Proverbs 4
1 Listen, sons, to the discipline of a father, and pay attention, so that you may know prudence.
Me mma, montie me, montie agya nkyerɛkyerɛ; monyɛ aso na moanya nteaseɛ.
2 I will bestow upon you a good gift. Do not relinquish my law.
Mema mo adenim a ɛkɔ anim, enti monnyaa me nkyerɛkyerɛ mu.
3 For I, too, was the son of my father, tender and an only son in the sight of my mother.
Meyɛ ɔbabanin wɔ mʼagya fie, meda so yɛ abadomaa na me maame di me bakorɔ no,
4 And he taught me, and he also said: “Let your heart accept my words. Keep my precepts, and you shall live.
ɔkyerɛkyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Ma me nsɛm nni wʼakoma mu dɛm di me nkyerɛkyerɛ so na wobɛnya nkwa.
5 Obtain wisdom, obtain prudence. May you neither forget, nor turn away from, the words of my mouth.
Nya nyansa, nya nteaseɛ; mma wo werɛ mfiri me nsɛm anaa ntwe wo ho mfiri ho.
6 Do not send her away, and she will guard you. Love her, and she will preserve you.
Nnya nyansa hɔ, na ɛbɛbɔ wo ho ban; dɔ no, na ɛbɛhwɛ wo so.
7 The beginning of wisdom is to obtain wisdom, and, with all that you possess, to acquire prudence.
Nyansa boro biribiara so; enti hwehwɛ nyansa. Ɛwom sɛ ne boɔ te sɛ wʼahodeɛ nyinaa deɛ nanso nya nteaseɛ.
8 Grasp her, and she will exalt you. You will be glorified by her, when you have embraced her.
Di no nni na ɛbɛpagya wo; yɛ no atuu, na ɛbɛhyɛ wo animuonyam.
9 She will bestow upon your head an increase in graces, and she will protect you with a noble crown.
Ɔde nkonimdie nhwiren hankra bɛgu wo tiri so na wama wo ahenkyɛ a ɛyɛ fɛ.”
10 Listen, my son, and accept my words, so that years of life may be multiplied for you.
Me ba, tie na fa deɛ meka no, na wo nkwanna bɛyɛ bebree.
11 I will demonstrate to you the way of wisdom. I will lead you along the paths of equity.
Mɛkyerɛ wo nyansakwan na mede wo afa akwan a ɛtene so.
12 When you have entered by these, your steps will not be constrained, and when running, you will have no obstacle.
Sɛ wonante a, wʼanammɔntuo bɛkɔ yɛɛ na sɛ wotu mmirika a, worensunti.
13 Take hold of discipline. Do not dismiss it. Guard it, for it is your life.
Di nkyerɛkyerɛ so; na nnyaa mu bɔ ho ban yie, ɛfiri sɛ ɛyɛ wo nkwa.
14 Do not delight in the paths of the impious, nor permit the way of evil-doers to please you.
Ntu wo nan nsi amumuyɛfoɔ kwan so na nnante abɔnefoɔ kwan so.
15 Take flight from it. Do not pass close to it. Turn away and abandon it.
Kwati no, ntu kwan mfa so; dane firi so na kɔ wo baabi.
16 For they do not sleep, unless they have done evil. And their sleep is quickly taken away from them, unless they have overthrown.
Ɛfiri sɛ wɔntumi nna kɔsi sɛ wɔbɛyɛ bɔne; na wɔntɔ nko kɔsi sɛ wɔbɛma obi ahwe ase.
17 They eat the bread of impiety, and they drink the wine of iniquity.
Amumuyɛsɛm yɛ wɔn aduane, na basabasayɛ yɛ wɔn nsa.
18 But the path of the just is like a shining light: it advances and increases, even to the day of completion.
Teneneefoɔ kwan te sɛ adekyeɛ hann a ɛdi ɛkan, ɛkɔ so hyerɛn yie kɔduru awia ketee.
19 The way of the impious is darkened. They do not know where they may fall.
Nanso, amumuyɛfoɔ kwan te sɛ esum kabii; wɔnnim deɛ ɛma wɔsunti.
20 My son, pay attention to my sermons, and incline your ear to my eloquent words.
Me ba, yɛ aso ma deɛ meka; tie me nsɛm no yie.
21 Let them not recede from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart.
Mma ɛmfiri wʼani so, fa sie wʼakoma mu;
22 For they are life to those who find them and health to all that is flesh.
ɛfiri sɛ, ɛyɛ nkwa ma wɔn a wɔhunu ne akwahosan ma onipadua no nyinaa.
23 Preserve your heart with all watchfulness, for life proceeds from this.
Ne nyinaa akyi, bɔ wʼakoma ho ban, ɛfiri sɛ, ɛno ne wo nkwa asutire.
24 Remove from yourself a corrupt mouth, and let detracting lips be far from you.
Mma akontonkyesɛm mfiri wʼano; mma nkontomposɛm mmɛn wʼano koraa.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, and let your eyelids precede your steps.
Hwɛ wʼanim tee, na ma wʼani nkɔ deɛ ɛwɔ wʼanim no so.
26 Direct the path of your feet, and all your ways shall be secure.
Bɔ ɛkwan tamaa ma wo nan na fa akwan a atim so.
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.
Mmane mfa nifa anaa benkum; twe wo nan firi bɔne ho.
