Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye sons, the correction of a father, and attend, that ye may know understanding.
Me mma, muntie me, muntie agya nkyerɛkyerɛ; monyɛ aso na moanya ntease.
2 For, good teaching, have I given you, mine instruction, do not ye forsake.
Mema mo adesua a ɛkɔ anim, enti munnnyaa me nkyerɛkyerɛ mu.
3 For, a son, became I to my father, tender and most precious 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 So he taught me, and said to me—Let thy heart, lay hold of 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 Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding, Do not forget, neither decline thou from the sayings of my mouth.
Nya nyansa, nya ntease; mma wo werɛ mfi me nsɛm anaa ntwe wo ho mfi ho.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will guard thee, —love her and she will keep thee.
Nnyaw nyansa hɔ, na ɛbɛbɔ wo ho ban; dɔ no, na ɛbɛhwɛ wo so.
7 The principal thing, is wisdom, acquire thou wisdom, With all thine acquisition, acquire thou understanding.
Nyansa boro biribiara so; enti hwehwɛ nyansa. Ɛwɔ mu sɛ ne bo te sɛ wʼahode nyinaa de, nanso nya ntease.
8 Exalt her, and she will set thee on high, 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 for thy head, a wreath of beauty, A crown of adorning, will she bestow upon thee.
Ɔde nkonimdi nhwiren hankare begu wo ti so na wama wo ahenkyɛw a ɛyɛ fɛ.”
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and they will multiply to thee the years of life.
Me ba, tie na fa nea meka no, na wo nkwanna bɛyɛ bebree.
11 In the way of wisdom, have I taught thee, I have guided thee in tracks of uprightness.
Mɛkyerɛ wo nyansa kwan so na mede wo afa akwan a ɛteɛ so.
12 When thou walkest, thy step shall not be hemmed in, 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 correction, 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 Upon the path of the lawless, do not thou enter, and do not advance in the way of the wicked:
Ntu wo nan nsi amumɔyɛfo kwan so na nnantew abɔnefo kwan so.
15 Avoid it, do not pass thereon—turn from it, and depart.
Kwati no, ntu kwan mfa so; dan fi so na kɔ wo kwan.
16 For they sleep not, unless they can do mischief, —They rob themselves of their sleep, if they cannot cause someone to stumble,
Efisɛ wɔnyɛɛ bɔne a wontumi nna; na wɔn nna tew yera kosi sɛ wɔbɛma obi ahwe ase.
17 For they consume bread gotten by lawlessness, and, wine obtained by violence, they drink.
Wodi amumɔyɛsɛm brodo, na wɔnom kitikitiyɛ nsa.
18 But, the path of the righteous, is as the light of dawn, —going on and brightening, unto meridian day.
Atreneefo kwan te sɛ adekyee hann a edi kan, ɛkɔ so hyerɛn yiye kodu awia ketee.
19 The way of the lawless, is like darkness, they know not, at what they stumble.
Nanso amumɔyɛfo kwan te sɛ sum kabii; wonnim nea ɛma wohintiw.
20 My son, to my words, attend, to my sayings, incline thou thine ear;
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, life, they are, to them who find them, —and, to every part of one’s flesh, they bring healing.
efisɛ, ɛyɛ nkwa ma wɔn a wohu ne akwahosan ma nipadua no nyinaa.
23 Above all that must be guarded, keep thou 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 Remove from thee, perverseness of mouth, and, craftiness of lips, put far from thee.
Mma oburu kasa mfi wʼano; mma nkontomposɛm mmɛn wʼano koraa.
25 Let, thine eyes, right onward, look, —and, thine eyelashes, point straight before thee.
Hwɛ wʼanim tee, na ma wʼani nkɔ nea ɛwɔ wʼanim no so.
26 Make level the track of thy foot, that, all thy ways, may be directed aright:
Bɔ ɔkwan tamaa ma wʼanan na fa akwan a atim so.
27 Decline not, to the right hand or to the left, —Turn away thy foot from wickedness.
Mman mfa nifa anaa benkum; twe wo nan fi bɔne ho.
