Masese 14
1 Mwasi ya bwanya atongaka ndako na ye, kasi mwasi oyo azangi mayele abukaka yango na maboko na ye moko.
Wise women [PRS] hold their families together [by the wise things that they do], but foolish women ruin their families by the foolish things that they do.
2 Moto oyo atambolaka alima atosaka Yawe, kasi moto oyo nzela na ye etengama-tengama atiolaka Ye.
By [continually] behaving/acting righteously, [people show that they] greatly revere Yahweh; those who (walk on crooked paths/always deceive others) [show that they] despise him.
3 Kati na monoko ya moto oyo azangi mayele, ezalaka na nzete ya lolendo, kasi bibebu ya moto ya bwanya ebatelaka ye.
Foolish people will be punished [MTY] for what they say, but wise [people] will be protected by what they say [MTY].
4 Esika oyo ezalaka na ngombe te, elielo mpe ezalaka na eloko te, pamba te ezali makasi ya bangombe nde epesaka bomengo.
If [a man has] no oxen [to plow his field], he does not [need to put] grain [in their feedbox], but if [he has] oxen, they will enable [him to produce] an abundant crop.
5 Motatoli ya sembo akosaka te, kasi motatoli ya mabe alobaka lokuta.
Witnesses who are reliable [always] say what (is true/really happened), but witnesses who are not reliable constantly tell lies [about what happened].
6 Motioli alukaka bwanya mpe azwaka yango te, kasi boyebi eyaka na pete epai na moto ya mayele.
Those who make fun [of being wise] will never become wise, but those who understand [what is right] learn things easily.
7 Zala mosika ya zoba, pamba te okotikala kozwa boyebi te na bibebu na ye.
Stay away from foolish people, because they will not be able to teach you anything [useful].
8 Bwanya ya moto ya mayele esosolisaka ye nzela na ye, kasi bozoba ya bato oyo bazangi mayele: lokuta.
Those who have good sense are wise, so they know what they should do [and what they should not do]; foolish people do not know what is right to do, but because they think that they do, they are deceiving themselves.
9 Bazoba balingaka te kosenga bolimbisi, kasi ngolu na Nzambe ezalaka kati na bato ya sembo.
Foolish people make fun of their committing sins; but God is pleased with those who do what is right.
10 Motema eyebaka pasi na yango moko, moko te akoki kokabola na yango esengo.
If you are very sad or if you are joyful, only you know what you are experiencing; no one else [can] know what you are feeling.
11 Ndako ya moto mabe ekobukana, kasi ndako ya kapo ya bayengebene ekofuluka.
Houses built by wicked [people] will be destroyed, but houses built by good/righteous [people] will last for a long time.
12 Nzela mosusu emonanaka sembo na miso ya bato, nzokande, na suka, ememaka na kufa.
There are some kinds of behavior [MET] that [some] people [falsely] think are right, but (walking on those roads/continually doing those things) causes [those people] to die.
13 Ezala kati na koseka, motema ekoki kozala na mawa, mpe esengo ekoki kosuka na mawa.
[Sometimes] when people laugh, they are [really] sad, and when they stop laughing, they are still sad.
14 Bato oyo batambolaka na boyengebene te bakozwa lifuti kolanda misala na bango, kasi moto ya sembo mpe akozwa lifuti kolanda misala na ye.
Those who stubbornly continue to do what is wrong will get what they deserve, and those who continually do what is good will [also] get what they deserve.
15 Moto oyo azangi mayele andimaka makambo nyonso oyo balobaka, kasi moto ya mayele atambolaka na bokebi.
Foolish people believe everything [that people tell them]; those who have good sense think carefully about what will be the result of their actions.
16 Moto ya bwanya abangaka mabe mpe akimaka yango, kasi zoba atombokaka, na elikya nyonso.
Wise people are careful and avoid [doing things that will give them] trouble; foolish people are careless and act (too quickly/without thinking).
17 Moto oyo asilikaka noki asalaka makambo ya bozoba, mpe bayinaka moto ya mayele mabe.
Those who quickly become angry [IDM] do foolish things; [people] hate those who plan to do wicked things (OR, those who have good sense remain calm/patient).
18 Bato oyo bazangi mayele bazwaka bozoba lokola libula, kasi bato ya mayele bazwaka boyebi lokola motole.
Foolish people get what they deserve for doing foolish things; those with good sense are rewarded [MET] by being able to learn a lot.
