Ecclesiastes 7
1 Better [is] a name than good perfume, And the day of death than the day of birth.
Kokende sango ya malamu eleki malasi ya solo kitoko na motuya, mpe mokolo ya kufa eleki mokolo ya mbotama na malamu.
2 Better to go unto a house of mourning, Than to go unto a house of banqueting, For that is the end of all men, And the living layeth [it] unto his heart.
Kokende na ndako ya matanga ezali malamu koleka kokende na ndako oyo ezali na feti, pamba te kufa ezali suka ya moto nyonso; yango wana, bato nyonso oyo bazali na bomoi basengeli kokanisaka na tina na yango.
3 Better [is] sorrow than laughter, For by the sadness of the face the heart becometh better.
Mawa eleki koseka na malamu, pamba te elongi ya mawa eyeisaka motema esengo.
4 The heart of the wise [is] in a house of mourning, And the heart of fools in a house of mirth.
Motema ya moto ya bwanya ezalaka kati na ndako ya matanga, kasi motema ya zoba ezalaka kati na ndako ya bisengo.
5 Better to hear a rebuke of a wise man, Than [for] a man to hear a song of fools,
Koyoka pamela ya moto ya bwanya ezali malamu koleka koyoka banzembo ya zoba.
6 For as the noise of thorns under the pot, So [is] the laughter of a fool, even this [is] vanity.
Koseka ya bazoba ezalaka lokola makelele ya basende oyo ezali kozika na se ya nzungu; wana mpe ezali pamba.
7 Surely oppression maketh the wise mad, And a gift destroyeth the heart.
Minyoko ekomisaka moto ya bwanya zoba, mpe bakado epengwisaka motema.
8 Better [is] the latter end of a thing than its beginning, Better [is] the patient of spirit, than the haughty of spirit.
Suka ya likambo ezali malamu koleka ebandeli ya likambo; kokanga motema ezali malamu koleka lolendo.
9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, For anger in the bosom of fools resteth.
Kotombokaka noki te, pamba te kanda evandaka kati na bazoba.
10 Say not thou, 'What was it, That the former days were better than these?' For thou hast not asked wisely of this.
Kolobaka te: « Mpo na nini mikolo eleki ezali malamu koleka mikolo ya lelo? » Pamba te bwanya etindaka te bato kotuna mituna ya boye.
11 Wisdom [is] good with an inheritance, And an advantage [it is] to those beholding the sun.
Bwanya ezali lokola libula, ezalaka malamu mpe epesaka litomba na bato oyo bamonaka moyi.
12 For wisdom [is] a defense, money [is] a defence, And the advantage of the knowledge of wisdom [is], She reviveth her possessors.
Bwanya ezali lokola nguba, ndenge mpe mosolo ezalaka nguba; kasi litomba ya boyebi ezali ete ebatelaka bomoi ya bato oyo bazali na yango.
13 See the work of God, For who is able to make straight that which He made crooked?
Tala malamu misala ya Nzambe: Nani akoki kosembola eloko oyo Ye asili kogumba?
14 In a day of prosperity be in gladness, And in a day of evil consider. Also this over-against that hath God made, To the intent that man doth not find anything after him.
Na mokolo ya malamu, sepela; na mokolo ya mabe, kanisa; pamba te Nzambe nde asala nyonso mibale mpo ete moto ayeba te makambo oyo ekoya sima na ye.
15 The whole I have considered in the days of my vanity. There is a righteous one perishing in his righteousness, and there is a wrong-doer prolonging [himself] in his wrong.
Na mikolo ya pamba ya bomoi na ngai, namonaki makambo oyo nyonso: Moto ya sembo akufi mpo na bosembo na ye, mpe moto mabe awumeli na bomoi mpo na mabe na ye.
16 Be not over-righteous, nor show thyself too wise, why art thou desolate?
Kolekisa ndelo te ya kozala moto ya sembo to ya kozala moto ya bwanya; mpo na nini komibebisa?
17 Do not much wrong, neither be thou a fool, why dost thou die within thy time?
Kolekisa ndelo te ya kozala moto mabe to ya kozala zoba; mpo na nini kokufa liboso ete mikolo ya bomoi na yo ekoka?
18 [It is] good that thou dost lay hold on this, and also, from that withdrawest not thy hand, for whoso is fearing God goeth out with them all.
Ezali malamu kokangama na toli ya liboso mpe kosimba toli ya mibale, pamba te moto oyo atosaka Nzambe akosalela toli nyonso mibale.
19 The wisdom giveth strength to a wise man, more than wealth the rulers who have been in a city.
Bwanya ekomisaka moto oyo azali na yango makasi koleka bakambi zomi kati na engumba.
20 Because there is not a righteous man on earth that doth good and sinneth not.
Kati na mokili, ezali na moto moko te ya sembo oyo asalaka kaka malamu, bongo azanga kosala masumu.
21 Also to all the words that they speak give not thy heart, that thou hear not thy servant reviling thee.
Kotiaka matoyi na bilobaloba ya bato te, noki te okoyoka mosali na yo kotiola yo;
22 For many times also hath thy heart known that thou thyself also hast reviled others.
pamba te, oyebi malamu, kati na motema na yo, ete yo mpe otiolaka bato mosusu mbala mingi.
23 All this I have tried by wisdom; I have said, 'I am wise,' and it [is] far from me.
Namekaki kososola makambo wana nyonso na nzela ya bwanya, namilobelaki: « Nakosala nyonso mpo ete nakoma moto ya bwanya, » kasi bwanya ezalaki kaka mosika na ngai.
24 Far off [is] that which hath been, and deep, deep, who doth find it?
Nyonso oyo ezalisami ezali mosika, mozindo mpe mozindo makasi; nani akoki komona yango?
25 I have turned round, also my heart, to know and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and reason, and to know the wrong of folly, and of foolishness the madness.
Boye, na motema na ngai mobimba, namipesaki mpo na kososola, koyeba, koluka bwanya mpe boyebi; mpe mpo na kososola bozoba ya mabe elongo na liboma ya bozoba.
26 And I am finding more bitter than death, the woman whose heart [is] nets and snares, her hands [are] bands; the good before God escapeth from her, but the sinner is captured by her.
Namoni likambo oyo: mwasi oyo motema na ye ezali lokola motambo to monyama, oyo maboko na ye ezali lokola minyololo, azali mabe koleka kufa; mobali oyo asepelisaka Nzambe akotikala kokangama te na motambo na ye, kaka mobali oyo asalaka masumu nde akokangama na motambo na ye.
27 See, this I have found, said the Preacher, one to one, to find out the reason
Mosakoli alobi: « Tala makambo oyo nasosoli sima na koyekola mwasi moko na moko mpo na kozwa mayele:
28 (that still my soul had sought, and I had not found), One man, a teacher, I have found, and a woman among all these I have not found.
Nazali koluka, kasi nanu namoni te. Namoni mobali moko ya sembo kati na mibali nkoto moko, kasi namoni ata mwasi moko te ya sembo kati na basi nyonso!
29 See, this alone I have found, that God made man upright, and they — they have sought out many devices.
Tala makambo oyo nasosoli: Nzambe asala bato mpo ete bazala malamu, kasi bato bamilukelaka mindondo bango moko. »
