Masese 1
1 Masese ya Salomo, mwana mobali ya Davidi, mokonzi ya Isalaele:
The Proverbs of Solomon son of David, who reigned in Israel;
2 mpo na koyeba bwanya, kozwa mateya mpe kososola maloba ya mayele;
to know wisdom and instruction, and to perceive words of understanding;
3 mpo na kozwa mateya ya bwanya oyo epesaka bizaleli ya sembo, ya boyengebene mpe makambo ya alima;
to receive also hard saying, and to understand true justice, and [how] to direct judgment;
4 mpo na kopesa mayele epai ya bazoba, mpe boyebi epai ya bilenge.
that he might give subtlety to the simple, and to the young man discernment and understanding.
5 Tika ete moto ya bwanya ayoka yango, mpe akobakisa bwanya na ye, bongo moto ya mayele akoyeba mayele ya kotambolisa bato;
For by the hearing of these a wise man will be wiser, and man of understanding will gain direction;
6 mpo na kososola masese mpe sambole, maloba ya bwanya mpe kolimbola makambo.
and will understand a parable, and a dark speech; the saying of the wise also, and riddles.
7 Kotosa Yawe ezali mosisa ya mayele; bato oyo bazangi mayele batiolaka bwanya mpe toli.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and [there is] good understanding to all that practise it: and piety toward God is the beginning of discernment; but the ungodly will set at nothing wisdom and instruction.
8 Mwana na ngai ya mobali, yoka toli ya tata na yo, mpe kobwaka te mateya ya mama na yo;
Hear, [my] son, the instruction of your father, and reject not the rules of your mother.
9 Pamba te ekozala lokola ekoti ya ngolu na moto na yo, mpe lokola mayaka ya kitoko na kingo na yo.
For you shall receive for your head a crown of graces, and a chain of gold round your neck.
10 Mwana na ngai ya mobali, soki bato ya masumu balingi kokweyisa yo, komitika te.
[My] son, let not ungodly men lead you astray, neither consent you [to them].
11 Soki balobi na yo: « Yaka elongo na biso, tika ete tosala motambo mpo na koboma bato, tokosepela mpo na kokanga moto oyo ayebi likambo te!
If they should exhort you, saying, Come with us, partake in blood, and let us unjustly hide the just man in the earth:
12 Ndenge mokili ya bakufi esalaka, tokomela ye ya bomoi, tokomela ye mobimba lokola bato oyo bakitaka na libulu ya kufa; (Sheol h7585)
and let us swallow him alive, as Hades [would], and remove the memorial of him from the earth: (Sheol h7585)
13 tokozwa biloko ya talo ya ndenge na ndenge, mpe tokotondisa bandako na biso na bomengo ya bitumba;
let us seize on his valuable property, and let us fill our houses with spoils:
14 okozwa ndambo na yo epai na biso, pamba te biso nyonso tokosangisa biloko na biso esika moko; »
but do you cast in your lot with us, and let us all provide a common purse, and let us have one pouch:
15 mwana na ngai ya mobali, kokende elongo na bango te, longola makolo na yo na nzela na bango;
go not in the way with them, but turn aside your foot from their paths:
16 pamba te makolo na bango ekimaka mbangu mpo na kolanda mabe, mpe bapotaka mbangu mpo na kosopa makila.
[For their feet run to do evil, and are swift to shed blood. ]
17 Solo, ezali pamba kotia monyama liboso ya miso ya bikelamu nyonso oyo ezali na mapapu.
for nets are not without cause spread for birds.
18 Kasi bango, batiaka mitambo mpo na kosopa makila na bango moko, bamilukelaka pasi na bomoi na bango.
For they that are concerned in murder store up evils for themselves; and the overthrow of transgressors is evil.
19 Moto oyo alukaka kozwa bomengo na nzela ya lokuta asukaka kaka bongo, mpe bomengo yango ebomaka kaka ye moko.
These are the ways of all that perform lawless deeds; for by ungodliness they destroy their own life.
20 Bwanya azali koganga na libanda, atomboli mongongo na ye na bisika oyo bato ebele bakutanaka;
Wisdom sings aloud in passages, and in the broad places speaks boldly.
21 azali koganga na bisika ya loyenge mpe azali koloba liboso ya ekuke ya engumba:
And she makes proclamation on the top of the walls, and sits by the gates of princes; and at the gates of the city boldly says,
22 « Yo moto oyo ozangi mayele, kino tango nini okolinga bozoba na yo? Kino tango nini batioli bakokoba kosepela kotiola? Mpe bino bazoba, kino tango nini bokokoba koyina mayele?
So long as the simple cleave to justice, they shall not be ashamed: but the foolish being lovers of haughtiness, having become ungodly have hated knowledge, and are become subject to reproofs.
23 Soki boyoki makebisi na Ngai, nakosopela bino Molimo na Ngai mpe nakososolisa bino maloba na Ngai.
Behold, I will bring forth to you the utterance of my breath, and I will instruct you in my speech.
24 Kasi lokola bosundolaki Ngai tango nazalaki kobelela mpe moto moko te asalaki keba tango natandaki loboko,
Since I called, and you did not listen; and I spoke at length, and you gave no heed;
25 lokola bobwakaki toli na Ngai mpe boboyaki kondima pamela na Ngai,
but you set at nothing my counsels, and disregarded my reproofs;
26 Ngai mpe nakoseka bino tango pasi ekoyela bino, nakotiola bino tango minyoko ekokomela bino,
therefore I also will laugh at your destruction; and I will rejoice against [you] when ruin comes upon you:
27 tango minyoko ekokomela bino na pwasa lokola mvula ya kake makasi, tango somo ekoyela bino lokola ekumbaki, tango mawa mpe somo ekokomela bino.
yes when dismay suddenly comes upon you, and [your] overthrow shall arrive like a tempest; and when tribulation and distress shall come upon you, or when ruin shall come upon you.
28 Bakoganga epai na Ngai, kasi nakoyanola bango te; bakoluka Ngai na ngonga ya malamu, kasi bakomona Ngai te.
For it shall be that when you call upon me, I will not listen to you: wicked men shall seek me, but shall not find [me].
29 Lokola bayinaki boyebi mpe baponaki te nzela ya kotosa Yawe,
For they hated wisdom, and did not choose the word of the Lord:
30 lokola baboyaki kondima toli na Ngai mpe batiolaki pamela na Ngai,
neither would they attend to my counsels, but derided my reproofs.
31 bakolia mbuma ya etamboli na bango mpe bakotonda na mabongisi ya mitema na bango moko.
Therefore shall they eat the fruits of their own way, and shall be filled with their own ungodliness.
32 Pamba te kotomboka ya bato oyo bazangi mayele ekoboma bango, mpe bozangi bokebi ya bato oyo bazangi mayele ekoboma kaka bango moko;
For because they wronged the simple, they shall be slain; and an inquisition shall ruin the ungodly.
33 kasi moto oyo ayokaka Ngai akovanda na kimia mpe akobanga mabe moko te. »
But he that hearkens to me shall dwell in confidence, and shall rest securely from all evil.
