Masese 11
1 Bimekelo kilo ya lokuta ezali lokola makambo ya nkele na miso ya Yawe, kasi kilo ya sembo ezali elengi na miso na Ye.
Yahweh detests [people who use] scales that do not weigh correctly; he is delighted with [those who use] correct weights on the scales.
2 Tango lolendo eyaka, soni mpe eyaka, kasi bwanya ezali elongo na bato oyo bamikitisaka.
[People who are] proud will [eventually] be disgraced; it is wise to be humble.
3 Boyengebene ya bato ya sembo etambolisaka bango, kasi mayele mabe ya bato oyo batambolaka na boyengebene te ebebisaka bango.
[People who are] good are guided by [doing what is] honest; those who are not honest will be ruined because of the wrong things that they do.
4 Bomengo ekolongisa ata moke te na mokolo ya kanda ya Nzambe, kasi bosembo ekangolaka na kufa.
[Your] money will not help [you] on the day that [God] judges [and punishes people]; but if you live righteously, you will live a long time.
5 Bosembo ya moto oyo atambolaka alima ekomisaka nzela na ye sembo, kasi moto mabe akokweya mpo na mabe na ye moko.
When people are honest and good, that will (direct their paths/show them what is right for them to do); but wicked [people will] experience disasters because of the evil things that they do.
6 Bosembo ya bato oyo batambolaka alima ekangolaka bango, kasi bato oyo batambolaka na boyengebene te bakweyaka na motambo ya baposa na bango.
[God] rescues/protects righteous [people] because they (are honest/do what is right), but those who (are treacherous/cannot be trusted) will be trapped because of their being greedy.
7 Soki moto mabe akufi, elikya na ye mpe ekufi; boye, elikya nyonso oyo etiami na bomengo na ye mpe ekufi.
When wicked [people] die, they cannot confidently expect to receive anything [that is good]; they expect that [their money] will help/save them, but it will not.
8 Moto ya sembo akokangolama na pasi, mpe moto mabe akomona pasi na esika ya moto ya sembo.
[Yahweh] rescues righteous [people] from their troubles/difficulties; instead, it is the wicked who will have troubles.
9 Moto ya mbindo abebisaka moninga na ye na maloba ya monoko na ye, kasi boyebi ekokangola bato ya sembo.
Godless people can ruin others by what they say [MTY], but righteous [people will] be saved by [their (own] good sense/being wise).
10 Tango bato ya sembo bapambolamaka, engumba esepelaka; mpe tango moto mabe akufaka, bato bagangaka na esengo.
When things go well for righteous [people], [the people in] [MTY] their city are happy, and they shout joyfully when wicked [people] die.
11 Engumba etongamaka na nzela ya mapamboli ya bato ya sembo, kasi ebebisamaka na nzela ya monoko ya bato mabe.
When righteous [people request God to] bless a city, that city will become great, but cities are ruined by what wicked [people] say [MTY].
12 Moto oyo atiolaka moninga na ye azangi mayele, kasi moto ya mayele avandaka kimia.
It is foolish to despise others; those who (have good sense/are wise) do not say anything [to criticize others].
13 Moto oyo aswanaka abimisaka basekele, kasi moto oyo azali na molimo ya sembo abombaka basekele.
Those who (spread gossip/tell bad things about others) will tell your secrets [to others], but if there is someone whom you can trust, you can trust him to not tell your secrets [to others].
14 Mpo na kozanga koyeba kokamba, ekolo ekokweya; kasi lobiko ezali kati na motango ebele ya bapesi toli.
A nation will be destroyed/ruined if it does not have [leaders] who guide it [wisely]; but if there are many [good] advisors, the nation remains secure.
15 Moto oyo abetaka tolo mpo na kondima baniongo ya mopaya akomona solo pasi, kasi moto oyo aboyaka kozwa bikateli akozala na kimia.
If you promise a stranger that you will pay his debt [if he cannot pay it himself], you will regret it. You will be safe if you refuse to guarantee that you will pay someone else’s debts.
