Proverbs 4
1 Listen, sons, to the discipline of a father, and pay attention, so that you may know prudence.
Bana na ngai, boyokaka mateya ya tata, bozalaka na bokebi mpo ete bozwa mayele.
2 I will bestow upon you a good gift. Do not relinquish my law.
Pamba te nazali kopesa bino mateya ya malamu; bobwaka mateya na ngai te.
3 For I, too, was the son of my father, tender and an only son in the sight of my mother.
Ngai mpe nazalaki mwana malamu na miso ya tata na ngai, boye mama na ngai alingaki ngai makasi lokola mwana oyo abotama kaka ye moko.
4 And he taught me, and he also said: “Let your heart accept my words. Keep my precepts, and you shall live.
Tata na ngai azalaki koteya mpe koloba na ngai boye: « Tika ete motema na yo ebatela maloba na ngai, bomba mibeko na ngai mpe okozala na bomoi,
5 Obtain wisdom, obtain prudence. May you neither forget, nor turn away from, the words of my mouth.
zwa bwanya, zwa mayele, kobosana yango te, kopesa mokongo te na maloba ya monoko na ngai,
6 Do not send her away, and she will guard you. Love her, and she will preserve you.
kosundola bwanya te, mpe yango ekobatela yo, linga yango mpe ekobomba yo.
7 The beginning of wisdom is to obtain wisdom, and, with all that you possess, to acquire prudence.
Tala ebandeli ya bwanya: Zwa bwanya, pesa biloko nyonso oyo ozali na yango mpo ete ozwa mayele.
8 Grasp her, and she will exalt you. You will be glorified by her, when you have embraced her.
Simba yango makasi, mpe ekotombola yo; yamba yango, mpe ekopesa yo lokumu.
9 She will bestow upon your head an increase in graces, and she will protect you with a noble crown.
Ekolatisa yo ekoti ya lokumu na moto, ekopesa yo motole ya nkembo. »
10 Listen, my son, and accept my words, so that years of life may be multiplied for you.
Mwana na ngai, yoka mpe yamba maloba na ngai, mpe mibu ya bomoi na yo ekobakisama.
11 I will demonstrate to you the way of wisdom. I will lead you along the paths of equity.
Nazali kolakisa yo nzela ya bwanya, nazali kotambolisa yo na nzela ya alima.
12 When you have entered by these, your steps will not be constrained, and when running, you will have no obstacle.
Mpo ete makolo na yo ezala na mikakatano te tango okotambola; mpe soki okimi mbangu, okokweya te.
13 Take hold of discipline. Do not dismiss it. Guard it, for it is your life.
Tingama makasi na mateya oyo bapesi yo, kobwaka yango te, batela yango malamu mpo ete ezali bomoi na yo.
14 Do not delight in the paths of the impious, nor permit the way of evil-doers to please you.
Kokotaka te na nzela ya bato ya mobulu mpe kotambolaka te na nzela ya bato mabe.
15 Take flight from it. Do not pass close to it. Turn away and abandon it.
Longwa kati na bango, kolekela wana te, kosala mpe maseki kuna te, kasi kende na yo na nzela mosusu.
16 For they do not sleep, unless they have done evil. And their sleep is quickly taken away from them, unless they have overthrown.
Pamba te balalaka pongi te soki basali nanu moto mabe te, mpe pongi ekimaka bango soki babomi moto te;
17 They eat the bread of impiety, and they drink the wine of iniquity.
baliaka lipa na nzela ya mabe mpe bamelaka vino na nzela ya mobulu.
18 But the path of the just is like a shining light: it advances and increases, even to the day of completion.
Nzokande, nzela ya bato ya sembo ezali lokola pole ya tongo makasi, oyo kongenga na yango eyaka malembe-malembe kino tango moyi ekobima makasi.
19 The way of the impious is darkened. They do not know where they may fall.
Nzela ya bato ya mobulu ezali lokola molili, bayebaka te eloko nini ekokweyisa bango.
20 My son, pay attention to my sermons, and incline your ear to my eloquent words.
Mwana na ngai, zala na bokebi na maloba na ngai, pesa litoyi na yo na mateya na ngai.
21 Let them not recede from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart.
Tika ete ezala te mosika ya miso na yo! Batela yango malamu kati na motema na yo,
22 For they are life to those who find them and health to all that is flesh.
pamba te ezali bomoi mpo na bato oyo bazwaka yango, mpe epesaka nzoto kolongono.
23 Preserve your heart with all watchfulness, for life proceeds from this.
Batela malamu motema na yo koleka biloko nyonso, pamba te makambo nyonso oyo tosalaka, wana tozali na bomoi, ewutaka na motema.
24 Remove from yourself a corrupt mouth, and let detracting lips be far from you.
Longola lokuta na monoko na yo, mpe longola mabe na bibebu na yo.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, and let your eyelids precede your steps.
Tika ete miso na yo etalaka kaka liboso, mpe salaka makambo na bosembo mpe bosolo.
26 Direct the path of your feet, and all your ways shall be secure.
Bongisa nzela oyo makolo na yo ekolekela, mpe tambola kaka na nzela oyo oyebi malamu.
27 Turn aside, neither to the right, nor to the left; yet turn your foot away from evil. For the Lord knows the ways that are on the right, and truly, those that are on the left are perverse. But he himself will make your courses straight. Then your journey will advance in peace.
Kotengama te, ezala na ngambo ya loboko ya mobali to ya mwasi, longola makolo na yo na mabe.
