Mosakoli 7
1 Kokende sango ya malamu eleki malasi ya solo kitoko na motuya, mpe mokolo ya kufa eleki mokolo ya mbotama na malamu.
Better a name, than precious ointment, —and the day of death, than the day of one’s 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.
Better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of banqueting, for, that, is the end of all men, —and, the living, should take it to his heart.
3 Mawa eleki koseka na malamu, pamba te elongi ya mawa eyeisaka motema esengo.
Better is grief than laughter, —for, by the marring of the face, amended is the heart.
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 in the house of mourning, but, the heart of dullards, in the house of mirth.
5 Koyoka pamela ya moto ya bwanya ezali malamu koleka koyoka banzembo ya zoba.
Better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for any man to hear the song of dullards,
6 Koseka ya bazoba ezalaka lokola makelele ya basende oyo ezali kozika na se ya nzungu; wana mpe ezali pamba.
For, as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so, is the laughter of the dullard, —even this, then, was vanity.
7 Minyoko ekomisaka moto ya bwanya zoba, mpe bakado epengwisaka motema.
For, oppression, maddeneth the wise, —and a bribe, destroyeth the understanding.
8 Suka ya likambo ezali malamu koleka ebandeli ya likambo; kokanga motema ezali malamu koleka lolendo.
Better the latter end of a thing, than the beginning thereof, —Better a patient spirit, than a haughty spirit.
9 Kotombokaka noki te, pamba te kanda evandaka kati na bazoba.
Do not be rash in thy spirit, to be indignant, —for, indignation, in the bosom of dullards, doth remain.
10 Kolobaka te: « Mpo na nini mikolo eleki ezali malamu koleka mikolo ya lelo? » Pamba te bwanya etindaka te bato kotuna mituna ya boye.
Do not say, What hath happened, that, the former days, were better than these? for, not wisely, askest thou concerning this.
11 Bwanya ezali lokola libula, ezalaka malamu mpe epesaka litomba na bato oyo bamonaka moyi.
Good is wisdom, with an inheritance, —and a profit, to such as 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, a protection, is wisdom, and, a protection, is silver, —but, the advantage of knowledge, is, that, wisdom, giveth life to the possessors thereof.
13 Tala malamu misala ya Nzambe: Nani akoki kosembola eloko oyo Ye asili kogumba?
Consider the work of God, —for who can straighten what he hath bent?
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 the day of prosperity, be joyful, but, in the day of misfortune, consider, —Even the one equally with the other, hath God made, to the end man might find out—after him—nothing.
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.
Everything, had I seen, in my days of vanity, —Here was a righteous man, perishing in his righteousness, and there was a lawless man, continuing long in his wickedness.
16 Kolekisa ndelo te ya kozala moto ya sembo to ya kozala moto ya bwanya; mpo na nini komibebisa?
Do not become so very righteous, neither count thyself wise beyond measure, —wherefore shouldst thou destroy thyself?
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 be so very lawless, neither become thou foolish, —wherefore shouldst thou die, before thy 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 well that thou shouldst lay fast hold of this, but, even from the other, do not withdraw thy hand, —for, he that revereth God, shall come forth out of them all.
19 Bwanya ekomisaka moto oyo azali na yango makasi koleka bakambi zomi kati na engumba.
Wisdom, bringeth more strength to a wise man, than ten heroes, that are in the city.
20 Kati na mokili, ezali na moto moko te ya sembo oyo asalaka kaka malamu, bongo azanga kosala masumu.
For, as for men, there is none righteous in the earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
21 Kotiaka matoyi na bilobaloba ya bato te, noki te okoyoka mosali na yo kotiola yo;
Moreover, not to all the words which men speak, do thou apply thy heart, —lest thou hear thine own servant reviling thee!
22 pamba te, oyebi malamu, kati na motema na yo, ete yo mpe otiolaka bato mosusu mbala mingi.
For truly, many times, thy heart knoweth, —that, even thou thyself, hast reviled 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.
All this, have I proved by wisdom, —I said, I will be wise, but, that, was far from me.
24 Nyonso oyo ezalisami ezali mosika, mozindo mpe mozindo makasi; nani akoki komona yango?
Far away, is that which hath been, —and deep, deep, who can find it out?
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.
Resolved, I, in my heart, to know and search out, and to seek wisdom, and a conclusion, —and to know lawlessness [to be] stupidity, and folly to be madness.
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.
I, could indeed find, to be, more bitter than death, the woman, whose heart is, snares and nets, and her hands, bonds, —whoso is pleasing before God, shall escape from her, but, he that sinneth, shall be captured by her.
27 Mosakoli alobi: « Tala makambo oyo nasosoli sima na koyekola mwasi moko na moko mpo na kozwa mayele:
See! this, have I found, saith the Proclaimer [counting] one by one, to find a conclusion;
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!
what my soul still sought, yet I found not, —one man out of a thousand, have I found, but, a woman among all these, have I not found.
29 Tala makambo oyo nasosoli: Nzambe asala bato mpo ete bazala malamu, kasi bato bamilukelaka mindondo bango moko. »
Only, see, this, have I found, That God made man upright, but, they, have sought out many devices.
