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 law.
Mema mo adesua a ɛkɔ anim, enti munnnyaa me nkyerɛkyerɛ mu.
3 For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved 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 He taught me also, and said to me, Let thy heart retain 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 it 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 shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
Nnyaw nyansa hɔ, na ɛbɛbɔ wo ho ban; dɔ no, na ɛbɛhwɛ wo so.
7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and 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 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall 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 shall give to thy head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to 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 right paths.
Mɛkyerɛ wo nyansa kwan so na mede wo afa akwan a ɛteɛ so.
12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be hindered; and when 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 go 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 away.
Kwati no, ntu kwan mfa so; dan fi so na kɔ wo kwan.
16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; 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 just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more to 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 thy ear to my sayings.
Me ba, yɛ aso ma nea meka; tie me nsɛm no yiye.
21 Let them not depart from thy eyes; keep them in the midst of thy heart.
Mma emfi wʼani so, fa sie wo koma mu;
22 For they are life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
efisɛ, ɛyɛ nkwa ma wɔn a wohu ne akwahosan ma nipadua no nyinaa.
23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; 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 perverse mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
Mma oburu kasa mfi wʼano; mma nkontomposɛm mmɛn wʼano koraa.
25 Let thy eyes look right on, and let thy eyelids look straight before thee.
Hwɛ wʼanim tee, na ma wʼani nkɔ nea ɛwɔ wʼanim no so.
26 Ponder 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.
