Proverbs 4
1 Listen, sons, to the discipline of a father, and pay attention, so that you may know prudence.
Yaa ilmaan ko, mee gorsa abbaan namaaf kennu dhagaʼaa; qalbeeffadhaatii hubannaa argadhaa.
2 I will bestow upon you a good gift. Do not relinquish my law.
Ani barumsa gaarii isinii nan kenna; kanaafuu barsiisa koo hin dhiisinaa.
3 For I, too, was the son of my father, tender and an only son in the sight of my mother.
Yeroo ani mucaa xinnaa taʼee mana abbaa koo turetti, yeroo ani daaʼima dhiiga taʼee haadha kootiif ilma tokkicha turetti,
4 And he taught me, and he also said: “Let your heart accept my words. Keep my precepts, and you shall live.
inni akkana jedhee na barsiise; “Garaa kee guutuudhaan dubbii koo jabeessii qabadhu; seera koo eegi; ati ni jiraattaatii.
5 Obtain wisdom, obtain prudence. May you neither forget, nor turn away from, the words of my mouth.
Ogummaa argadhu; hubannaas argadhu; dubbii koo hin dagatin yookaan irraa hin jalʼatin.
6 Do not send her away, and she will guard you. Love her, and she will preserve you.
Ogummaa hin dhiisin; isheen si eegdii; ishee jaalladhu; isheenis si tiksitii.
7 The beginning of wisdom is to obtain wisdom, and, with all that you possess, to acquire prudence.
Ogummaan waan hunda caalti; kanaafuu ogummaa argadhu. Yoo isheen waan ati qabdu hunda si baasifte illee hubannaa argadhu.
8 Grasp her, and she will exalt you. You will be glorified by her, when you have embraced her.
Ogummaa kabaji; inni ol si guddisaatii; isa hammadhu; innis si kabajaatii.
9 She will bestow upon your head an increase in graces, and she will protect you with a noble crown.
Isheen kallacha bareedaa mataa kee irra siif keessi; gonfoo miidhagaa illee siif kenniti.”
10 Listen, my son, and accept my words, so that years of life may be multiplied for you.
Yaa ilma ko dhagaʼi; waan ani jedhu illee fudhadhu; barri jireenya keetiis ni baayʼataa.
11 I will demonstrate to you the way of wisdom. I will lead you along the paths of equity.
Ani karaa ogummaa irra sin qajeelcha; daandii qajeelaa irras sin buusa.
12 When you have entered by these, your steps will not be constrained, and when running, you will have no obstacle.
Yeroo ati deemtu, tarkaanfiin kee hin ittifamu; yoo fiigdu illee ati hin gufattu.
13 Take hold of discipline. Do not dismiss it. Guard it, for it is your life.
Qajeelfama jabeessii qabadhu; gad hin dhiisin; waan inni jireenya kee taʼeef jabeessii eeggadhu.
14 Do not delight in the paths of the impious, nor permit the way of evil-doers to please you.
Daandii hamootaa irra miilla kee hin dhaabin yookaan karaa jalʼootaa irra hin deemin.
15 Take flight from it. Do not pass close to it. Turn away and abandon it.
Irraa fagaadhu; irras hin deemin; irraa goriitii karaa kee irra qajeeli.
16 For they do not sleep, unless they have done evil. And their sleep is quickly taken away from them, unless they have overthrown.
Isaan waan hamaa hojjetan malee rafuu hin dandaʼaniitii; isaan hamma nama gufachiisanitti hirriba hin argatan.
17 They eat the bread of impiety, and they drink the wine of iniquity.
Isaan buddeena hamminaa nyaatu; daadhii wayinii kan dabaan argame dhugu.
18 But the path of the just is like a shining light: it advances and increases, even to the day of completion.
Karaan qajeeltotaa akkuma ifa barii barraaqaa kan hamma saafaatti ittuma fufee ifaa deemuu ti.
19 The way of the impious is darkened. They do not know where they may fall.
Karaan hamootaa garuu akkuma dukkana guddaa ti; isaan waan isaan gufachiisu hin beekan.
20 My son, pay attention to my sermons, and incline your ear to my eloquent words.
Yaa ilma ko, waan ani jedhu qalbeeffadhu; dubbii kootiifis gurra kenni.
21 Let them not recede from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart.
Akka inni fuula kee duraa dhabamu hin godhin; garaa kee keessa ol kaaʼadhu;
22 For they are life to those who find them and health to all that is flesh.
inni warra isa argatuuf jireenya, dhagna namaa guutuufis fayyinaatii.
23 Preserve your heart with all watchfulness, for life proceeds from this.
Waan hunda caalaa qalbii kee eeggadhu; burqaan jireenyaa achii baʼaatii.
24 Remove from yourself a corrupt mouth, and let detracting lips be far from you.
Dubbii jalʼinaa afaan kee keessaa balleessi; haasaa hamaas arraba kee irraa fageessi.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, and let your eyelids precede your steps.
Iji kee kallattiidhaan qajeelchee haa ilaalu; atis xiyyeeffadhuu fuula kee dura ilaali.
26 Direct the path of your feet, and all your ways shall be secure.
Miilla keetiif daandii wal qixxeeffadhu; karaan kee hundinuu haa jabaatu.
27 Turn aside, neither to the right, nor to the left; yet turn your foot away from evil. For the Lord knows the ways that are on the right, and truly, those that are on the left are perverse. But he himself will make your courses straight. Then your journey will advance in peace.
Gara mirgaatti yookaan gara bitaatti hin gorin; miilla kee hammina irraa eeggadhu.
