Mosakoli 8
1 Nani azali lokola moto ya bwanya? Nani ayebi kolimbola makambo? Bwanya engengisaka elongi ya moto, mpe efungolaka elongi oyo ekangama.
Who is like the wise? and who knoweth [as well] the explanation of a thing? a man's wisdom enlighteneth his face, and the boldness of his face will be lessened.
2 Nalobi: Tosaka mitindo ya mokonzi, pamba te olapaki ndayi liboso ya Nzambe.
I [counsel thee], Keep the king's command, and that which regardeth the oath [to him taken] by God.
3 Kolongwaka na lombangu te liboso ya mokonzi mpe kobundelaka likambo ya mabe te, pamba te mokonzi asalaka kaka makambo oyo esepelisaka ye.
Be not hasty to go out of his presence; engage not in an evil thing; for whatsoever pleaseth him, can he do;
4 Lokola liloba ya mokonzi ezalaka na bokonzi, nani akoki koloba na ye: « Ozali kosala nini? »
Because the word of a king is powerful; and who may say unto him, What doest thou?—
5 Moto nyonso oyo atosaka mibeko na ye akokweyela pasi te, mpe motema ya moto ya bwanya eyebaka tango ya malamu mpe lolenge ya malamu ya kosalela.
Whoso keepeth the commandment will experience no evil thing: and a wise man's heart knoweth both time and the just consequence.
6 Pamba te, ezali na tango ya malamu mpe na lolenge ya malamu ya kosalela na likambo nyonso. Atako bongo, pasi ekweyelaka kaka moto.
Because for every pursuit there is a time and a just consequence; for the evil of man [resteth] heavily upon him.
7 Lokola moto moko te ayebi makambo oyo ekoya sima, nani akoki koyebisa moninga ndenge ekoyela ye?
For he knoweth not that which will be; for who can tell him how it will be?
8 Ndenge moto moko te azali na bokonzi likolo ya pema ya bomoi na ye mpo ete akanga yango, ndenge mpe moto moko te azali na bokonzi likolo ya mokolo na ye ya kufa. Ndenge moto moko te apemaka na tango ya bitumba, ndenge mpe misala mabe ebikisaka te bato oyo basalaka yango.
No man hath control over the spirit to detain the spirit; and there is no control over the day of death; and there is no representation in that war; and wickedness will not deliver those that practise it.
9 Namonaki makambo nyonso wana, tango natiaki mayele na ngai mpo na koluka koyeba makambo nyonso oyo esalemaka na se ya moyi. Ezali na tango oyo moto amatelaka bato mosusu mpo na konyokola bango.
All this have I seen, and directed my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time when one man ruleth over another to his own injury.
10 Mpe lisusu, namonaki ete bazali kokunda bato mabe; bongo bato oyo bazalaki kokende mpe kozonga na Esika ya bule bazalaki kokumisa bato mabe wana kati na engumba mpo na makambo oyo bazalaki kosala. Wana mpe ezali kaka pamba.
Then also did I see the wicked buried, who had gone to their rest; but those who had acted correctly had to go away from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city. Also this is vanity.
11 Soki etumbu epesami noki te mpo na mabe oyo esalemi, mitema ya bato etondaka na makanisi ya kosala mabe.
Because the punishment against evil deeds is not executed speedily, therefore is the heart of the sons of men filled up in them to do evil.
12 Atako moto oyo asalaka masumu asali mabe mbala nkama moko mpe awumeli tango molayi na bomoi, nayebi solo ete bato oyo batosaka Nzambe bakozala bato ya esengo; pamba te bazali na botosi liboso na Ye.
But let a sinner do evil a hundred times, and [God] withhold long his punishment from him; still do I truly know for certain that it will be well with those that fear God, because they are afraid of him;
13 Nzokande, lokola bato mabe batosaka Nzambe te, makambo na bango mpe ekotambola malamu te, mpe mikolo ya bomoi na bango ekowumela te lokola elili.
And that it will not be well with the wicked, and that he will not endure many days, like the shadow; because he is not afraid of God.
14 Ezali lisusu na eloko moko ya pamba oyo elekaka na mokili: bato ya sembo bazwaka lifuti oyo ebongi na bato mabe, mpe bato mabe bazwaka lifuti oyo ebongi na bato ya sembo. Nazali koloba solo ete wana mpe ezali kaka pamba.
There is a vanity which is done upon the earth, that there are righteous men, unto whom it happeneth in accordance with the deeds of the wicked; again, there are wicked men, to whom it happeneth in accordance with the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.
15 Bongo, nakumisaki esengo, pamba te ezali na eloko moko te na se ya moyi oyo eleki malamu mpo na moto, soki kaka te kolia, komela mpe kosepela. Boye esengo esengeli kobila ye kati na mosala na ye mikolo nyonso ya bomoi oyo Nzambe apesa ye na se ya moyi.
Therefore do I praise joyfulness, that there is nothing better for man under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be joyful; for this will adhere to him in his toil, during the days of his life which God hath given him under the sun.—
16 Tango natiaki mayele na ngai mpo na koluka koyeba bwanya mpe kososola mosala ya moto kati na mokili, —ata soki miso na ye ezwaka pongi te, ezala na moyi to na butu—
When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the employment that is done upon the earth, how even neither by day nor by night sleep is seen in the eyes of some men:
17 namonaki nyonso oyo Nzambe asala. Moto moko te akoki kososola makambo oyo elekaka na se ya moyi. Soki asali makasi mpo na koyeba, akotikala te kososola tina na yango; mpe ata soki moto ya bwanya abeti tolo ete ayebi, akotikala kaka kososola yango te.
Then did I see [in] the whole work of God, that a man is not able to find out the work that is done under the sun; inasmuch as though a man were to toil to seek for it, he would yet not find it; and even if the wise were to think to know it, he would yet not be able to find it.
