Mosakoli 9
1 Boye, nakanisaki mingi na makambo oyo nyonso mpe namonaki ete, ezala moto ya sembo, moto ya bwanya elongo na makambo nyonso oyo basalaka, bazali na maboko ya Nzambe; kasi moko te ayebaka soki bolingo to koyina ezelaka ye.
I thought about all those things, and I concluded that God controls [what happens to] everyone, even those who are wise and those who are righteous. No one knows whether [others] will love them or whether they will hate them.
2 Bato nyonso basukaka kaka ndenge moko: ezala moto ya sembo to moto mabe, ezala moto malamu to moto oyo asalaka masumu, ezala moto ya peto to moto ya mbindo, ezala moto oyo abonzaka mbeka to moto oyo abonzaka mbeka te. Ndenge ezalaka mpo na moto ya motema malamu ndenge mpe ezalaka mpo na moto ya masumu; ndenge ezalaka mpo na moto oyo alapaka ndayi ndenge mpe ezalaka mpo na moto oyo abangaka kolapa ndayi.
[But we know that some time in the future] we will all die; it does not matter whether we act righteously or wickedly, whether we are good or whether we are bad, whether we are acceptable for [worshiping God] or whether [we have done things to cause us to be] unacceptable; it does not matter if we offer sacrifices [to God] or if we do not; it does not matter if we do what we have promised God that we will do or if we do not; [we all die]. The same thing will happen to good people and to sinful people, to those who solemnly promise [to do things for God] and to those who are afraid to make such promises.
3 Tala likambo oyo ezali mabe kati na makambo nyonso oyo esalemaka na se ya moyi: bato nyonso basukaka kaka ndenge moko; lisusu, mitema ya bato etonda na mabe, mpe bozoba ezalaka kati na mitema na bango wana bazali nanu na bomoi; mpe, sima na yango, bakokufa kaka.
It seems wrong that the same thing happens to everyone on this earth: Everyone dies [EUP]. Furthermore, people’s inner beings are full of evil. People do foolish things while they are alive, and then they die and join those who are already dead.
4 Moto nyonso oyo azali kati na bato ya bomoi azalaka na elikya; mbwa ya bomoi ezali malamu koleka nkosi oyo ekufa.
While we are alive, we confidently expect [that good things will happen to us]. [We despise] dogs, but it is better to be a dog that is alive than to be a [majestic] lion that is dead.
5 Pamba te bato ya bomoi bayebaka ete bakokufa; kasi bato oyo bakufa bayebaka lisusu eloko moko te, bazalaka lisusu te na litomba ya kozwa, mpo ete babosana bango.
We who are alive know that [some day] we will die, but dead people do not know anything. Dead people do not receive any more rewards, and people soon forget them.
6 Bolingo na bango, koyina na bango mpe baposa na bango esila kolimwa; bakozwa lisusu litomba ata moko te kati na makambo nyonso oyo esalemaka na se ya moyi.
[While they were alive], they loved [some people], they hated [some people], they envied [some people], but that all ends when they die. They will never again be a part of anything that happens here on the earth.
7 Kende, lia bilei na yo na esengo mpe mela masanga na yo ya vino na motema ya esengo; pamba te Nzambe asili kondima misala na yo.
[So I say], be joyful [DOU] while you eat your food and drink your wine, because that is what God wants you to do.
8 Tika ete bilamba na yo ezala tango nyonso peto, mpe nzoto na yo elumba tango nyonso solo ya malasi.
Wear nice [MTY] clothes and make your face look nice.
9 Sepela na bomoi na yo elongo na mwasi na yo, oyo olingaka na mikolo nyonso ya bomoi ya pamba oyo Nzambe apesi yo na se ya moyi; solo, na mikolo na yo nyonso ya pamba, pamba te yango nde ezali mbano ya bomoi na yo mpo na misala nyonso oyo omonelaka pasi na se ya moyi.
Enjoy living with your wife whom you love, all during the time that God has given to you to be alive here on this earth. And even though it is difficult to understand why many things happen, enjoy doing the work that you do here on this earth.
10 Mosala nyonso oyo loboko na yo ekokoka kosala, sala yango na makasi na yo nyonso; pamba te kati na mboka ya bakufi epai wapi okokende, ezala mosala, mabongisi, boyebi to bwanya ezalaka kuna te. (Sheol h7585)
Whatever you are able to do, do it with all your energy, because [some time you will die], and in the place of the dead where you are going, no one works or plans to do anything or knows anything or is wise. (Sheol h7585)
11 Namonaki lisusu likambo moko na se ya moyi: mimekano ezalaka kaka te mpo na moto oyo aleki mbangu, bitumba ezalaka kaka te mpo na bato ya makasi, bilei ezalaka kaka te mpo na bato ya bwanya, bomengo ezalaka kaka te mpo na bato oyo baleki na mayele, mpe bolamu ezalaka kaka te mpo na bato ya bososoli; pamba te pasi mpe bisengo ekomelaka mpe bango nyonso.
I have seen something else here on the earth: The person who runs fastest does not [always] win the race, the strongest soldiers do not [always] win the battle, the wisest people do not [always] have food, the smartest people do not [always] become rich, and people who have studied a lot are not [always] (honored/treated very specially) by others; we cannot [always] control what things will happen to us and where they will happen.
12 Moto moko te ayebi tango nini ngonga na ye ekokoka: ndenge mbisi ekangamaka na monyama to ndenge banyama ekangamaka na motambo, ndenge wana mpe bato bakangamaka na mitambo ya pasi oyo ekweyelaka bango na mbalakata.
No one knows when he will die [EUP]; fish are cruelly caught in a net, and birds are caught in snares/traps; similarly [SIM], people experience disasters at times when they do not expect them to happen.
13 Namonaki lisusu na se ya moyi, ndakisa moko ya bwanya oyo ezalaki na tina mingi mpo na ngai:
Once I saw something that a wise man did that impressed me.
14 ezalaki na engumba moko ya moke oyo ezalaki mpe na bato moke; bongo mokonzi moko ya nguya ayaki kobundisa yango, azingelaki yango mpe atongaki milako mpo na kokonza engumba yango.
There was a small town, where only a few people lived. The army of a great king came to that town and surrounded it. They built dirt ramps up against the walls in order to climb up and attack the town.
15 Nzokande, kati na engumba yango, ezalaki na mobola moko oyo azalaki moto ya bwanya; abikisaki yango na bwanya na ye, kasi moto moko te akanisaki mobola yango.
In that town there was a man who was poor but very wise. Because of doing what that man [suggested], the town was saved; but people [soon] forgot about him.
16 Boye namilobelaki: « Bwanya ezali malamu koleka makasi ya nzoto. » Kasi bwanya ya mobola etiolamaka, mpe bayokaka maloba na ye te.
So I realized that although being wise is better than being strong, if you are poor, no one will appreciate what you do, and people will soon forget what you said.
17 Bayokaka maloba ya kimia ya moto ya bwanya koleka makelele ya mokonzi ya bazoba.
Speaking quietly what is [very] wise is [much] more sensible than a king shouting to foolish people.
18 Bwanya ezali malamu koleka bibundeli ya basoda, kasi mbeba moko ekoki koboma bolamu na yango nyonso.
Being wise is more useful than [a lot of] weapons; but if you do one foolish thing, [it is possible that] because of doing that, you will ruin all the good things that you have done.
