Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dead flies can make perfumed oil smell bad. Likewise a little foolishness outweighs great wisdom and honor.
Ndenge nzinzi ekufa ekomisaka malasi solo mabe, ndenge wana mpe mwa bozoba ebebisaka bwanya mpe lokumu.
2 The mind of the wise person chooses the right side, but the mind of the fool goes left!
Motema ya moto ya bwanya ekendaka na nzela ya malamu, kasi motema ya zoba ekendaka na nzela ya mabe.
3 Just the way that fools walk down the road shows they have no sense, making clear to everyone their stupidity.
Ata tango zoba atambolaka na nzela, bozangi mayele na ye etalisaka na bato mosusu ete azali zoba.
4 If your superior gets angry with you, don't give up and leave. If you stay calm even bad mistakes can be resolved.
Soki mokonzi atombokeli yo, kolongwa na esika na yo ya mosala te; pamba te motema ya kokita epekisaka bambeba minene.
5 I also realized there's another evil here on earth: rulers make a big mistake
Namonaki mabe moko na se ya moyi, lokola libunga epai ya bakonzi:
6 when they put fools in high positions, while those who are richly qualified are put in low positions.
bazoba batombolami na bisika ya lokumu makasi, kasi bazwi batikali na bisika ya se.
7 I've seen slaves riding on horseback, while princes walk on the ground like slaves.
Namonaki bawumbu kotambola likolo ya bampunda, mpe bakonzi kotambola na makolo lokola bawumbu.
8 If you dig a pit, you could fall in. If you knock down a wall, you could be bitten by a snake.
Moto oyo atimoli libulu akoki kokweya kati na yango; mpe moto oyo abuki mir ya lopango, nyoka ekoki koswa ye.
9 If you quarry stone, you could be injured. If you split logs, you could be hurt.
Moto oyo abukaka mabanga akoki kozoka na yango, oyo apasolaka mabaya akoki mpe kozwa likama.
10 If your ax is blunt and you don't sharpen it, you have to use a lot more force. Conclusion: being wise brings good results.
Soki epasola esili minu mpe bapelisi yango te, moto oyo akosalela yango akobimisa makasi mingi; kasi bwanya epesaka elonga.
11 If the snake bites the snake charmer before it's charmed, there's no benefit to the snake charmer!
Soki nyoka eswi moto liboso ete asakanisa yango, litomba ezali lisusu te epai ya moto oyo asakanisaka banyoka.
12 Wise words are beneficial, but fools destroy themselves by what they say.
Maloba ya moto ya bwanya epesaka esengo, kasi maloba ya zoba elukelaka ye makambo.
13 Fools begin by saying foolish things, and end up talking evil nonsense.
Abandaka na maloba ya bozoba mpe asukisaka na maloba ya mabe.
14 Fools talk on and on, however no one knows what's going to happen, so who can say what the future holds?
Zoba alobaka mingi. Moto moko te ayebi makambo oyo ekoya; nani akoki koyebisa ye makambo oyo ekosalema sima na ye?
15 Work makes fools so worn out they can't achieve anything.
Mosala ya zoba elembisaka ye, ayebi ata kutu te nzela oyo ememaka na engumba.
16 You're in trouble if the king of your country is young, and if your leaders are busy feasting from early morning.
Mawa na mokili oyo mokonzi na yango azali mwana moke, mpe oyo bakambi na yango balangwaka masanga na tongo-tongo!
17 You're fortunate if your king comes from a noble family, and your leaders feast at the proper time to give themselves energy, and not to get drunk.
Esengo na mokili oyo mokonzi na yango abotama na libota ya bato minene, mpe oyo bakambi na yango baliaka na tango oyo esengeli mpo na kozwa makasi, kasi mpo na kolangwa masanga te.
18 Lazy people let their roofs collapse; idle people don't repair their leaky houses.
Soki moto azali goyigoyi, likolo ya ndako na ye ekobukana; soki maboko na ye elemba, ndako na ye ekotanga mayi.
19 A good meal brings pleasure; wine makes life pleasant; money provides for all needs.
Basalaka feti mpo na kosepela, mpe masanga ya vino epesaka esengo na motema, mpe mbongo epesaka biyano na makambo nyonso.
20 Don't talk badly about the king, not even in your thoughts. Don't talk badly about leaders, even in the privacy of your bedroom. A bird may hear what you say and fly away to tell them.
Kolakela mokonzi mabe te, ezala kati na motema na yo; kolakela mozwi mabe te, ezala na mbeto na yo ya kolala, pamba te ndeke ya likolo ekoki komema maloba na yo mpe kopanza sango ya maloba na yo.
