Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye sons, the correction of a father, and attend, that ye may know understanding.
Me mma, montie me, montie agya nkyerɛkyerɛ; monyɛ aso na moanya nteaseɛ.
2 For, good teaching, have I given you, mine instruction, do not ye forsake.
Mema mo adenim a ɛkɔ anim, enti monnyaa me nkyerɛkyerɛ mu.
3 For, a son, became I to my father, tender and most precious in the sight of my mother.
Meyɛ ɔbabanin wɔ mʼagya fie, meda so yɛ abadomaa na me maame di me bakorɔ no,
4 So he taught me, and said to me—Let thy heart, lay hold of my words, Keep my commandments and live!
ɔkyerɛkyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Ma me nsɛm nni wʼakoma mu dɛm di me nkyerɛkyerɛ so na wobɛnya nkwa.
5 Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding, Do not forget, neither decline thou from the sayings of my mouth.
Nya nyansa, nya nteaseɛ; mma wo werɛ mfiri me nsɛm anaa ntwe wo ho mfiri ho.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will guard thee, —love her and she will keep thee.
Nnya 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. Ɛwom sɛ ne boɔ te sɛ wʼahodeɛ nyinaa deɛ nanso nya nteaseɛ.
8 Exalt her, and she will set thee on high, she will bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her:
Di no nni na ɛbɛpagya wo; yɛ no atuu, na ɛbɛhyɛ wo animuonyam.
9 She will give for thy head, a wreath of beauty, A crown of adorning, will she bestow upon thee.
Ɔde nkonimdie nhwiren hankra bɛgu wo tiri so na wama wo ahenkyɛ 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 deɛ 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 nyansakwan na mede wo afa akwan a ɛtene so.
12 When thou walkest, thy step shall not be hemmed in, and, if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
Sɛ wonante a, wʼanammɔntuo bɛkɔ yɛɛ na sɛ wotu mmirika a, worensunti.
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 yie, ɛfiri sɛ 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 amumuyɛfoɔ kwan so na nnante abɔnefoɔ kwan so.
15 Avoid it, do not pass thereon—turn from it, and depart.
Kwati no, ntu kwan mfa so; dane firi so na kɔ wo baabi.
16 For they sleep not, unless they can do mischief, —They rob themselves of their sleep, if they cannot cause someone to stumble,
Ɛfiri sɛ wɔntumi nna kɔsi sɛ wɔbɛyɛ bɔne; na wɔntɔ nko kɔsi sɛ wɔbɛma obi ahwe ase.
17 For they consume bread gotten by lawlessness, and, wine obtained by violence, they drink.
Amumuyɛsɛm yɛ wɔn aduane, na basabasayɛ yɛ wɔn nsa.
18 But, the path of the righteous, is as the light of dawn, —going on and brightening, unto meridian day.
Teneneefoɔ kwan te sɛ adekyeɛ hann a ɛdi ɛkan, ɛkɔ so hyerɛn yie kɔduru awia ketee.
19 The way of the lawless, is like darkness, they know not, at what they stumble.
Nanso, amumuyɛfoɔ kwan te sɛ esum kabii; wɔnnim deɛ ɛma wɔsunti.
20 My son, to my words, attend, to my sayings, incline thou thine ear;
Me ba, yɛ aso ma deɛ meka; tie me nsɛm no yie.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes, keep them in the midst of thy heart;
Mma ɛmfiri wʼani so, fa sie wʼakoma mu;
22 For, life, they are, to them who find them, —and, to every part of one’s flesh, they bring healing.
ɛfiri sɛ, ɛyɛ nkwa ma wɔn a wɔhunu ne akwahosan ma onipadua 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 wʼakoma ho ban, ɛfiri sɛ, ɛno ne wo nkwa asutire.
24 Remove from thee, perverseness of mouth, and, craftiness of lips, put far from thee.
Mma akontonkyesɛm mfiri 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 deɛ ɛwɔ wʼanim no so.
26 Make level the track of thy foot, that, all thy ways, may be directed aright:
Bɔ ɛkwan tamaa ma wo nan na fa akwan a atim so.
27 Decline not, to the right hand or to the left, —Turn away thy foot from wickedness.
Mmane mfa nifa anaa benkum; twe wo nan firi bɔne ho.
