Proverbs 22

22 ¹Better make you choose good name pass plenty riches, and favor better pass silver or gold. ²Rich pipo and poor pipo dey meet togeda; our Papa na di One wey make dem all. ³Person wey get sense dey see danger and hide, but di one wey no sabi anytin dey waka go and pay di price. ⁴Di reward for humble heart and fear of our Papa na riches and honor and life. ⁵Thorns and trap dey for di road of crooked person; whoever dey guard im soul dey stay far from dem. ⁶Train pikin for di way wey e suppose waka, and even when e don old e no go comot from am. ⁷Rich pipo dey rule ova poor pipo, and di one wey borrow na slave to di one wey lend. ⁸Whoever plant injustice go harvest trouble, and di rod of im vex go fail. ⁹Whoever get generous eye go get blessing, because e dey share im bread give poor pipo. ¹⁰Drive di one wey dey mock comot, and fight go comot wit am; quarrel and insult go stop. ¹¹Whoever love clean heart and dey talk wit grace go get di king as im friend. ¹²Di eyes of our Papa dey watch ova knowledge, but E dey scatter di words of di betrayer. ¹³Lazy person dey talk say, “Lion dey outside! Dem go kill me for di street!” ¹⁴Di mouth of forbidden women na deep pit; whoever draw our Papa vex go fall inside am. ¹⁵Foolishness tie for di heart of pikin, but di rod of correction dey drive am far comot. ¹⁶Whoever dey oppress poor pipo make e fit rich imsef, or dey give rich pipo, go only reach poverty.

Listen Well

¹⁷Bend your ear well well listen to di words of di wise, and put your heart for my knowledge, ¹⁸because e go sweet if you keep dem inside you, if all of dem ready for your lips. ¹⁹So dat your trust go dey inside our Papa, I don make dem known to you today, even to you. ²⁰Abi I no write for you thirty sayings of counsel and knowledge, ²¹make I fit teach you wetin dey right and true, so dat you fit give true answer to di pipo wey send you?

²²No tief from poor person because e poor, or crush di one wey dey suffer for di gate, ^a a v22 Di city gate na where dem dey settle court mata and do public bizness for old towns. ²³because our Papa go fight dia case and go tief life from di pipo wey tief from dem.

²⁴No make friend wit man wey dey quick vex, and no waka wit hot-temper man, ²⁵if not you go learn im ways and tie yoursef inside trap.

²⁶No be among di pipo wey dey give pledge, wey dey put security for debt. ²⁷If you no get anytin take pay, why dem go take your bed comot from under you?

²⁸No move di ancient boundary stone wey your fadas set up.

²⁹You see man wey sabi im work well well? E go stand before kings; e no go stand before ordinary pipo.