16 Mwasi ya malamu azwaka lokumu, mpe bato ya makasi bazwaka bomengo.
[People] honor/respect women who are kind/gracious; ruthless/violent people may get a lot of money, [but that is all that they will get].
17 Moto oyo asalelaka bato bolamu amisalelaka nde bolamu, kasi moto na kanza amimonisaka pasi.
Those who are kind benefit themselves [because others will be kind to them], but those who are cruel will hurt themselves [because others will be cruel to them].
18 Moto mabe asalaka mosala na lokuta, kasi moto oyo alonaka na bosembo akozwa lifuti ya malonga.
If wicked people earn a lot of money, that will deceive them [because they will not keep it for very long], but those who do what is right will surely be rewarded [by God forever].
19 Lokola bosembo ememaka na bomoi, moto oyo alandaka nzela ya mabe alandaka nde nzela ya kufa.
Those who always do what is right will live [a long/happy life], but those who insist on doing what is wrong will not live [very long].
20 Bato ya kilikili bazalaka nkele na miso ya Yawe, kasi bato oyo bazangi pamela basepelisaka Ye.
Yahweh hates those who are always thinking about doing evil things, but he is delighted with those who always do what is right.
21 Moto mabe akosambisama solo, kasi bakitani ya bayengebene bakokangolama.
It is certain that [Yahweh] will punish evil people and that righteous people will escape [from being punished].
22 Mwasi ya kitoko, kasi azangi mayele, azali lokola lopete ya wolo na zolo ya ngulu.
[It is] ([unsuitable/not proper/disgusting]) for a beautiful woman not to know what is right to do, like [SIM] [it is unsuitable/disgusting] for a pig to have a gold ring in its snout/nose.
23 Baposa ya moto ya sembo esukaka kaka malamu, nzokande elikya ya moto mabe ezelaka kaka kanda ya Nzambe.
When the things that righteous people want happen, it brings good [to them and to others], but when the wicked get what they want, it causes everyone else to become angry.
24 Moto oyo akabaka na motema malamu azwaka mingi koleka, mpe moto oyo abombaka kaka akomaka mobola.
Some people give [their money] generously [to poor people], but they become richer [in spite of that], and some people hold tightly to their money, but they still become poor [in spite of that].
25 Moto oyo akabaka akokoma na bomengo; mpe moto oyo apesaka bato mosusu mayi, ye mpe bakopesa ye mayi.
Those who give generously [to others] will prosper; if you help others, [they/someone] will help you, too.
26 Moto oyo abombaka ble, bato bakolakela ye mabe; kasi lipamboli ezali epai na moto oyo akoteka yango.
People curse/despise someone who hoards his grain [and does not sell it], waiting to get a higher/bigger price for it, but they praise someone who sells it [when people need it, even when the price is not high].
27 Moto oyo alukaka kosala bolamu akozwa ngolu, kasi pasi ekomelaka moto oyo alukaka kosala mabe.
If you sincerely want to [do what is] right, [people] will respect you, but if you are wanting to cause trouble, trouble is what you will get.
28 Moto oyo atiaka elikya na bomengo na ye akokweya, kasi bayengebene bakozala kitoko lokola makasa ya sika.
Those who trust in their money will [disappear like the] withered [leaves that fall from the trees], but righteous [people] will keep going strong, like green leaves [in the summer].
29 Moto oyo akotisaka mobulu kati na ndako na ye akozwa mopepe lokola libula, mpe moto oyo azangi mayele akokoma mowumbu ya moto ya bwanya.
Those who bring troubles to their families will inherit nothing [MET] [from them], and those who do foolish things [like that] will [some day] become the servants of wise [people].
30 Mbuma ya moto ya sembo ezali nzete ya bomoi, mpe moto ya bwanya abengaka bato pene na ye.
Those who live righteously will live [for a long time], but [those who act] violently will destroy [their own] lives (OR, those who are wise will have many people come and live with them).
31 Soki moto ya sembo azwaka litomba na ye awa na mokili, ekozala boni mpo na moto mabe mpe mosumuki?
[Sometimes] righteous [people] are rewarded [here] on the earth, but it is much more certain that very wicked people [DOU] [will be rewarded by being punished].
