Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, thou shalt consider well, what is before thee;
Soki ovandi mpo na kolia mesa moko elongo na mokonzi, tala malamu moto oyo azali liboso na yo.
2 And shalt put a knife to thy throat, if, of great appetite, thou art:
Tia mbeli na mongongo na yo soki ozalaka lokoso.
3 Do not crave his dainties, for, the same, are deceitful food.
Kolula te bilei na ye ya kitoko, pamba te, tango mosusu, ezali na yango bololo.
4 Do not toil to get wealth, of thine own understanding, forbear:
Koboma nzoto te mpo na koluka kozwa bomengo, kotia mayele na yo te kati na yango.
5 Wilt thou let thine eye fly thereupon, when it is nothing? for it will, surely make, itself wings, Like an eagle, will it wing its way across the heavens.
Tango okobwaka miso na ngambo ya bomengo, ekobunga, pamba te ezalaka na mapapu mpe epumbwaka na likolo makasi lokola mpongo.
6 Do not eat the food of him that hath a begrudging eye, neither crave thou his dainties;
Kolia te bilei ya moto oyo azali kotala yo na miso mabe mpe kolula te bilei na ye ya kitoko,
7 For, just as he hath thought in his own mind, so, he is: Eat and drink! he may say to thee, but, his heart, is not with thee.
pamba te azalaka ndenge makanisi ya motema na ye ezali. Alobaka: « Lia mpe mela, » kasi motema na ye ezali elongo na yo te.
8 As for thy morsel thou hast eaten, thou shalt vomit it, so shalt thou waste thy things so sweet.
Okosanza eteni oyo oliaki, mpe maloba na yo ya kitoko ekokende pamba.
9 In the ears of a dullard, do not speak, for he will despise the good sense of thy words.
Kolobaka na zoba te, pamba te akotiola bwanya ya maloba na yo.
10 Do not move back the ancient boundary, and, into the fields of the fatherless, do not enter;
Kozongisa te na sima mondelo ya kala mpe kokota te na bilanga ya bana bitike,
11 For, their near of kin, is strong, he, will plead their cause with thee.
pamba te Molobeli na bango azalaka makasi, akozwa makambo na bango na maboko mpo na kotelemela yo.
12 Bring, to correction, thy heart, and thine ears, to the sayings of knowledge.
Tika ete motema na yo endimaka kotosa mibeko, mpe matoyi na yo eyokaka maloba ya boyebi!
13 Do not withhold, from a child, correction, When thou smitest him with the rod, he shall not die:
Kozangisa te kopesa mwana etumbu; soki obeti ye fimbu, akokufa te.
Na kobeta ye fimbu, okokangola molimo na ye na lifelo. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son! if thy heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
Mwana na ngai, soki motema na yo ezali na bwanya, motema na ngai ekozala na esengo.
16 So shall my reins exult, when thy lips speak the things that are right.
Solo, bomoto na ngai nyonso ekotonda na esengo, soki bibebu na yo elobi makambo ya sembo.
17 Let not thy heart be envious of sinners, only of the reverence of Yahweh, all day long;
Tika ete motema na yo elulaka te bato ya masumu, kasi zalaka tango nyonso na posa makasi ya kotosa Yawe;
18 For surely there is a future, and, thine expectation, shall not be cut off.
pamba te suka na yo ekozala solo malamu mpe elikya na yo ekozala ya pamba te.
19 Hear, thou, my son, and be wise, and lead forward, in duty, thy heart.
Mwana na ngai, yoka mpe zala na bwanya, batela motema na yo kati na nzela ya sembo.
20 Do not be among them who tipple with wine, —among them who are gluttons;
Kozala esika moko te na balangwi masanga to na bato ya lokoso,
21 For, the tippler and the glutton, shall come to poverty, and, rags, shall Slumber put on!
pamba te balangwi masanga mpe bato na lokoso bakomaka babola, mpe bogoyigoyi ekolatisa bango bilamba epasuka.
22 Hearken to thy father here, who begat thee, and despise not, when she is old, thy mother.
Yokela tata oyo aboti yo, mpe kotiola mama na yo te ata soki anuni.
23 Truth, buy thou, but do not sell, wisdom, and correction, and understanding.
Luka bosolo, kasi koteka yango te; sala se bongo na bwanya, na mateya mpe na mayele.
24 Greatly shall exult, the father of a righteous man, and, he that begetteth a wise son, shall rejoice in him:
Tata ya moto ya sembo akozala na esengo mingi, mpe moto oyo abota mwana ya bwanya akosepela kati na ye.
25 Rejoice shall thy father and thy mother, yea she, shall exult, who bare thee.
Tika ete tata na yo mpe mama na yo basepela! Tika ete mama oyo abota yo azala na esengo!
26 Oh give, my son, thy mind unto me, and let, thine eyes, observe, my ways;
Mwana na ngai ya mobali, pesa ngai motema na yo, mpe tika ete miso na yo esepela na nzela na ngai!
27 For, a deep chasm, is the unchaste woman, and, a narrow pit, the female unknown;
Pamba te mwasi ya ndumba azali lokola libulu ya monene, mpe mwasi ya mopaya azali lokola libulu ya mozindo.
28 Yea, she, as for prey, lieth in wait, and, the treacherous among mankind, she causeth to abound.
Mwasi ya ndumba atelemaka na ekenge lokola moyibi mpe akomisaka mibali bazoba koleka.
29 Who hath woe? Who hath outcry of pain? Who hath contentions? Who hath complaining? Who hath needless wounds? Who hath dullness of eyes?
Mpo na nani: « Ah ngai, mawa! » Mpo na nani: « Eh! » Mpo na nani koswanaswana? Mpo na nani kolelalela? Mpo na nani kowelana ezanga tina? Mpo na nani kotelisa miso?
30 They who tarry over wine, they who go in to search for mixed wine.
Mpo na bato oyo bawumelaka liboso ya masanga ya vino, mpo na bato oyo bamelaka masanga ya makasi.
31 Do not look on wine when it becometh red, when it giveth in the cup its sparkle, glideth down smoothly.
Kotalaka te masanga ya vino tango ezali motane, tango ezali kongala kati na kopo mpe kokita na pete na mongongo.
32 Its after effect, is that, like a serpent, it biteth, and, like a viper, it doth sting.
Na suka na yango, ekoswa yo lokola nyoka mpe ekotia yo minu lokola etupa.
33 Thine eyes, will see strange women, and, thy heart, will speak perverse things:
Miso na yo ekomona biloko na ndenge ya kokamwa, mpe motema na yo ekobimisa makambo ya bozoba.
34 So shalt thou become, as one lying down in the heart of the sea, —or as one lying down on the top of the mastgear:
Boye, okokoma lokola moto oyo alali kati na ebale monene, mpe lokola moto oyo alali na songe ya nzete ya molayi.
35 They smote me—I felt no pain, They struck me down—I noticed it not, —When shall I wake up? I will go on, I will seek it, again!
Okoloba: « Babeti ngai, kasi nazali koyoka pasi te; babeti ngai fimbu, kasi nazali koyoka eloko te! Tango nini nakolamuka? Nakozongela lisusu komela vino. »
