Mosakoli 5
1 Batela makolo na yo tango ozali kokende na Ndako ya Nzambe; eleki malamu kokende kuna mpo na koyoka, kasi mpo na kobonza mbeka ya bazoba te, pamba te bayebaka te ete basalaka mabe.
When you enter God’s temple, you should be sure to listen carefully. Doing that is better than offering sacrifices to God [and then not obeying him], which is foolish.
2 Kowelela te kofungola monoko na yo, mpe tika ete motema na yo ewelela te kobimisa liloba liboso ya Nzambe! Pamba te Nzambe azali na likolo, mpe yo ozali na mabele. Boye, tika ete maloba na yo ezalaka mingi te!
Think carefully before you speak [MTY] or before you promise God that you will do something [IDM]. [Do not forget that] God is in heaven [and he is all-powerful] and you are here on the earth, so think carefully before you [make any promises to God].
3 Ndenge ndoto eyaka soki moto azali na misala mingi, ndenge wana mpe maloba ebele ebimisaka bozoba.
If you are continually thinking [and worrying] about things, you will have bad dreams about them and not rest [well]. And the more you talk, the more likely it will be that you will say things that are foolish.
4 Soki olapi ndayi liboso ya Nzambe, kowumela te mpo na kokokisa yango; pamba te Nzambe asepelaka na bazoba te; kokisa ndayi na yo.
When you solemnly promise God that you will do something, do not be foolish by delaying in doing it, because God is not pleased with foolish people. Do [all] the things that you promise God that you will do.
5 Eleki malamu ete olapa na yo kutu ndayi te na esika ya kolapa ndayi mpe ozanga kokokisa yango.
It is better to not promise [anything] than to promise to do something, and [then] not doing it.
6 Kotika te ete monoko na yo ememisa yo masumu, mpe kokende koloba te liboso ya basali ya Nzambe: « Ndayi na ngai ezalaki libunga. » Mpo na nini Nzambe atomboka mpo na maloba na yo mpe abebisa misala ya maboko na yo?
Do not sin by promising to do something and then not doing it. And [when you promise God to do something and do not do it], do not say to God’s priest that it was a mistake for you to promise to do that. If you do that, God will certainly [RHQ] become very angry with you, and he will take from you everything that you [SYN] have worked to acquire.
7 Ndoto ebele mpe maloba ebele ezali kaka pamba; yango wana tosa nde Nzambe.
Promising to do something and not doing it is like [SIM] a dream that has no value; instead, revere God [by doing what you promised him that you would do].
8 Soki omoni ete bazali konyokola mobola kati na mokili, bongo boyengebene mpe bosembo etiolami, kokamwa likambo yango te; pamba te mokambi moko azali na se ya mokambi mosusu; mpe na likolo na bango mibale, ezali na bakonzi mosusu oyo baleki na bokonzi.
Do not be surprised if you see poor [people] being (oppressed/treated cruelly) [by powerful/influential people], or if you see judges making unjust decisions throughout the land. [That happens] because the people who do that are supervised [and cheated by] more important officials [DOU],
9 Biloko oyo mabele ebotaka ezali mpo na bolamu ya bato nyonso; ezala mokonzi, abikaka mpe na mbuma ya bilanga.
and even the king forces the people to give him some of the crops that they harvest.
10 Moto oyo alingaka mbongo atondaka yango te, mpe moto oyo alingaka bomengo, bozwi na ye etondisaka ye te. Wana mpe ezali kaka pamba.
Everyone who tries to [get as much] money as they can will never think that they have enough. They will never be satisfied with the money that they have. That also is senseless.
11 Ndenge bozwi ya moto ekomaka ebele, ndenge wana mpe bato oyo baliaka yango bakomaka ebele; bongo litomba nini nkolo na yango akozwa, soki kaka te komona yango na miso?
The more money that we have, the more people want us to spend our money to buy things for them. So people who have a lot of money do not [RHQ] benefit from it; they see [MTY] it when they get it, but it soon (disappears/is completely spent).
12 Pongi ya mosali ezalaka ya kimia, ata soki alie moke to mingi; kasi bomengo ya mozwi ezangisaka ye pongi.
Those who work hard sleep peacefully [at night], even if they do not have much food to eat. But rich [people] do not sleep well, because [they worry] about their money.
13 Namoni mabe moko na se ya moyi, epesaka penza mawa: moto abombi bomengo na ye, kasi ememeli ye pasi;
I have seen [another] terrible thing that happens here on the earth [MTY]: People save [up all] their money and become rich, [but] they are not helped by saving a lot of money,
14 likambo moko ya mabe ya mbalakata ebebisi bomengo yango, mpe mwana na ye azangi libula ya kokitana na yango.
[because] something happens that causes their money to be gone, and when they die, there is no money for their children to get/inherit.
15 Ndenge abotamaki bolumbu wuta na libumu ya mama na ye, ndenge mpe akozanga bolumbu, akomema ata mbuma moko te ya mosala na ye.
When we are born, we do not bring anything with us, and when we die, we take nothing with us from all that we have earned by our working hard.
16 Oyo mpe ezali lisusu pasi oyo epesaka mawa: ndenge moto ayaki, ndenge mpe akozonga. Bongo litomba na ye ezali nini? Asali kaka mpo na mopepe?
That also seems senseless. People bring nothing [into the world when they are born], and they leave [this world] taking nothing with them. They have worked hard, but they receive no lasting benefit [MET].
17 Alekisi mikolo nyonso ya bomoi na ye kati na molili, na pasi, na komitungisa mpe na kanda.
[Furthermore, rich people] are always miserable [MET] and sad, and depressed/discouraged and often sick and (resentful/thinking that what has happened to them is unfair).
18 Mpo na yango, tala likambo oyo ngai namoni ete ezali malamu: ebongi na moto kolia, komela mpe kosepela na mbuma ya mosala na ye na se ya moyi, na mikolo ya bomoi oyo Nzambe apesi ye, pamba te yango nde libula na ye.
So, the best thing for people to do here on the earth during the few years that God allows them to be alive is to eat and drink and to enjoy their work, because those are the things that God has given to them.
19 Kutu, epai na moto nyonso oyo Nzambe apesi bomengo mpe biloko ebele, bongo apesi ye lisusu makoki ya kosalela yango, ya kozwa libula na ye mpe ya kosepela na mbuma ya mosala na ye, wana ezali penza likabo ya Nzambe!
If people are rich and have a lot of possessions, and are able to (enjoy/be happy with) the things that they have and to enjoy their work, those things are [also] gifts from God.
20 Nzokande, wana Nzambe akotondisa motema na ye na esengo, moto yango akosala keba te na motango ya mikolo ya bomoi na ye.
Those people do not worry much about [everything that has happened] during the time that they have been alive, because God enables them to be happy doing everything that they do.
