Masese 1
1 Masese ya Salomo, mwana mobali ya Davidi, mokonzi ya Isalaele:
These are the (proverbs/wise sayings) that come from Solomon, the King of Israel, who was the son of [King] David.
2 mpo na koyeba bwanya, kozwa mateya mpe kososola maloba ya mayele;
(These proverbs [PRS] can teach people/By studying these proverbs, people can learn) how to be wise and how to obey what these proverbs teach them. They will [also] help people to understand which teachings are wise.
3 mpo na kozwa mateya ya bwanya oyo epesaka bizaleli ya sembo, ya boyengebene mpe makambo ya alima;
These proverbs [PRS] will teach you how to discipline/control yourselves, how to conduct your lives, and how to do what is right and just [DOU].
4 mpo na kopesa mayele epai ya bazoba, mpe boyebi epai ya bilenge.
They will show [people] who do not [yet] know much how to do things that are smart. They will show young people how to become wise and how to make good plans/decisions.
5 Tika ete moto ya bwanya ayoka yango, mpe akobakisa bwanya na ye, bongo moto ya mayele akoyeba mayele ya kotambolisa bato;
Those who are wise should also pay attention [to these proverbs], in order to become more wise, and those who understand [these teachings] will receive good advice/guidance.
6 mpo na kososola masese mpe sambole, maloba ya bwanya mpe kolimbola makambo.
Then they will be able to understand the meaning of proverbs and parables/metaphors, these wise sayings and (riddles/sayings that are difficult to understand).
7 Kotosa Yawe ezali mosisa ya mayele; bato oyo bazangi mayele batiolaka bwanya mpe toli.
If [you want to be] wise, you must begin by revering Yahweh. [Only] foolish people despise wisdom and good advice/discipline.
8 Mwana na ngai ya mobali, yoka toli ya tata na yo, mpe kobwaka te mateya ya mama na yo;
My son, pay attention to what [I], your father, am teaching you. And do not reject what your mother teaches you.
9 Pamba te ekozala lokola ekoti ya ngolu na moto na yo, mpe lokola mayaka ya kitoko na kingo na yo.
What we teach you [will make you respected like having] a lovely turban around your head and [like] a [beautiful] necklace to put around your neck.
10 Mwana na ngai ya mobali, soki bato ya masumu balingi kokweyisa yo, komitika te.
My son, if sinners tempt/entice you [to do what is wrong], say “No” 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!
They may say, “Come with us! Join us! We will hide and then kill [MTY] someone [who passes by]. We will ambush some helpless/innocent people.
12 Ndenge mokili ya bakufi esalaka, tokomela ye ya bomoi, tokomela ye mobimba lokola bato oyo bakitaka na libulu ya kufa; (Sheol h7585)
We will kill them [HYP] and get rid of them completely, [just] like [people who are buried in] graves are gone forever. While they are in good health, we will send them to the place where dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
13 tokozwa biloko ya talo ya ndenge na ndenge, mpe tokotondisa bandako na biso na bomengo ya bitumba;
And we will seize all the things that they own. We will fill our houses with these things!
14 okozwa ndambo na yo epai na biso, pamba te biso nyonso tokosangisa biloko na biso esika moko; »
[So], come with us! Join our group! We will share with you the things that we steal.”
15 mwana na ngai ya mobali, kokende elongo na bango te, longola makolo na yo na nzela na bango;
My son, do not accompany them! Do not walk on the roads with them!
16 pamba te makolo na bango ekimaka mbangu mpo na kolanda mabe, mpe bapotaka mbangu mpo na kosopa makila.
They rush to do evil deeds! They hurry to murder [MTY] people.
17 Solo, ezali pamba kotia monyama liboso ya miso ya bikelamu nyonso oyo ezali na mapapu.
It is useless to put out a (trap/net to catch a bird) because when a bird sees it, [it stays away from it].
18 Kasi bango, batiaka mitambo mpo na kosopa makila na bango moko, bamilukelaka pasi na bomoi na bango.
But those wicked people are not like the birds, [because they do not realize] that when they prepare to ambush someone to kill him, they will be killed themselves!
19 Moto oyo alukaka kozwa bomengo na nzela ya lokuta asukaka kaka bongo, mpe bomengo yango ebomaka kaka ye moko.
That is what happens to people who eagerly try to get things [by violently attacking others]. They will only destroy themselves!
20 Bwanya azali koganga na libanda, atomboli mongongo na ye na bisika oyo bato ebele bakutanaka;
Wisdom [PRS] shouts to people in the streets, and calls out to people in the (plazas/town squares).
21 azali koganga na bisika ya loyenge mpe azali koloba liboso ya ekuke ya engumba:
Wisdom calls out in noisy places, and at the entrances to cities.
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?
[Wisdom says], “How long will you stupid people continue to enjoy doing foolish things [RHQ]? How long will you people who ridicule God enjoy doing that [RHQ]? How long will you foolish people refuse to know [what things are right] [RHQ]?
23 Soki boyoki makebisi na Ngai, nakosopela bino Molimo na Ngai mpe nakososolisa bino maloba na Ngai.
If you pay attention to me when I rebuke you, I will tell you what I am thinking in my inner being; I will give you some good advice.
24 Kasi lokola bosundolaki Ngai tango nazalaki kobelela mpe moto moko te asalaki keba tango natandaki loboko,
But when I called to you, you refused to listen. I beckoned to you to come to me, but you ignored me.
25 lokola bobwakaki toli na Ngai mpe boboyaki kondima pamela na Ngai,
I tried to advise you, but you refused to listen to me. I tried to correct you, but you rejected what I told you.
26 Ngai mpe nakoseka bino tango pasi ekoyela bino, nakotiola bino tango minyoko ekokomela bino,
So [now], when you are experiencing troubles/disasters, I will laugh at you. When things happen that cause you to be afraid, I will make fun of 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.
When calamities strike you like a big storm, when disasters hit you like a violent wind, when [all kinds of things] distress you and give you trouble, [I will ridicule you!]
28 Bakoganga epai na Ngai, kasi nakoyanola bango te; bakoluka Ngai na ngonga ya malamu, kasi bakomona Ngai te.
[Wisdom also says], “When foolish people call to me [to help them], I will not answer them. They will search for me diligently/everywhere, but they will not find me.
29 Lokola bayinaki boyebi mpe baponaki te nzela ya kotosa Yawe,
They refused to know [what things are right], and they decided not to revere Yahweh.
30 lokola baboyaki kondima toli na Ngai mpe batiolaki pamela na Ngai,
They would not accept my advice, and they did not pay attention when I tried to correct them.
31 bakolia mbuma ya etamboli na bango mpe bakotonda na mabongisi ya mitema na bango moko.
So they will endure what will result [MET, DOU] from the evil way they have lived/behaved and the evil things they have planned to do.
32 Pamba te kotomboka ya bato oyo bazangi mayele ekoboma bango, mpe bozangi bokebi ya bato oyo bazangi mayele ekoboma kaka bango moko;
Those who turn away from me are stupid/foolish; they will die because of doing that.
33 kasi moto oyo ayokaka Ngai akovanda na kimia mpe akobanga mabe moko te. »
But those who pay attention to me will live peacefully and safely, and they will not be afraid that something will harm them.”
