Proverbs 4

¹ My pikin, make una listen to wetin una father dey teach una. Make una pay attention, and una go get understanding.

² Wetin I dey teach una dey good, so make una remember everything.

³ When I be small boy, the only child of my parents,

⁴ My father dey teach me. He go talk say, “Remember wetin I talk and no forget am. Make you do as I don tell you, and you go live.

⁵ Get wisdom and understanding! No forget or ignore wetin I talk.

⁶ No abandon wisdom, and e go protect you; make you love am, and e go keep you safe.

⁷ To get wisdom na the best thing wey you fit do. In anything wey you get, make you get understanding.

⁸ Love wisdom, and e go make you great. Embrace am, and e go bring honor to you.

⁹ E go be your crown of glory.”

¹⁰ My pikin, make you listen to me. Make you take wetin I dey tell you serious , and you go live a long life.

¹¹ I don tell you wisdom and the right way to dey live.

¹² Nothing go stand for your way if you waka with wisdom, and you no go fall when you run.

¹³ Always remember wetin you don learn. Your education na your life, guard am well.

¹⁴ No go where evil people dey go. No follow example of the wicked.

¹⁵ No do am! Go away from evil! No gree to am and go your own way.

¹⁶ Wicked people no dey gree sleep unless dem don do something wrong. Dem dey stay awake unless dem don hurt someone.

¹⁷ Na like food and wine wickedness and violence be to them.

¹⁸ The road wey the righteous dey travel be like light wey dey shine, e dey get bright and bright until daylight don come.

¹⁹ But the road of the wicked be like dark night. Dem no fit see wetin dey make them fall.

²⁰ My pikin, pay attention to wetin I don talk. Make you listen to my words.

²¹ No allow them go away from you. Remember them and keep them for your heart.

²² Dem go give life and health to anyone wey understand them.

²³ Make you dey careful of how you dey think; na your thinking dey shape your life.

²⁴ No dey talk anything wey no be truth. No get anything to do with lies and word wey dey mislead.

²⁵ Make your eyes dey fixed on the way, and dey look straight ahead.

²⁶ Make sure say you dey go right way, and nothing go make you fall.

²⁷ No turn right or left: commot your leg from evil.