1 Ɔhene Lemuel nsɛm a ɛyɛ nkuranhyɛ a ne na kyerɛɛ no:
2 Tie, me babarima! Tie, me yafunu ba,
3 Nsɛe wʼahoɔden wɔ mmea ho,
4 Enye mma ahemfo, Lemuel,
5 sɛ wɔnom nsa a wɔn werɛ befi nea mmara no ka,
6 Fa bobesa ma wɔn a wɔresɛe,
7 Momma wɔnnom, na wɔn werɛ mfi wɔn hia,
8 Kasa ma wɔn a wontumi nkasa mma wɔn ho,
9 Kasa na bu atɛntrenee;
10 Ɔyere pa, hena na obenya?
11 Ne kunu wɔ ne mu ahotoso pa ara,
12 Ɔde nea eye brɛ no, na ɛnyɛ ɔhaw,
13 Ɔhwehwɛ oguannwi ne asaawa
14 Ɔte sɛ aguadifo ahyɛn,
15 Ade nnya nkyee no na wasɔre;
16 Osusuw afuw ho na ɔtɔ;
17 Ɔde nsi yɛ nʼadwuma;
18 Ɔhwɛ sɛ nʼaguadi so wɔ mfaso,
19 Daa, na ne nsa kura tadua mu
20 Ogow ne nsam ma ahiafo
21 Sɛ sukyerɛmma tɔ a ne yam nhyehye no wɔ ne fifo ho;
22 Ɔyɛ ne mpasotam;
23 Ne kunu wɔ anuonyam wɔ kuropɔn pon ano,
24 Ɔpempam nwera ntade tontɔn,
25 Ɔwɔ ahoɔden ne anuonyam;
26 Ɔkasa nyansa mu,
27 Ɔhwɛ ne fi mu nnwuma so
28 Ne mma sɔre a wɔfrɛ no nhyira;
29 “Mmea pii yɛ nneɛma a ɛwɔ din
30 Ɔbea kɔnnɔfo yɛ nnaadaa, na ahoɔfɛ twa mu ntɛm so;
31 Fa abasobɔde a wanya no ma no,