Proverbs Chapter 8

Wisdom Dey Call

1. . Abi wisdom no dey halla?
   Abi understanding no dey raise her voice?
2. She dey stand on top of di highest place,
   for corner of road, and for junction.
3. For corner of di gate of di city, for
   doormot, na for there she dey halla.
4. “I dey call una, nnaa men, I dey halla all of
   una; I dey raise my voice to everi human
   being,
5. You, ‘ordinary pipo,’ understand wisdom:
   and you wey be swegbe, try to get heart wey
   sabi understand.
6. Listen, I get beta tins to tok; I dey open my
   lips dey tok
   wetin dey right.
7. My mouth dey tok di truth, and
   wickedness na tufiakwa for my lips.
8. All di words wey dey komot from my
   mouth na wit goodness, no one of my words be korni-korni or bend-bend tok.
9. All my words dey clear to pipo wey
   understand, pipo wey sabi know sey my
   words na correct.
10. Choose wetin I dey teach you instead of
    silver, choose knowledge instead of gold.
11. Wisdom beta pass rubies, and notin you
    wish for dis life—wey you fit use compare
    wisdom.
12. “Me, wisdom, dey always dey wit
    akonuche (common sense), na me get
    knowledge and common sense.
13. To fear Baba-God—na to hate evil tin; I
    hate make pesin dey make-mouth, make
    pesin dey carry shoulder up, evil behaviour,
    plus mouth wey dey miss-yarn.
14. Na me get good advice, and beta wisdom.
    Na me be understanding, and I get pawa.
15. Na tru me—kings take dey reign, and
    rulers take dey make beta laws wit justice.
16. Na me princes dey use rule, plus leaders,
    even all di judges of di earth.
17. I love those pipo wey love me, and
    those pipo wey dey fyne me seriously—go
    see me.
18. Riches plus respect dey wit me, plus
    wealth wey dey last, and goodness.
19. Di tins wey you go gain from me beta
    pass gold; eehn….e beta pass pure gold,
    wetin you go gain from me—beta pass
    silver.
20. I dey waka for di way of goodness, for di
    road of justice,
21. I dey give pipo wey love me riches, con
    make dia bank brekete wit beta-beta-tins.
22. Baba-God make me first of all, before he
    even make anytin.
23. I don stand gidigbam from everlasting,
    from di starting, before di world start.
24. Wen big-big-river neva dey, na dat time
    dem born me, wen plenty water neva dey
    flow from ground;
25. before di mountain settle for e place,
    before di hills dey, na dat time Baba-God
    born me.
26. Before he make di earth or di fields, or
    any of di first dust of di world.
27. I dey for there wen he put di heaven for e
    place, wen he draw di line wey di sky take
    meet di big-big-river.
28. I dey for there wen he stand di cloud for
    up-up, con give di water pawa to flow from
    di big-big-river.
29. I dey for there wen he give di big-rivers dia boundary, so dat di water no go cross e lane, I dey for there wen e mark di
30. foundations of di earth.
31. Na me be di ogbonge artist wey dey for
    hin side. Na me dey make body sweet Am
    everi day—as I dey happy everi time for hin
    front.
32. I dey happy for everitin wey Baba-God
    make, and I dey happy for everi human
    being.
33. “Now, my pikin, listen to me; pipo wey
    dey follow my way get blesings
34. Listen to wetin I dey teach you, and get-
    sense; make you no fashi am.
35. Blessings for di man wey dey listen to
    me, wey dey watch for my door everi day,
    and wey dey wait for my doormot.
36. Any-pesin wey see me don see life, and
    he go receive favour from Baba-God.
37. But any-pesin wey no fyne me dey
    wound hinsef, and everi-pesin wey hate me
    love death.”