Masese 12
1 Moto oyo alingaka koyekola alingaka boyebi, kasi moto oyo aboyaka pamela azali zoba.
Those who want to know [what is right to do] want to be (disciplined/corrected) when they do what is wrong; it is foolish to not want to be (corrected/told that what you did is wrong).
2 Moto ya malamu azwaka ngolu na miso ya Yawe, kasi Nzambe akatelaka moto ya mayele mabe etumbu.
Yahweh is pleased with good people, but he condemns those who plan to harm [others].
3 Motema mabe elendisaka moto te; mosisa ya bato ya sembo ekatanaka te.
People do not become secure/safe by doing what is wicked; righteous [people] will be very safe and secure [LIT] like [MET] a tree that has deep roots.
4 Mwasi ya malamu azali motole ya mobali na ye, kasi mwasi oyo ayokisaka soni azali lokola bokono oyo ezali kolia mikuwa.
A good wife is one who causes her husband to be greatly honored, but a wife who does things that cause her husband to be ashamed [will destroy him] like [SIM] cancer [destroys] his bones.
5 Mabongisi ya bayengebene ezalaka ya sembo, kasi makanisi ya bato mabe ezalaka kaka lokuta.
What righteous [people] want to do is [to treat people] fairly; what wicked [people] want to do is to deceive people.
6 Maloba ya bato mabe ezali mitambo mpo na kosopa makila, kasi maloba ya bayengebene ebikisaka bango.
What wicked [people] say is like a trap [MET] that kills [MTY] people [who pass by], but what righteous [people] say [MTY] rescues those whom [wicked people threaten to harm].
7 Bato mabe bakokweyisama mpe bakozala lisusu te, kasi ndako ya bayengebene ekowumela seko.
Wicked [people] will die [before they become old and we will see] them no more, but righteous people will live [for many years] and have many descendants.
8 Bwanya epesaka moto lokumu, kasi motema mabe ememaka kotiolama.
[People will] praise those who have good sense, but [people will] despise those (who are always thinking about doing evil things/whose thinking is twisted).
9 Eleki malamu kozala moto pamba mpe kozala na mosali, na esika ya komimona moto monene mpe kozanga bilei.
It is better to be a humble/ordinary person who has only one servant than to think that you are very important while you have nothing to eat.
10 Moto ya sembo ayebaka ata baposa ya bibwele na ye, kasi motema ya moto mabe eyokaka mawa te.
Righteous people take care of their domestic animals, but wicked people act cruelly [toward their animals].
11 Moto oyo asalaka bilanga atondaka na bilei, kasi moto oyo alandaka bagoyigoyi azangi mayele.
Farmers who work hard in their fields will [produce good crops] that will give them plenty to eat, but those who waste their time working on worthless projects are foolish.
12 Moto mabe alingaka misuni ya bato mabe, kasi mosisa ya bayengebene ebotaka mingi.
Wicked [people] desire to take away what [other] evil people have, but [Yahweh] enables righteous/godly [people] to be steadfast and productive [MET].
13 Moto ya misala mabe akangamaka na motambo ya maloba na ye ya lokuta, kasi moyengebene akobika kati na pasi.
Evil people are trapped by the evil things that they say [MTY], but righteous [people] escape from trouble.
14 Na nzela ya mbuma ya monoko na ye, moto akotondisama na bolamu; mpe moto akozwa lifuti ya misala ya maboko na ye.
People are rewarded for [the good things] that they say [to others], and people are [also] rewarded for the good work that they do [MTY].
15 Nzela ya moto oyo azangi mayele emonanaka alima na miso na ye, kasi moto oyo ayokaka toli azali moto ya bwanya.
Foolish people [always] think that what they are doing is right; wise people heed [other people when they give them good] advice.
16 Kotomboka ya moto oyo azangi mayele eyebanaka kaka mokolo wana, kasi moto ya mayele abombaka soni na ye.
Foolish people quickly become angry when someone does something that they don’t like; but those who have good sense ignore it when others insult them.
17 Motatoli ya malamu apesaka matatoli ya solo, kasi motatoli ya mabe apesaka matatoli ya lokuta.
[In the courtroom], honest people say what is true, but untruthful/dishonest people tell [nothing but] lies.
18 Maloba ya bato oyo balobaka mingi ezokisaka lokola mopanga, kasi lolemo ya bato ya bwanya ezali lokola mafuta oyo ebikisaka.
What some people say [hurts people badly], as much as [SIM] a sword can; but what wise [people] say (heals [others’ souls]/comforts others).
19 Moto oyo alobaka solo akowumela mpo na libela, kasi mokosi akowumela kaka mpo na tango moke.
When people tell [MTY] lies, others soon realize that what they said is not true [IDM]; but when people say what is true, others will remember that forever.
20 Lokuta ezalaka kati na mitema ya bato oyo basalaka mabongisi ya mabe, kasi esengo ezali mpo na bato oyo bakopesaka batoli ya kimia.
Those who plan to do what is evil are always wanting to deceive [others], but things will go well for those who plan [to do] good things.
21 Mabe moko te ekokomela bayengebene, kasi bato mabe bakotondisama na pasi.
Bad things [usually] [HYP] do not happen to righteous [people], but wicked [people] always have troubles.
22 Bibebu oyo ekosaka ezali nkele na miso ya Yawe, kasi bibebu oyo ekokisaka bosembo ezalaka elengi na miso na Ye.
Yahweh detests those [MTY] who tell lies, but he is delighted with those who faithfully do what they promise that they will do.
23 Moto ya mayele abombaka boyebi, kasi motema ya zoba etatolaka makambo ya bozoba.
Those with good sense do not reveal [all] that they know; foolish people show [clearly] by what they say that they (are ignorant/have not learned much).
24 Maboko oyo esalaka ezwaka bokonzi, kasi maboko ya goyigoyi ememaka na bowumbu.
Those [SYN] who work hard become rulers [of others]; those who are lazy become slaves [of others.]
25 Motema oyo etondi na komitungisa ekobuka moto, kasi liloba ya esengo esepelisaka moto.
When people are anxious/worried, they become depressed/dejected, but when others speak kindly to them, it causes them to be cheerful again.
26 Moyengebene alakisaka baninga na ye nzela, kasi nzela ya moto mabe ebungisaka ye moko moto mabe.
Godly/Righteous people try to [give good advice to] their friends (OR, try to make friends with others), but the manner in which wicked [people] live misleads their friends.
27 Moto ya goyigoyi azangaka bilei, mpe moto ya nzunzu akomaka mozwi monene.
Lazy people do not even [cook the meat of] the animals that they catch/kill, but those who work hard will acquire (OR, are like) a valuable treasure.
28 Bomoi ezalaka kati na nzela ya bosembo, mpe kufa ezalaka te kati na nzela ya bosembo.
Those who (live righteously/continually do what is right) are [walking] on the road to a long life; (it is not a road to death/they will not die when they are still young).
