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 really a wise man, and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? The wisdom of a man, lighteth up his countenance, but, by defiance of countenance, one is disfigured.
2 Nalobi: Tosaka mitindo ya mokonzi, pamba te olapaki ndayi liboso ya Nzambe.
I [said], The bidding of the king, observe thou, even out of regard to the oath of God.
3 Kolongwaka na lombangu te liboso ya mokonzi mpe kobundelaka likambo ya mabe te, pamba te mokonzi asalaka kaka makambo oyo esepelisaka ye.
Not rashly from his presence, shouldst thou go: do not take thy stand in a vexatious thing, —for, whatsoever he pleaseth, he will do.
4 Lokola liloba ya mokonzi ezalaka na bokonzi, nani akoki koloba na ye: « Ozali kosala nini? »
Where the word of a king is, there is power, —who then may say to him, What wouldst thou do?
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.
He that observeth the commandment, will not notice a vexatious thing, —and, of time and manner, will the heart of the wise take note.
6 Pamba te, ezali na tango ya malamu mpe na lolenge ya malamu ya kosalela na likambo nyonso. Atako bongo, pasi ekweyelaka kaka moto.
For, to every pursuit, there is a time and a manner, —when, the vexation of man, is great concerning it.
7 Lokola moto moko te ayebi makambo oyo ekoya sima, nani akoki koyebisa moninga ndenge ekoyela ye?
For there is no one who knoweth what shall be, for, when it shall be, who will tell him?
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 power over the spirit, to retain the spirit, and, none, hath power over the day of death, and there is no furlough in war, —neither shall lawlessness deliver them who are given thereto.
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, had I seen, and tried to apply my heart to every work which was done under the sun, —at such time as one man had power over another man, to his hurt.
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.
And, thereupon, I considered the lawless when buried, when they had entered, [their graves], that, from the place of the Holy One, they used to go and boast in the city that they had so done, —even this, was vanity.
11 Soki etumbu epesami noki te mpo na mabe oyo esalemi, mitema ya bato etondaka na makanisi ya kosala mabe.
Because sentence against a wicked work is not executed speedily—on this account, the heart of the sons of men is fully set within them, to commit wickedness.
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.
Though a sinner be committing wickedness a hundred times, and continuing long in his own way, yet I surely know that it shall be well to them who revere God, who stand in awe before 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.
but, well, shall it not be to the lawless man, neither shall he lengthen out his days like a shadow, —because he standeth not in awe before 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.
Here was a vain thing which was done upon the earth—that there were righteous men unto whom it happened according to the work of the lawless, and there were lawless men, unto whom it happened according to the work of the righteous, —I said, that, even this, was 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.
Then extolled I, gladness, in that there was nothing better for a man, under the sun, than to eat and to drink, and to be glad, —since, that, should tarry with him in his toil, for the days of his life which God had 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 gave my heart, to know wisdom, and to consider the business that was done upon the earth, then surely, by day and by night, there was one who suffered not his eyes, to sleep.
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 I considered all the work of God, that man could not find out the work that was done under the sun, inasmuch as man toileth in seeking and yet cannot find, —yea, even though the wise man should say he knoweth, yet can he not find it out.
