Proverbs 1

¹ Na the proverbs of Solomon, son of David and king of Israel be this.

² Here na the proverbs wey go help you to accept wisdom and good advice, and wey go help you understand sayings wey get deep meaning.

³ Dem fit teach you how to dey live with wisdom and how to dey honest, just and fair.

⁴ Dem fit make person wey no get experience become expert and dem fit teach young people how to dey sharp.

⁵ These proverbs fit even add to knowledge of the wise and guide those wey dey creative,

⁶ So that dem fit understand meaning of proverbs wey get hidden meaning and the problems wey wise people raise.

⁷ You must fear God, if you wan get knowledge. Stupid people no get respect for wisdom and dem no dey gree learn.

⁸ My pikin, make you pay attention to wetin your father and mother dey tell you.

⁹ Their teaching go improve your character like fine turban or like necklace dey improve how you look.

¹⁰ When sinners dey deceive you, my pikin, make you no accept.

¹¹ Suppose dem talk say, “Come on; make we find someone wey we go kill! Make we attack innocent people for the fun wey dey inside am!

¹² Dem fit dey alive when we find them, but dem go don die by the time we finish with them!

¹³ We go find all kind riches and fill our house with wetin we don thief!

¹⁴ Come join us, and all of us go share wetin we don thief.”

¹⁵ My pikin, no go with people like that. Stay away from them.

¹⁶ Dem no fit wait to dey do evil. Dem always dey ready to kill.

¹⁷ E no make sense to dey spread net when the bird wey you wan catch dey watch,

¹⁸ But people like that dey set trap for themselves, trap where dem go die.

¹⁹ Robbery dey always claim live of the robber - na wetin dey happen to anyone wey dey live violent life be that.

²⁰ Hear me! Wisdom dey call out for street and for market place,

²¹ E dey call loud for city gate and anywhere wey people gather together:

²² “Foolish people! How long una wan dey foolish? How long una go enjoy to dey hate knowledge? Shey una no go learn?

²³ Make una listen when I lecture una; I go give una better advice and I go share my knowledge with una.

²⁴ I don dey call una, I don dey invite una to come, but una no gree listen. Una no pay attention to me.

²⁵ Una ignore all my advice and una no gree allow me make I correct una.

²⁶ So when una enter trouble, I go laugh una. I go mock una with terror strike -

²⁷ When e dey come on top una like storm, when e dey bring terrible wind of trouble, and una dey for pain and trouble.

²⁸ Then una go call for wisdom, but I no go answer. Una fit dey look for me for everywhere, but una no go find me.

²⁹ Una never get any use for knowledge and una dey always refuse to obey the LORD.

³⁰ Una never want my advice or pay attention when I dey correct una.

³¹ So, una go get wetin una deserve, and una own actions go make una sick.

³² People wey no get experience die because dem reject wisdom. Stupid people dey destroy because dem lack interest.

³³ But anyone wey listen to me go get security. He go dey safe, and he no go get reason to dey fear.”