Proverbs Chapter 1

Di Starting of Knowledge

1. Dis na di proverbs of Solomon, David
   pikin, King of Israel.
2. Dis proverbs go make you sabi wise, and
   sabi learn, to fit understand di yarnings of
   understanding,
3. to sabi di teaching of wisdom, of justice,
   judgement, and how to do tins wit your
   church-mind.
4. Dis proverbs go give sense to ordinary
   pipo, e go make young pipo sabi, and e go
   make dem cool down—con reason life.
5. Make wise pipo listen to sabi more-more,
   and make pipo wey fit understand—get
   guidance.
6. Make dem sabi understand proverbs and
   parables, plus di yarnings and twist-tok of
   wise man.
   Fashi Evil Advice
7. To fear Baba-God na di starting of
   knowledge, but mumu pipo dey fashi
   wisdom plus learning.
8. My son, hear your papa word and make
   you no fashi wetin your mama teach you.
9. E be like flower wey dem use make crown
   for your
   head, and chain wey dey make your neck
   fine.
10. My pikin, if bad pipo dey make your eyes
    shuuk wit dia sweet-mouth, make you no
    send dem.
11. If dem tok sey, “Come follow us, make
    we wait for pesin wey we go kill, make we
    hide for corner to waste innocent soul;
12. make we chop dem alive like grave, like
    deadbody wey dem wan bury for pit.
13. We go collect beta tins from dia
    hand—con carry wetin we obtain go full awa
    house,
14. stay wit us, follow us, and we go share
    wetin we collect.”
15. My pikin, make you no follow dem, no
    waka pass dia way;
16. dia leg go put dem for wahala, and dem
    dey fast to waste pesin blood.
17. Pesin wey set net as di bird dey look am,
    dey set di net in vain.
18. Dis men dey wait for corner for dia own
    blood; and dem go kill demsef wit dia own
    hand!
19. Naso pipo wey make dia moni wit bad
    way take dey kpeme; dat kain moni dey kill
    di pesin wey get am.Wisdom Dey Call
20. Wisdom dey halla for street, she dey sing
    for village square;
21. she dey sing for front of street wey dem
    dey make noise well-well, she dey tok for di
    gate of di city.
22. “My pipo, shey na like dis una go dey
    dey? How long mumu pipo go just dey tok
    and laff, and mumu pipo no wan learn
    anytin?
23. Follow my teachings, I go surely pour my
    spirit give you, and I go make you sabi my
    words.
24. But as you con fashi me wen I dey call
    you, and no-pesin reason my mata wen I
    stretch my hand,
25. you bone all my advice, and you no gree
    hear me wen I correct una;
26. me sef go use you laff wen una palava
    start; I go yab you wen your yawa gas—
27. wen your fear come like strong breeze,
    wen scata-scata come like rolling-breeze,
    and wen palava and gbege full your head.
28. “Dat time dem go call me, but I no go
    ansa; dem go fyne me taya, but dem no go see
    me.
29. As dem no like to learn, and dem no like
    to respect Baba-God,
30. as dem no gree hear my advice, con fashi
    everitin wey I dey tell dem.
31. So dem go chop di fruit of dia own
    way, and dem go belleful wit di fruit of dia
    own ideas.
32. Ordinary pipo dey kpeme becos dem turn
    komot from di right way, and mugu wey no
    wan gree grow go kpeme.
33. But any-pesin wey dey hear wetin I dey
    tok—go dey safe for where e dey stay, and he
    go dey secured—wit-out di fear evil.