4
Why Wisdom Good
1 My pikin, make yu listin to wetin yor papa dey tish yu;
put yor ear down and yu go undastand.
2 Remember evritin wey I dey tish yu,
bikos dem dey good.
3 Wen I still bi small boy for my papa house
and as my mama only pikin,
4 my papa go tell mi, “Make yu always remember wetin I tish yu.
Do wetin I tok and yu go get long life.
5 Ask for wisdom and undastandin!
Nor forget or abandon wetin I tok.
6 If yu love wisdom, e go protet yu;
if yu love am well-well, e go save yu.
7 Na wisdom bi di best tin to get.
If yu go get any oda tin, make e bi undastandin.
8 Love wisdom and e go make yu great;
draw am near body and e go bring respet for yu.
9 Wisdom go give yu grace,
e go bi like fine crown for yor head.”
10 So my pikin! Make yu listin to mi;
make yu take evritin wey I dey tell yu sirious,
den yu go get long life.
11 I don tish yu wisdom
and di korrect way to live yor life.
12 Nor-tin go stand for yor way if yu dey live wise life,
den yu nor go fall wen yu dey run.
13 Make yu always remember evritin wey yu don learn,
bikos na wetin yu learn go give yu good life,
so make yu guide am well-well.
14 Nor go where wiked men gada put
or follow wetin dem dey do.
15 Nor do or go near bad tin!
Make yu rijet am kon go yor way.
16 Wiked pipol nor dey fit sleep until dem do bad tin.
Dem nor go gri rest until dem wound pesin.
17 Wikedness and wahala
bi like food and drink to dem.
18 Raitious pipol ways bi like sun for morning
wey dey shine well-well go rish evening.
19 But wiked pipol road dark well-well;
dem go fall and dem nor go si wetin make dem fall.
20 So, my pikin, make yu hear wetin I dey tok
kon listin to my words.
21 Nor ever let dis words leave yu,
remember and protet dem with yor heart.
22 Bikos dem dey give life and betta body
to anybody wey undastand dem.
23 Make yu dey kareful about wetin yu dey tink,
bikos na wetin yu tink for yor heart, yu go do.
24 Nor ever lie.
Nor do anytin with pipol wey dey lie
or tok bad words.
25 Make yu look strait and nor bow yor head,
bikos yu dey shame.
26 Anytin wey yu won do, make yu plan am well,
den evritin wey yu do go dey okay.
27 Make yu run from bad tins kon waka for strait road,
so dat yu nor go turn go left or rite.