ani a ɛtra ntɔn,
atorɔ tɛkrɛma,
nsa a ɛka mogya a ɛdi bem guo,
18akoma a ɛdwene amumuyɛ ho,
nan a ɛtutu mmirika kɔyɛ bɔne,
19Ɔdansekurumni a ɔdi atorɔ
ne onipa a ɔde mpaapaemu ba anuanom mu.
Awaresɛeɛ Ho Kɔkɔbɔ
20Me ba, tie wʼagya ahyɛdeɛ
na nnyaa wo maame nkyerɛkyerɛ mu.
21Fa kyekyere wʼakoma ho daa;
na fa kyekyere wɔ kɔn mu.
22Wonante a, ɛbɛkyerɛ wo ɛkwan;
sɛ woda a, ɛbɛwɛn wo;
sɛ wonyane a, ɛbɛkasa akyerɛ wo.
23Na saa ahyɛdeɛ yi yɛ kanea;
saa nkyerɛkyerɛ yi yɛ hann,
na ahohyɛsoɔ ntenesoɔ yi
yɛ nkwa kwan,
24ɛtwe wo firi ɔbaa a ɔnni suban pa no ho,
firi ɔbaawarefoɔ sansani tɛkrɛmadɛ ho.
25Mma wo kɔn nnɔ nʼahoɔfɛ
mma nʼani akyideda no ntwetwe wo,
26ɛfiri sɛ, odwamanfoɔ de animguaseɛ bɛbrɛ wo,
na obi yere gyegye wo kɔ owuo mu.
27Obi bɛtumi asɔ ogya agu ne srɛ so a
ɛnhye nʼatadeɛ anaa?
28Obi bɛtumi anante gyasramma so a
mpumpunnya mmobɔ ne nan ho anaa?
29Saa na ɔbarima a ɔne ɔbarima foforɔ yere da no teɛ
obiara a ɔde ne nsa bɛka noɔ no remfa ne ho nni da.
30Nnipa mmu ɔkorɔmfoɔ a wakɔwia adeɛ animtiaa
sɛ ɛkɔm de no na ɔde rekɔdwodwo ano enti.
31Mmom sɛ wɔkyere no a, ɛsɛ sɛ ɔtua ka mmɔho nson;
sɛ ɛhia sɛ wɔtɔn ne fie agyapadeɛ nyinaa mpo a, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtɔn.
32Ɔbarima a ɔsɛe awadeɛ no nni adwene;
obiara a ɔyɛ saa no sɛe ne ho.
33Ɔboro ne animguaseɛ na ɔbɛnya,
na nʼahohora rempepa da.
34Ninkunutweɛ hwanyane okunu abufuo
na sɛ ɔtɔ were a, ahummɔborɔ biara nni mu.
35Ɔrennye mpata biara;
na ɔbɛpo adanmudeɛ, sɛ ɛso sɛ ɛdeɛn mpo a.
