1 Ɔhene Lemuel nsɛm a ɛyɛ nkɔmhyɛ a ne maame kyerɛɛ no:
2 Ao me babarima, me yafunu ba,
3 nsɛe wʼahoɔden wɔ mmaa ho,
4 Lemuel, nsã nyɛ mma ahemfo;
5 sɛ wɔnom nsã a, wɔn werɛ bɛfiri deɛ mmara no ka,
6 Fa nsaden ma wɔn a wɔresɛe,
7 Momma wɔnnom, na wɔn werɛ mfiri wɔn hia
8 Kasa ma wɔn a wɔntumi nkasa mma wɔn ho,
9 Kasa na bu atɛntenenee;
10 Ɔyere pa, hwan na ɔbɛnya?
11 Ne kunu wɔ ne mu ahotosoɔ pa ara
12 Ɔde deɛ ɛyɛ brɛ no, na ɛnyɛ ɔhaw,
13 Ɔhwehwɛ odwannwi ne asaawa
14 Ɔte sɛ adwadifoɔ ahyɛn,
15 Adeɛ nnya nkyeeɛ no na wasɔre;
16 Ɔdwene afuo ho, na ɔtɔ;
17 Ɔde nsi yɛ nʼadwuma;
18 Ɔhwɛ sɛ nʼadwadie ho wɔ mfasoɔ,
19 Daa, na ne nsa kura tadua mu
20 Ɔgo ne nsam ma ahiafoɔ
21 Sɛ sukyerɛmma tɔ a ne yam nhyehye no wɔ ne fiefoɔ ho;
22 Ɔyɛ ne mpasotam;
23 Ne kunu wɔ animuonyam wɔ kuropɔn ɛpono ano,
24 Ɔpempam nwera ntadeɛ tontɔn,
25 Ɔwɔ ahoɔden ne animuonyam;
26 Ɔkasa nyansa mu,
27 Ɔhwɛ ne fidua mu nnwuma so
28 Ne mma sɔre a wɔfrɛ no nhyira;
29 “Mmaa pii yɛ nneɛma a ɛwɔ edin,
30 Ɔbaa kɔnɔfoɔ yɛ nnaadaa, na ahoɔfɛ twam ntɛm so;
31 Fa abasobɔdeɛ a wanya no ma no,