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 fine perfume; and the day of death better 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.
It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; for that is the end of all men, and the living should take this to heart.
3 Mawa eleki koseka na malamu, pamba te elongi ya mawa eyeisaka motema esengo.
Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.
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 fools is in the house of mirth.
5 Koyoka pamela ya moto ya bwanya ezali malamu koleka koyoka banzembo ya zoba.
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools.
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 fool. This also is vanity.
7 Minyoko ekomisaka moto ya bwanya zoba, mpe bakado epengwisaka motema.
Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.
8 Suka ya likambo ezali malamu koleka ebandeli ya likambo; kokanga motema ezali malamu koleka lolendo.
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 Kotombokaka noki te, pamba te kanda evandaka kati na bazoba.
Don’t be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.
10 Kolobaka te: « Mpo na nini mikolo eleki ezali malamu koleka mikolo ya lelo? » Pamba te bwanya etindaka te bato kotuna mituna ya boye.
Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not ask wisely about this.
11 Bwanya ezali lokola libula, ezalaka malamu mpe epesaka litomba na bato oyo bamonaka moyi.
Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent 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 wisdom is a defence, even as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
13 Tala malamu misala ya Nzambe: Nani akoki kosembola eloko oyo Ye asili kogumba?
Consider the work of God, for who can make that straight which he has made crooked?
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, and in the day of adversity consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything after 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.
All this I have seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.
16 Kolekisa ndelo te ya kozala moto ya sembo to ya kozala moto ya bwanya; mpo na nini komibebisa?
Don’t be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
17 Kolekisa ndelo te ya kozala moto mabe to ya kozala zoba; mpo na nini kokufa liboso ete mikolo ya bomoi na yo ekoka?
Don’t be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should 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 that you should take hold of this. Yes, also don’t withdraw your hand from that; for he who fears God will come out of them all.
19 Bwanya ekomisaka moto oyo azali na yango makasi koleka bakambi zomi kati na engumba.
Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.
20 Kati na mokili, ezali na moto moko te ya sembo oyo asalaka kaka malamu, bongo azanga kosala masumu.
Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and doesn’t sin.
21 Kotiaka matoyi na bilobaloba ya bato te, noki te okoyoka mosali na yo kotiola yo;
Also don’t take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you;
22 pamba te, oyebi malamu, kati na motema na yo, ete yo mpe otiolaka bato mosusu mbala mingi.
for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed 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 I have proved in wisdom. I said, “I will be wise;” but it was far from me.
24 Nyonso oyo ezalisami ezali mosika, mozindo mpe mozindo makasi; nani akoki komona yango?
That which is, is far off and exceedingly 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.
I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is 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 find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.
27 Mosakoli alobi: « Tala makambo oyo nasosoli sima na koyekola mwasi moko na moko mpo na kozwa mayele:
“Behold, I have found this,” says Kohelet, “to one another, to find an 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, but I have not found. I have found one man amongst a thousand, but I have not found a woman amongst all those.
29 Tala makambo oyo nasosoli: Nzambe asala bato mpo ete bazala malamu, kasi bato bamilukelaka mindondo bango moko. »
Behold, I have only found this: that God made mankind upright; but they search for many inventions.”
