Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
Me mma, muntie me, muntie agya nkyerɛkyerɛ; monyɛ aso na moanya ntease.
2 For I give you good doctrine; forsake ye not my teaching.
Mema mo adesua a ɛkɔ anim, enti munnnyaa me nkyerɛkyerɛ mu.
3 For I was a son unto my father, tender and an only one in the sight of my mother.
Efisɛ na me nso, meyɛ mʼagya babarima, meda so yɛ akokoaa no, na me na ani gye me ho.
4 And he taught me, and said unto me: 'Let thy heart hold fast my words, keep my commandments, and live;
Na ɔkyerɛkyerɛɛ me se, “Ma me nsɛm nni wo koma mu dɛm, di me nkyerɛkyerɛ so na wubenya nkwa.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding; forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth;
Nya nyansa, nya ntease; mma wo werɛ mfi me nsɛm anaa ntwe wo ho mfi ho.
6 Forsake her not, and she will preserve thee; love her, and she will keep thee.
Nnyaw nyansa hɔ, na ɛbɛbɔ wo ho ban; dɔ no, na ɛbɛhwɛ wo so.
7 The beginning of wisdom is: Get wisdom; yea, with all thy getting get understanding.
Nyansa boro biribiara so; enti hwehwɛ nyansa. Ɛwɔ mu sɛ ne bo te sɛ wʼahode nyinaa de, nanso nya ntease.
8 Extol her, and she will exalt thee; she will bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
Di no ni na ɛbɛma wo so; yɛ no atuu, na ɛbɛhyɛ wo anuonyam.
9 She will give to thy head a chaplet of grace; a crown of glory will she bestow on thee.'
Ɔde nkonimdi nhwiren hankare begu wo ti so na wama wo ahenkyɛw a ɛyɛ fɛ.”
10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.
Me ba, tie na fa nea meka no, na wo nkwanna bɛyɛ bebree.
11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in paths of uprightness.
Mɛkyerɛ wo nyansa kwan so na mede wo afa akwan a ɛteɛ so.
12 When thou goest, thy step shall not be straitened; and if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
Sɛ wonantew a, wʼanammɔntu bɛkɔ waa na sɛ wutu mmirika a, worenhintiw.
13 Take fast hold of instruction, let her not go; keep her, for she is thy life.
Di nkyerɛkyerɛ so; na nnyaa mu, bɔ ho ban yiye, efisɛ ɛyɛ wo nkwa.
14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and walk not in the way of evil men.
Ntu wo nan nsi amumɔyɛfo kwan so na nnantew abɔnefo kwan so.
15 Avoid it, pass not by it; turn from it, and pass on.
Kwati no, ntu kwan mfa so; dan fi so na kɔ wo kwan.
16 For they sleep not, except they have done evil; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
Efisɛ wɔnyɛɛ bɔne a wontumi nna; na wɔn nna tew yera kosi sɛ wɔbɛma obi ahwe ase.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
Wodi amumɔyɛsɛm brodo, na wɔnom kitikitiyɛ nsa.
18 But the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
Atreneefo kwan te sɛ adekyee hann a edi kan, ɛkɔ so hyerɛn yiye kodu awia ketee.
19 The way of the wicked is as darkness; they know not at what they stumble.
Nanso amumɔyɛfo kwan te sɛ sum kabii; wonnim nea ɛma wohintiw.
20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
Me ba, yɛ aso ma nea meka; tie me nsɛm no yiye.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thy heart.
Mma emfi wʼani so, fa sie wo koma mu;
22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
efisɛ, ɛyɛ nkwa ma wɔn a wohu ne akwahosan ma nipadua no nyinaa.
23 Above all that thou guardest keep thy heart; for out of it are the issues of life.
Ne nyinaa akyi, bɔ wo koma ho ban, efisɛ, ɛno ne wo nkwa asuti.
24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
Mma oburu kasa mfi wʼano; mma nkontomposɛm mmɛn wʼano koraa.
25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
Hwɛ wʼanim tee, na ma wʼani nkɔ nea ɛwɔ wʼanim no so.
26 Make plain the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
Bɔ ɔkwan tamaa ma wʼanan na fa akwan a atim so.
27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.
Mman mfa nifa anaa benkum; twe wo nan fi bɔne ho.
