Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
Me mma, montie me, montie agya nkyerɛkyerɛ; monyɛ aso na moanya nteaseɛ.
2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.
Mema mo adenim a ɛkɔ anim, enti monnyaa me nkyerɛkyerɛ mu.
3 For I was my father's son, tender and only [beloved] in the sight of my mother.
Meyɛ ɔbabanin wɔ mʼagya fie, meda so yɛ abadomaa na me maame di me bakorɔ no,
4 He taught me also, and said to me, Let thy heart retain 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 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget [it] not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
Nya nyansa, nya nteaseɛ; mma wo werɛ mfiri me nsɛm anaa ntwe wo ho mfiri ho.
6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
Nnya 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. Ɛwom sɛ ne boɔ te sɛ wʼahodeɛ nyinaa deɛ nanso nya nteaseɛ.
8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her.
Di no nni na ɛbɛpagya wo; yɛ no atuu, na ɛbɛhyɛ wo animuonyam.
9 She shall give to thy head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.
Ɔde nkonimdie nhwiren hankra bɛgu wo tiri so na wama wo ahenkyɛ 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 deɛ 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 nyansakwan na mede wo afa akwan a ɛtene so.
12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
Sɛ wonante a, wʼanammɔntuo bɛkɔ yɛɛ na sɛ wotu mmirika a, worensunti.
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 yie, ɛfiri sɛ 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 amumuyɛfoɔ kwan so na nnante abɔnefoɔ kwan so.
15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.
Kwati no, ntu kwan mfa so; dane firi so na kɔ wo baabi.
16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause [some] to fall.
Ɛfiri sɛ wɔntumi nna kɔsi sɛ wɔbɛyɛ bɔne; na wɔntɔ nko kɔsi sɛ wɔbɛma obi ahwe ase.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
Amumuyɛsɛm yɛ wɔn aduane, na basabasayɛ yɛ wɔn nsa.
18 But the path of the just [is] as the shining light, that shineth more and more to the perfect day.
Teneneefoɔ kwan te sɛ adekyeɛ hann a ɛdi ɛkan, ɛkɔ so hyerɛn yie kɔduru awia ketee.
19 The way of the wicked [is] as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
Nanso, amumuyɛfoɔ kwan te sɛ esum kabii; wɔnnim deɛ ɛma wɔsunti.
20 My son, attend to my words; incline thy ear to my sayings.
Me ba, yɛ aso ma deɛ meka; tie me nsɛm no yie.
21 Let them not depart from thy eyes; keep them in the midst of thy heart.
Mma ɛmfiri wʼani so, fa sie wʼakoma mu;
22 For they [are] life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
ɛfiri sɛ, ɛyɛ nkwa ma wɔn a wɔhunu ne akwahosan ma onipadua no nyinaa.
23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it [are] the issues of life.
Ne nyinaa akyi, bɔ wʼakoma ho ban, ɛfiri sɛ, ɛno ne wo nkwa asutire.
24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
Mma akontonkyesɛm mfiri 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 deɛ ɛwɔ wʼanim no so.
26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
Bɔ ɛkwan tamaa ma wo nan na fa akwan a atim so.
27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
Mmane mfa nifa anaa benkum; twe wo nan firi bɔne ho.
