Proverbs Chapter 22

Beta Name Beta Pass Moni

1. Good name beta pass plenty moni, and
   favour beta pass silver plus gold.
2. Rich and poor pipo get one tin wey
   make dem resemble: Na Baba-God make all
   of dem.
3. Man wey get-sense go see danger, and he
   go hide hin head, but swegbe go shuuk head
   and las-las he go suffer.
4. To live jeje life, and to fear Baba-
   God—nahin dey bring wealth, respect, plus
   long life.
5. Shuku-shuku and trap nahin full wicked
   man way, but pesin wey dey guard hin
   soul—no go jam all those kain tins.
6. Train your pikin di way wey e suppose
   follow, and wen e don big—e no go fashi dat
   way.
7. Bigman dey rule poor pipo, and pesin wey
   dey borrow na servant of di pesin wey e dey
   borrow from.
8. Pesin wey plant evil go harvest evil, and di
   pawa of hin vex go scata.
9. Pipo wey love to give—go get blessings, becos dem dey share dia food wit poor pipo.
10. Pursue mugu komot, so dat quarrel go
    stop. Eehn…kwanta and insult go end.
11. Pesin wey love pure heart and wey get
    beta words—go be king padi.
12. Baba-God eyes dey watch over
    knowledge, but he dey scata unfaithful pipo
    yarnings.
13. Lazy man go tok sey, “Lion dey for
    outside,” or, “Dem go kill me for street!”
14. Ashawo mouth na deep hole; pesin wey
    Baba-God dey vex for—go fall for her
    words.
15. Yeye full small pikin heart, but na
    koboko of correction dey pursue di yeye tins
    komot.
16. Pesin wey dey oppress poor pipo to make
    moni, and pesin wey dey give rich
    pipo—both of dem go poor.
    Wise Man Tok [Yarnings]
17. Turn your ears make you hear wetin wise
    pesin dey tok; reason wetin I dey teach you
    wit your heart,
18. e make-sense if you keep dem for your
    heart, and make you sabi dem for your lips.
19. So dat your trust go dey wit Baba-God. I
    don teach you today—even yousef.
20. Abi I neva write beta words for you—wit
    advice plus knowledge,
21. so dat I go make you sabi di sure words of
    truth—make you fit ansa pesin wey send
    you—wit truth?
22. No do ojoro for poor pipo, becos dem
    poor, no oppress poor pipo for court.
23. Baba-God go carry dia mata for hin head,
    and he go obtain di soul of di pipo wey obtain
    dem.
24. No do padi wit pesin wey sabi vex well-
    well, no follow pesin wey sabi para,
25. or you go soon learn hin ways, con put
    your soul inside trap.
26. No join those pipo wey dey shake hand to
    confam agreement as guarantor for anoda
    pesin debt.
27. If you no-fit pay, dem go collect even
    your bed wey you dey use sleep.
28. No shift olden days stone wey your papa-
    papa-papa don set as boundary.
29. Abi you neva see man wey sabi hin
    work? Na kings he dey serve, no be gbanjo
    men.