1 Ɔhene Lemuel nsɛm a ɛyɛ nkɔmhyɛ a ne maame kyerɛɛ no:

2 Ao me babarima, me yafunu ba,

Ao mebɔhyɛ ba,

3 nsɛe wʼahoɔden wɔ mmaa*31.3 Saa mmaa yi yɛ mmaa adwamanfoɔ a wɔwɔ ahemfie a wɔbɛtumi atwe ɔhene adwene afiri nʼadwuma so. ho,

wɔn a wɔgu ahemfo asu no.

4 Lemuel, nsã nyɛ mma ahemfo;

asanom nyɛ mma ahemfo,

ɛnsɛ sɛ sodifoɔ pere nsaden ho;

5 sɛ wɔnom nsã a, wɔn werɛ bɛfiri deɛ mmara no ka,

na wɔn a wɔdi wɔn nya no rennya deɛ wɔwɔ ho ɛkwan.

6 Fa nsaden ma wɔn a wɔresɛe,

na fa nsã ma wɔn a wɔwɔ amanehunu mu;

7 Momma wɔnnom, na wɔn werɛ mfiri wɔn hia

na wɔnnkae wɔn awerɛhoɔ bio.

8 Kasa ma wɔn a wɔntumi nkasa mma wɔn ho,

kasa ma mmɔborɔfoɔ yiedie.

9 Kasa na bu atɛntenenee;

kasa ma ahiafoɔ ne onnibie yiedie.

10 Ɔyere pa, hwan na ɔbɛnya?

Ɔsom bo pa ara sene nhwene pa.

11 Ne kunu wɔ ne mu ahotosoɔ pa ara

na biribiara a ɛwɔ boɔ nhia no.

12 Ɔde deɛ ɛyɛ brɛ no, na ɛnyɛ ɔhaw,

ne nkwa nna nyinaa mu.

13 Ɔhwehwɛ odwannwi ne asaawa

na ɔde ne nsa nwono wɔ fɛ so.

14 Ɔte sɛ adwadifoɔ ahyɛn,

ɔde ne nnuane firi akyirikyiri ba.

15 Adeɛ nnya nkyeeɛ no na wasɔre;

ɔsiesie aduane ma nʼabusuafoɔ

na ɔkyekyɛ nnwuma ma ne mmaawa.

16 Ɔdwene afuo ho, na ɔtɔ;

ɔfiri deɛ ɔnya mu yɛ bobefuo.

17 Ɔde nsi yɛ nʼadwuma;

nʼabasa mu wɔ ahoɔden ma nʼadwuma.

18 Ɔhwɛ sɛ nʼadwadie ho wɔ mfasoɔ,

na ne kanea ɛnnum anadwo.

19 Daa, na ne nsa kura tadua mu

a ne nsateaa nso retoatoa asaawa.

20 Ɔgo ne nsam ma ahiafoɔ

na ne nsa so onibie so.

21 Sɛ sukyerɛmma tɔ a ne yam nhyehye no wɔ ne fiefoɔ ho;

ɛfiri sɛ wɔn nyinaa wɔ aduradeɛ a wɔde ko awɔ.

22 Ɔyɛ ne mpasotam;

na ɔfira nwera ne serekye ntoma.

23 Ne kunu wɔ animuonyam wɔ kuropɔn ɛpono ano,

baabi a ɔne asase no so mpanimfoɔ tena.

24 Ɔpempam nwera ntadeɛ tontɔn,

na ɔtu abɔwomu ma adwadifoɔ.

25 Ɔwɔ ahoɔden ne animuonyam;

na ɔnsuro nna a ɛwɔ nʼanim.

26 Ɔkasa nyansa mu,

na nokorɛ nkyerɛkyerɛ wɔ ne tɛkrɛma so.

27 Ɔhwɛ ne fidua mu nnwuma so

na ɔnnyegye aniha so.

28 Ne mma sɔre a wɔfrɛ no nhyira;

ne kunu nso saa ara, na ɔkamfo no sɛ,

29 "Mmaa pii yɛ nneɛma a ɛwɔ edin,

na wo deɛ, wosene wɔn nyinaa."

30 Ɔbaa kɔnɔfoɔ yɛ nnaadaa, na ahoɔfɛ twam ntɛm so;

nanso ɔbaa a ɔsuro Awurade no fata nkamfoɔ.

31 Fa abasobɔdeɛ a wanya no ma no,

na wɔnkamfo ne nnwuma wɔ kuropɔn ɛpono ano.