19 Bato mabe bakofukama liboso ya bato ya malamu, bato ya mitema mabe bakofukama na ekuke ya bato ya sembo.
[Some day] evil [people] will bow down in front of righteous [people to show that they respect them]; they [will humbly stand] at the gates of [the houses of] righteous [people and request their help].
20 Mobola ayinamaka ata epai na moninga na ye moko, kasi mozwi azalaka na baninga ebele.
[No one likes] poor [people]; even their friends/neighbors do not like them; rich [people] have many friends, but [only while the rich people still have money].
21 Moto oyo atiolaka moninga na ye asalaka lisumu, kasi esengo na moto oyo asalaka bato bakelela bolamu.
It is sinful to despise your [poor] neighbors; [God] is pleased with those who do kind things for the poor.
22 Boni, bato oyo babongisaka kosala mabe bazali na libunga te? Kasi boboto mpe solo ezali epai ya bato oyo babongisaka kosala bolamu.
Those who plan to do things that are evil/wrong are walking on the wrong road; people faithfully love, respect and are loyal to those who plan to do what is good.
23 Mosala nyonso epesaka litomba, kasi maloba ya pamba ememaka na bobola.
If you work hard, you will (accomplish something good/get a good income), but if all you do is to talk [and not work], you will remain poor.
24 Bozwi ya bato ya bwanya ezalaka lokola motole na bango, kasi bozoba ya bato oyo bazangi mayele ezalaka lokola liboma.
One of the rewards [MET] of being wise is to become rich; the reward of acting foolishly is to become more foolish.
25 Motatoli oyo alobaka solo abikisaka bato ebele, kasi motatoli ya mabe alobaka lokuta.
By saying [in court] what is true, you [can] save the life [of the one who is being falsely accused]; if you tell lies, you are abandoning someone who needs your help [to defend him].
26 Moto oyo atosaka Yawe akomaka na kondima makasi, mpe bana na ye bakozwa ekimelo.
Those who revere Yahweh are confident [that he will protect them], and their family will [also] be protected.
27 Kotosa Yawe ezali etima ya bomoi, ekangolaka na mitambo ya kufa.
Having an awesome respect for Yahweh is [like] [MET] [having] a fountain that gives life; it will help you to escape when something dangerous is threatening to kill you [MET].
28 Kozala na bato ebele epesaka mokonzi lokumu, kasi mokonzi akweyaka soki azali na bato te.
If a king rules over many people, many people will [be able to] honor him; if he has only a few people in his kingdom, he will have very little [HYP] power.
29 Moto oyo asilikaka noki te azalaka mayele, kasi moto oyo akangaka motema te abimisaka bozoba na ye.
Those who do not quickly become angry are very wise; by quickly becoming angry, people show that they are foolish.
30 Motema oyo ezali na kimia epesaka bomoi na nzoto, kasi bilulela epolisaka mikuwa.
Having a mind that is peaceful results in having a healthy body; having a mind that is [often] in turmoil is [like] [MET] cancer in [a person’s] bones.
31 Moto oyo anyokolaka mobola atiolaka Mokeli ya mobola yango, kasi moto oyo asalelaka moto akelela bolamu apesaka Ye lokumu.
Those who oppress poor people are insulting God, the one who made those poor people, but acting kindly toward them is respecting God.
32 Babenganaka moto mabe mpo na mabe na ye, kasi moto ya sembo awumelaka na elikya kino ata na kufa.
Wicked [people] ruin themselves by the evil things that they do, but righteous/good [people] are kept safe/protected even when they die (OR, because of their continually doing what is right).
33 Bwanya ewumelaka kati na motema ya moto oyo azali na bososoli; kasi boni, ekoyebana solo kati na bazoba?
Those who have good sense always think what is wise; foolish people do not know anything about being wise.
34 Bosembo etombolaka ekolo, kasi lisumu ememelaka bato soni.
[When] the people of a nation [continually act] righteously, it causes that nation to be great; [continually doing what is] evil causes a nation to be disgraced.
35 Mokonzi asepelaka na mosali ya bwanya, kasi mosali oyo ayokisaka ye soni apelisaka kanda na ye.
Kings are pleased with officials who do their work competently/skillfully, but they punish [MTY] those who [do their work in a manner that] causes the kings to be disgraced.
