Proverbs 4
1 Listen, sons, to a father's instruction, and pay attention so you will know what understanding is.
Bana na ngai, boyokaka mateya ya tata, bozalaka na bokebi mpo ete bozwa mayele.
2 I am giving you good instructions; do not forsake my teaching.
Pamba te nazali kopesa bino mateya ya malamu; bobwaka mateya na ngai te.
3 When I was a son of my father, the tender and only child 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 he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast to my words; keep my commands and 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 Acquire wisdom and understanding; do not forget and do not reject the words of my mouth;
zwa bwanya, zwa mayele, kobosana yango te, kopesa mokongo te na maloba ya monoko na ngai,
6 do not abandon wisdom and she will watch over you; love her and she will keep you safe.
kosundola bwanya te, mpe yango ekobatela yo, linga yango mpe ekobomba yo.
7 Wisdom is the most important thing, so acquire wisdom and spend all you own so you can get understanding.
Tala ebandeli ya bwanya: Zwa bwanya, pesa biloko nyonso oyo ozali na yango mpo ete ozwa mayele.
8 Cherish wisdom and she will exalt you; she will honor you when you embrace her.
Simba yango makasi, mpe ekotombola yo; yamba yango, mpe ekopesa yo lokumu.
9 She will put a wreath of honor on your head; she will give you a beautiful crown.”
Ekolatisa yo ekoti ya lokumu na moto, ekopesa yo motole ya nkembo. »
10 Listen, my son, and pay attention to my words, and you will have many years in your life.
Mwana na ngai, yoka mpe yamba maloba na ngai, mpe mibu ya bomoi na yo ekobakisama.
11 I direct you in the way of wisdom; I lead you down straight paths.
Nazali kolakisa yo nzela ya bwanya, nazali kotambolisa yo na nzela ya alima.
12 When you walk, no one will stand in your way and if you run, you will not stumble.
Mpo ete makolo na yo ezala na mikakatano te tango okotambola; mpe soki okimi mbangu, okokweya te.
13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; 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 follow the path of the wicked and do not go along the way of those who do evil.
Kokotaka te na nzela ya bato ya mobulu mpe kotambolaka te na nzela ya bato mabe.
15 Avoid it, do not go on it; turn away from it and go another way.
Longwa kati na bango, kolekela wana te, kosala mpe maseki kuna te, kasi kende na yo na nzela mosusu.
16 For they cannot sleep until they do evil and they are robbed of sleep until they cause someone to stumble.
Pamba te balalaka pongi te soki basali nanu moto mabe te, mpe pongi ekimaka bango soki babomi moto te;
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
baliaka lipa na nzela ya mabe mpe bamelaka vino na nzela ya mobulu.
18 But the path of righteous people is like the first light that grows brighter; it shines more and more until the fullness of the day comes.
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 wicked is like darkness— they do not know what it is they stumble over.
Nzela ya bato ya mobulu ezali lokola molili, bayebaka te eloko nini ekokweyisa bango.
20 My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
Mwana na ngai, zala na bokebi na maloba na ngai, pesa litoyi na yo na mateya na ngai.
21 Do not let them turn away from your eyes; keep them in your heart.
Tika ete ezala te mosika ya miso na yo! Batela yango malamu kati na motema na yo,
22 For my words are life to those who find them and health to their whole body.
pamba te ezali bomoi mpo na bato oyo bazwaka yango, mpe epesaka nzoto kolongono.
23 Keep your heart safe and guard it with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.
Batela malamu motema na yo koleka biloko nyonso, pamba te makambo nyonso oyo tosalaka, wana tozali na bomoi, ewutaka na motema.
24 Put crooked speech away from you and put corrupt talk far from you.
Longola lokuta na monoko na yo, mpe longola mabe na bibebu na yo.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead and fix your gaze straight before you.
Tika ete miso na yo etalaka kaka liboso, mpe salaka makambo na bosembo mpe bosolo.
26 Make a level path for your foot; then all your ways will be secure.
Bongisa nzela oyo makolo na yo ekolekela, mpe tambola kaka na nzela oyo oyebi malamu.
27 Do not turn aside to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.
Kotengama te, ezala na ngambo ya loboko ya mobali to ya mwasi, longola makolo na yo na mabe.
