Ecclesiastes 9
1 I had my mind consider all this. Wise and good people and everything they do are in God's hands. Love or hate—who knows what will happen to them?
Boye, nakanisaki mingi na makambo oyo nyonso mpe namonaki ete, ezala moto ya sembo, moto ya bwanya elongo na makambo nyonso oyo basalaka, bazali na maboko ya Nzambe; kasi moko te ayebaka soki bolingo to koyina ezelaka ye.
2 Yet we all share the same destiny—those who do right, those who do evil, the good, the religiously-observant and those that are not, those who sacrifice and those who don't. Those who do good are as those who sin, those who make vows to God are as those who don't.
Bato nyonso basukaka kaka ndenge moko: ezala moto ya sembo to moto mabe, ezala moto malamu to moto oyo asalaka masumu, ezala moto ya peto to moto ya mbindo, ezala moto oyo abonzaka mbeka to moto oyo abonzaka mbeka te. Ndenge ezalaka mpo na moto ya motema malamu ndenge mpe ezalaka mpo na moto ya masumu; ndenge ezalaka mpo na moto oyo alapaka ndayi ndenge mpe ezalaka mpo na moto oyo abangaka kolapa ndayi.
3 This is just so wrong—that everyone here on earth should suffer the same fate! On top of that, people's minds are filled with evil. They spend their lives thinking about stupid things, and then they die.
Tala likambo oyo ezali mabe kati na makambo nyonso oyo esalemaka na se ya moyi: bato nyonso basukaka kaka ndenge moko; lisusu, mitema ya bato etonda na mabe, mpe bozoba ezalaka kati na mitema na bango wana bazali nanu na bomoi; mpe, sima na yango, bakokufa kaka.
4 But the living still have hope—a live dog is better than a dead lion!
Moto nyonso oyo azali kati na bato ya bomoi azalaka na elikya; mbwa ya bomoi ezali malamu koleka nkosi oyo ekufa.
5 The living are conscious of the fact that they're going to die, but the dead have no consciousness of anything. They don't receive any further benefit; they're forgotten.
Pamba te bato ya bomoi bayebaka ete bakokufa; kasi bato oyo bakufa bayebaka lisusu eloko moko te, bazalaka lisusu te na litomba ya kozwa, mpo ete babosana bango.
6 Their love, hate, and envy—it's all gone. They have no further part in anything that happens here on earth.
Bolingo na bango, koyina na bango mpe baposa na bango esila kolimwa; bakozwa lisusu litomba ata moko te kati na makambo nyonso oyo esalemaka na se ya moyi.
7 So go ahead and eat your food, and enjoy it. Drink your wine with a happy heart. That's what God intends that you should do.
Kende, lia bilei na yo na esengo mpe mela masanga na yo ya vino na motema ya esengo; pamba te Nzambe asili kondima misala na yo.
8 Always wear smart clothes and look good.
Tika ete bilamba na yo ezala tango nyonso peto, mpe nzoto na yo elumba tango nyonso solo ya malasi.
9 Enjoy life with the wife that you love—the one God gave you—during all the days of this brief life, all these passing days whose meaning is so hard to understand as you work here on earth.
Sepela na bomoi na yo elongo na mwasi na yo, oyo olingaka na mikolo nyonso ya bomoi ya pamba oyo Nzambe apesi yo na se ya moyi; solo, na mikolo na yo nyonso ya pamba, pamba te yango nde ezali mbano ya bomoi na yo mpo na misala nyonso oyo omonelaka pasi na se ya moyi.
10 Whatever you do, do it with all your strength, for when you go to the grave there's no more working or thinking, no more knowing or being wise. (Sheol h7585)
Mosala nyonso oyo loboko na yo ekokoka kosala, sala yango na makasi na yo nyonso; pamba te kati na mboka ya bakufi epai wapi okokende, ezala mosala, mabongisi, boyebi to bwanya ezalaka kuna te. (Sheol h7585)
11 I thought about other things that happen here on earth. Races are not always won by the fastest runner. Battles are not always decided by the strongest warrior. Also, the wise do not always have food, intelligent people do not always make money, and those who are clever do not always win favor. Time and chance affect all of them.
Namonaki lisusu likambo moko na se ya moyi: mimekano ezalaka kaka te mpo na moto oyo aleki mbangu, bitumba ezalaka kaka te mpo na bato ya makasi, bilei ezalaka kaka te mpo na bato ya bwanya, bomengo ezalaka kaka te mpo na bato oyo baleki na mayele, mpe bolamu ezalaka kaka te mpo na bato ya bososoli; pamba te pasi mpe bisengo ekomelaka mpe bango nyonso.
12 You can't predict when your end will come. Just like fish caught in a net, or birds caught in a trap, so people are suddenly caught by death when they least expect it.
Moto moko te ayebi tango nini ngonga na ye ekokoka: ndenge mbisi ekangamaka na monyama to ndenge banyama ekangamaka na motambo, ndenge wana mpe bato bakangamaka na mitambo ya pasi oyo ekweyelaka bango na mbalakata.
13 Here's another aspect of wisdom that impressed me about what happens here on earth.
Namonaki lisusu na se ya moyi, ndakisa moko ya bwanya oyo ezalaki na tina mingi mpo na ngai:
14 Once there was a small town with only a few inhabitants. A powerful king came and besieged the town, building great earth ramps against its walls.
ezalaki na engumba moko ya moke oyo ezalaki mpe na bato moke; bongo mokonzi moko ya nguya ayaki kobundisa yango, azingelaki yango mpe atongaki milako mpo na kokonza engumba yango.
15 In that town lived a man who was wise, but poor. He saved the town by his wisdom. But no one remembered to thank that poor man.
Nzokande, kati na engumba yango, ezalaki na mobola moko oyo azalaki moto ya bwanya; abikisaki yango na bwanya na ye, kasi moto moko te akanisaki mobola yango.
16 As I've always said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” Yet the wisdom of that poor man was dismissed—people didn't pay attention to what he said.
Boye namilobelaki: « Bwanya ezali malamu koleka makasi ya nzoto. » Kasi bwanya ya mobola etiolamaka, mpe bayokaka maloba na ye te.
17 It's better to listen to the calm words of a wise person than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
Bayokaka maloba ya kimia ya moto ya bwanya koleka makelele ya mokonzi ya bazoba.
18 It's better to have wisdom than weapons of war; but a sinner can destroy a lot of good.
Bwanya ezali malamu koleka bibundeli ya basoda, kasi mbeba moko ekoki koboma bolamu na yango nyonso.
