Proverbs 4
1 My children, listen to what I am teaching you. If you pay attention, you will understand what is wise.
Me mma, muntie me, muntie agya nkyerɛkyerɛ; monyɛ aso na moanya ntease.
2 What I am teaching you is good, so do not turn away from it.
Mema mo adesua a ɛkɔ anim, enti munnnyaa me nkyerɛkyerɛ mu.
3 When I was a young boy, loved by my mother,
Efisɛ na me nso, meyɛ mʼagya babarima, meda so yɛ akokoaa no, na me na ani gye me ho.
4 my father told me, “Remember my words; if you obey my commandments, you will live [a long time].
Na ɔkyerɛkyerɛɛ me se, “Ma me nsɛm nni wo koma mu dɛm, di me nkyerɛkyerɛ so na wubenya nkwa.
5 Obtain wisdom and understanding, and (do not abandon/hold fast to) [LIT] what I have taught you.
Nya nyansa, nya ntease; mma wo werɛ mfi me nsɛm anaa ntwe wo ho mfi ho.
6 Do not turn away from wisdom, because if you are wise, you will be protected [from all evil/danger]. If you love wisdom, wisdom [PRS] will guard you.
Nnyaw nyansa hɔ, na ɛbɛbɔ wo ho ban; dɔ no, na ɛbɛhwɛ wo so.
7 The most important thing that you can do is to get wisdom. Even if you obtain many other things, the best thing is to know what things are wise.
Nyansa boro biribiara so; enti hwehwɛ nyansa. Ɛwɔ mu sɛ ne bo te sɛ wʼahode nyinaa de, nanso nya ntease.
8 If you consider being wise to be very valuable, [people] will think very highly of you. If you cling to wisdom [like you would cling to a woman you love], [many people] will honor you.
Di no ni na ɛbɛma wo so; yɛ no atuu, na ɛbɛhyɛ wo anuonyam.
9 If you become wise, that will for you be [like] a beautiful wreath that is put {someone puts} on your head; it will be [like] a king’s glorious crown.” [That is what my father told me].
Ɔde nkonimdi nhwiren hankare begu wo ti so na wama wo ahenkyɛw a ɛyɛ fɛ.”
10 [So now I say], “My son, heed what I say. If you do that, you will live a [good] long life.
Me ba, tie na fa nea meka no, na wo nkwanna bɛyɛ bebree.
11 I am teaching you the way to live wisely; I am showing you how to act justly [toward others].
Mɛkyerɛ wo nyansa kwan so na mede wo afa akwan a ɛteɛ so.
12 If you live wisely, when you decide to do something, you will succeed [LIT].
Sɛ wonantew a, wʼanammɔntu bɛkɔ waa na sɛ wutu mmirika a, worenhintiw.
13 Hold fast to the things I have taught you to do, and do not let them go. Guard them, because they [will be the source of a good] life.
Di nkyerɛkyerɛ so; na nnyaa mu, bɔ ho ban yiye, efisɛ ɛyɛ wo nkwa.
14 Do not do the things that wicked people do; [do not behave like they do]; do not even walk on the roads that evil [people] walk on [MET].
Ntu wo nan nsi amumɔyɛfo kwan so na nnantew abɔnefo kwan so.
15 Stay away from those roads; turn aside and walk on other roads;
Kwati no, ntu kwan mfa so; dan fi so na kɔ wo kwan.
16 because evil people cannot sleep if they have not done some evil deed [on that day]. They cannot rest if they have not harmed someone.
Efisɛ wɔnyɛɛ bɔne a wontumi nna; na wɔn nna tew yera kosi sɛ wɔbɛma obi ahwe ase.
17 What they eat and what they drink are things that they have obtained by acting wickedly and violently.”
Wodi amumɔyɛsɛm brodo, na wɔnom kitikitiyɛ nsa.
18 The behavior of good/righteous [people] is like the light [that begins to shine] at dawn and then [continues to] shine brighter until the brightest time of day.
Atreneefo kwan te sɛ adekyee hann a edi kan, ɛkɔ so hyerɛn yiye kodu awia ketee.
19 [But] the behavior of wicked [people] is like deep/thick darkness. [Because it is very dark], they cannot see the things that cause them to stumble.
Nanso amumɔyɛfo kwan te sɛ sum kabii; wonnim nea ɛma wohintiw.
20 My son, pay attention to what I am saying. Listen to my words carefully.
Me ba, yɛ aso ma nea meka; tie me nsɛm no yiye.
21 Keep them close to you; let them penetrate your inner being,
Mma emfi wʼani so, fa sie wo koma mu;
22 because you will have [PRS] [a good] life and [good] health if you [search for them and] find them.
efisɛ, ɛyɛ nkwa ma wɔn a wohu ne akwahosan ma nipadua no nyinaa.
23 It is very important that you be careful about what you think, because what you think controls [MET] the things that you do.
Ne nyinaa akyi, bɔ wo koma ho ban, efisɛ, ɛno ne wo nkwa asuti.
24 Do not say anything that deceives [others] and never say what is not true.
Mma oburu kasa mfi wʼano; mma nkontomposɛm mmɛn wʼano koraa.
25 Keep looking straight ahead toward the events that are before you, and do not turn aside.
Hwɛ wʼanim tee, na ma wʼani nkɔ nea ɛwɔ wʼanim no so.
26 Plan carefully where you will go and what you will do, and then stay on that road. Then what you do will be right.
Bɔ ɔkwan tamaa ma wʼanan na fa akwan a atim so.
27 Do not leave the straight road by turning to the left or to the right. [Do only what is right] and keep yourself from [doing what is] evil.
Mman mfa nifa anaa benkum; twe wo nan fi bɔne ho.
