Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
Bana na ngai, boyokaka mateya ya tata, bozalaka na bokebi mpo ete bozwa mayele.
2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.
Pamba te nazali kopesa bino mateya ya malamu; bobwaka mateya na ngai te.
3 For I was my father's son, tender and only [beloved] 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 He taught me also, and said to me, Let thy heart retain my words: keep my commandments, 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 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget [it] not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
zwa bwanya, zwa mayele, kobosana yango te, kopesa mokongo te na maloba ya monoko na ngai,
6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
kosundola bwanya te, mpe yango ekobatela yo, linga yango mpe ekobomba yo.
7 Wisdom [is] the principal thing; [therefore] get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
Tala ebandeli ya bwanya: Zwa bwanya, pesa biloko nyonso oyo ozali na yango mpo ete ozwa mayele.
8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her.
Simba yango makasi, mpe ekotombola yo; yamba yango, mpe ekopesa yo lokumu.
9 She shall give to thy head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.
Ekolatisa yo ekoti ya lokumu na moto, ekopesa yo motole ya nkembo. »
10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.
Mwana na ngai, yoka mpe yamba maloba na ngai, mpe mibu ya bomoi na yo ekobakisama.
11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.
Nazali kolakisa yo nzela ya bwanya, nazali kotambolisa yo na nzela ya alima.
12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
Mpo ete makolo na yo ezala na mikakatano te tango okotambola; mpe soki okimi mbangu, okokweya te.
13 Take fast hold of instruction; let [her] not go: keep her; for she [is] thy life.
Tingama makasi na mateya oyo bapesi yo, kobwaka yango te, batela yango malamu mpo ete ezali bomoi na yo.
14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil [men].
Kokotaka te na nzela ya bato ya mobulu mpe kotambolaka te na nzela ya bato mabe.
15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.
Longwa kati na bango, kolekela wana te, kosala mpe maseki kuna te, kasi kende na yo na nzela mosusu.
16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause [some] to fall.
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 the just [is] as the shining light, that shineth more and more to the perfect day.
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] as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
Nzela ya bato ya mobulu ezali lokola molili, bayebaka te eloko nini ekokweyisa bango.
20 My son, attend to my words; incline thy ear to my sayings.
Mwana na ngai, zala na bokebi na maloba na ngai, pesa litoyi na yo na mateya na ngai.
21 Let them not depart from thy eyes; keep them in the midst of thy 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 that find them, and health to all their flesh.
pamba te ezali bomoi mpo na bato oyo bazwaka yango, mpe epesaka nzoto kolongono.
23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it [are] the issues 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 away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
Longola lokuta na monoko na yo, mpe longola mabe na bibebu na yo.
25 Let thy eyes look right on, and let thy eyelids look straight before thee.
Tika ete miso na yo etalaka kaka liboso, mpe salaka makambo na bosembo mpe bosolo.
26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
Bongisa nzela oyo makolo na yo ekolekela, mpe tambola kaka na nzela oyo oyebi malamu.
27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
Kotengama te, ezala na ngambo ya loboko ya mobali to ya mwasi, longola makolo na yo na mabe.
