Mosakoli 7
1 Kokende sango ya malamu eleki malasi ya solo kitoko na motuya, mpe mokolo ya kufa eleki mokolo ya mbotama na malamu.
A good name is better than precious ointments, and a day of death is better than a day of birth.
2 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.
It is better to go to a house of mourning, than to a house of feasting. For in the former, we are admonished about the end of all things, so that the living consider what may be in the future.
3 Mawa eleki koseka na malamu, pamba te elongi ya mawa eyeisaka motema esengo.
Anger is better than laughter. For through the sadness of the countenance, the soul of one who offends may be corrected.
4 Motema ya moto ya bwanya ezalaka kati na ndako ya matanga, kasi motema ya zoba ezalaka kati na ndako ya bisengo.
The heart of the wise is a place of mourning, and the heart of the foolish is a place of rejoicing.
5 Koyoka pamela ya moto ya bwanya ezali malamu koleka koyoka banzembo ya zoba.
It is better to be corrected by a wise man, than to be deceived by the false praise of the foolish.
6 Koseka ya bazoba ezalaka lokola makelele ya basende oyo ezali kozika na se ya nzungu; wana mpe ezali pamba.
For, like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot, so is the laughter of the foolish. But this, too, is emptiness.
7 Minyoko ekomisaka moto ya bwanya zoba, mpe bakado epengwisaka motema.
A false accusation troubles the wise man and saps the strength of his heart.
8 Suka ya likambo ezali malamu koleka ebandeli ya likambo; kokanga motema ezali malamu koleka lolendo.
The end of a speech is better than the beginning. Patience is better than arrogance.
9 Kotombokaka noki te, pamba te kanda evandaka kati na bazoba.
Do not be quickly moved to anger. For anger resides in the sinews of the foolish.
10 Kolobaka te: « Mpo na nini mikolo eleki ezali malamu koleka mikolo ya lelo? » Pamba te bwanya etindaka te bato kotuna mituna ya boye.
You should not say: “What do you think is the reason that the former times were better than they are now?” For this type of question is foolish.
11 Bwanya ezali lokola libula, ezalaka malamu mpe epesaka litomba na bato oyo bamonaka moyi.
Wisdom with riches is more useful and more advantageous, for those who see the sun.
12 Bwanya ezali lokola nguba, ndenge mpe mosolo ezalaka nguba; kasi litomba ya boyebi ezali ete ebatelaka bomoi ya bato oyo bazali na yango.
For as wisdom protects, so also does money protect. But learning and wisdom have this much more: that they grant life to one who possesses them.
13 Tala malamu misala ya Nzambe: Nani akoki kosembola eloko oyo Ye asili kogumba?
Consider the works of God, that no one is able to correct whomever he has despised.
14 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.
In good times, enjoy good things, but beware of an evil time. For just as God has established the one, so also the other, in order that man may not find any just complaint against him.
15 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.
I also saw this, in the days of my vanity: a just man perishing in his justice, and an impious man living a long time in his malice.
16 Kolekisa ndelo te ya kozala moto ya sembo to ya kozala moto ya bwanya; mpo na nini komibebisa?
Do not try to be overly just, and do not try to be more wise than is necessary, lest you become stupid.
17 Kolekisa ndelo te ya kozala moto mabe to ya kozala zoba; mpo na nini kokufa liboso ete mikolo ya bomoi na yo ekoka?
Do not act with great impiety, and do not choose to be foolish, lest you die before your time.
18 Ezali malamu kokangama na toli ya liboso mpe kosimba toli ya mibale, pamba te moto oyo atosaka Nzambe akosalela toli nyonso mibale.
It is good for you to support a just man. Furthermore, you should not withdraw your hand from him, for whoever fears God, neglects nothing.
19 Bwanya ekomisaka moto oyo azali na yango makasi koleka bakambi zomi kati na engumba.
Wisdom has strengthened the wise more than ten princes of a city.
20 Kati na mokili, ezali na moto moko te ya sembo oyo asalaka kaka malamu, bongo azanga kosala masumu.
But there is no just man on earth, who does good and does not sin.
21 Kotiaka matoyi na bilobaloba ya bato te, noki te okoyoka mosali na yo kotiola yo;
So then, do not attach your heart to every word that is spoken, lest perhaps you may hear your servant speaking ill of you.
22 pamba te, oyebi malamu, kati na motema na yo, ete yo mpe otiolaka bato mosusu mbala mingi.
For your conscience knows that you, too, have repeatedly spoken evil of others.
23 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.
I have tested everything in wisdom. I have said: “I will be wise.” And wisdom withdrew farther from me,
24 Nyonso oyo ezalisami ezali mosika, mozindo mpe mozindo makasi; nani akoki komona yango?
so much more than it was before. Wisdom is very profound, so who shall reveal her?
25 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.
I have examined all things in my soul, so that I may know, and consider, and seek out wisdom and reason, and so that I may recognize the impiety of the foolish, and the error of the imprudent.
26 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.
And I have discovered a woman more bitter than death: she who is like the snare of a hunter, and whose heart is like a net, and whose hands are like chains. Whoever pleases God shall flee from her. But whoever is a sinner shall be seized by her.
27 Mosakoli alobi: « Tala makambo oyo nasosoli sima na koyekola mwasi moko na moko mpo na kozwa mayele:
Behold, Ecclesiastes said, I have discovered these things, one after another, in order that I might discover the explanation
28 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!
which my soul still seeks and has not found. One man among a thousand, I have found; a woman among them all, I have not found.
29 Tala makambo oyo nasosoli: Nzambe asala bato mpo ete bazala malamu, kasi bato bamilukelaka mindondo bango moko. »
This alone have I discovered: that God made man righteous, and yet he has adulterated himself with innumerable questions. Who is so great as the wise? And who has understood the meaning of the word?
