Masese 16
1 Motema ya moto esalaka mabongisi, kasi eyano ewutaka epai na Yawe.
People plan what they want to do, but Yahweh is the one who decides [MTY] what really will happen.
2 Nzela nyonso ya moto emonanaka peto na miso na ye, kasi Yawe nde amekaka mitema.
People may think that their actions are right, but Yahweh really knows why people do what they do.
3 Pesa misala na yo epai na Yawe, mpe mabongisi na yo ekokokisama.
(Request/Rely on) Yahweh to direct what you plan to do; [if you do that], you will succeed in what you plan.
4 Yawe asalaka makambo nyonso na tina, ezala bato mabe, asala bango mpo na mokolo ya pasi.
Yahweh knows why he does everything that he does; he has even prepared the wicked for the time that he will punish them.
5 Moto nyonso ya lolendo azalaka nkele na miso ya Yawe; solo, akozanga te kozwa etumbu.
Yahweh hates/detests everyone who is proud [IDM]; you can be certain [IDM] that they will be punished [LIT].
6 Bolingo mpe bosembo elongolaka mbeba; kotosa Yawe etindaka moto kokima mabe.
Be loyal to Yahweh and faithfully [obey] him; if you do that, he will forgive you for having sinned. If we revere him, nothing evil will happen to us (OR, he will prevent evil things from happening to us).
7 Soki Yawe asepeli na nzela ya moto, akoyokanisa ye na banguna na ye.
When our behavior pleases Yahweh, he even causes our enemies to act peacefully toward us.
8 Kozwa biloko moke kati na bosembo ezali malamu koleka kozwa bomengo ebele kati na nzela ya mabe.
It is better to have a small amount of money that is earned honestly than to have a lot of money that is acquired dishonestly.
9 Motema ya moto esalaka mabongisi, kasi ezali Yawe nde asalaka ete ekokisama to te.
People plan what they want to do, but Yahweh directs/determines what they will [really] be able to do.
10 Maloba ya mokonzi ezali lokola Liloba na Nzambe, ekweyaka te kati na kosambisama.
[If] God directs what a king says, what he decides is [always] right/fair.
11 Emekelo kilo ya sembo mpe basani oyo bamekelaka kilo ezali ya Yawe, mpe kilo nyonso ya saki ezali likambo na Ye.
Yahweh wants us to use scales that are correct; the weights in his bag are correct, [because] he made them.
12 Ezali malamu te mpo na mokonzi kosala mabe, pamba te bokonzi elendisamaka nde na nzela ya bosembo.
Kings detest those who do evil, because [it is people doing what] is fair/right that causes their governments to be [MTY] strong.
13 Bakonzi balingaka maloba ya solo, mpe bapesaka moto oyo alobaka na bosembo lokumu.
Kings are delighted to hear people say [MTY] what is true; they love those who say what is right/honest.
14 Kanda ya mokonzi ememaka na kufa, kasi moto ya bwanya ayebaka kokitisa yango.
If a king becomes angry, he [may] command that someone be executed, [so] wise people will [try to] cause him to be calm.
15 Soki elongi ya mokonzi ezali kongenga, elingi koloba: bomoi. Bolamu na ye ezali lokola lipata ya mvula ya eleko ya suka.
If a king has a smile [MTY] on his face, he will enable people to have a [long] life (OR, he will not order people to be executed); his being pleased [with people] is [as delightful] as rain in the springtime [when seeds are planted].
16 Bwanya ezali malamu koleka wolo, mpe kozwa mayele ezali na litomba koleka palata.
Becoming wise is better than aquiring gold; getting good understanding/insight is better than acquiring silver.
17 Bato ya sembo batambolaka na nzela oyo epesaka mabe mokongo. Moto oyo abatelaka motema na ye abatelaka nde bomoi na ye.
Those whose behavior [MET] is good/right turn away from doing evil; those who guard their conduct [MTY] protect their lives.
18 Lolendo eyaka liboso ya kobebisama, mpe komimatisa eyaka liboso ya kokweyisama.
Being proud will (lead to your having/cause you to have) disasters; despising others will result in your being ruined.
19 Kozala moto ya komikitisa mpe kozala elongo na bato bakelela ezali malamu koleka kokabola bomengo ya bitumba elongo na bato ya lolendo.
It is better to be humble and poor than [to associate with] proud [people] and [to become rich by] dividing with them (plunder/goods captured in a battle).
20 Moto oyo akanisaka na tina na makambo amonaka bolamu. Esengo na moto oyo atiaka elikya na Yawe.
Those who heed good teaching/instruction will prosper; happy are those who trust in Yahweh.
21 Babengaka moto oyo azali na motema ya bwanya moto ya mayele, mpe bibebu ya kimia ebakisaka boyebi.
People say that those who are wise learn what is right/good behavior, and those who talk pleasantly [are able to] influence others [to do what is right].
22 Mayele ezali etima ya bomoi mpo na bato oyo bazali na yango, kasi bozoba ezali etumbu mpo na bazoba.
Being wise is [like having] a fountain that gives life [MET], but foolish people are punished as a result of their acting foolishly.
23 Motema ya moto ya bwanya ekomisaka monoko na ye mayele, mpe bibebu na ye ebakisaka boyebi.
Those who are wise think carefully before they talk, and as a result they are able to influence/persuade others [to do what is right].
24 Maloba ya elengi ezalaka lokola mafuta ya nzoyi, epesaka kimia na motema mpe lobiko na mikuwa.
Kind words are like honey [SIM]: We enjoy them both, and both cause our bodies to be healthy/strong.
25 Nzela mosusu emonanaka sembo na miso ya bato, nzokande, na suka, ememaka na kufa.
There are some kinds of behavior [MET] that people think are right, but (walking on those roads [MET]/continually doing those things) causes those people to die.
26 Nzala etindaka mosali ete asala mosala, monoko na ye etindikaka ye na mosala.
If a worker (has an appetite/is hungry), that urges him to work hard because he [SYN] wants to [earn money to buy things to] eat.
27 Moto ya Beliali abongisaka kosala mabe, mpe maloba na ye ezali lokola moto oyo etumbaka.
Worthless people plan [ways to cause] trouble [for others], and [even] what they say [injures people] like a hot fire does [SIM].
28 Moto mabe alonaka koswana, moto ya songisongi akabolaka baninga.
Deceitful people cause strife/quarreling among other people; those who say false things about other people cause people who are friends to become enemies.
29 Moto ya mobulu abendaka moninga na ye mpe atambolisaka ye na nzela ya mabe.
Those who act violently entice/encourage others [to also act violently] and lead them along a road that will end in disaster.
30 Moto oyo akangi miso mpe bibebu na ye mpo na kosala mabongisi ya mabe asili kosala masumu.
People [sometimes] show with [one of] their eyes [to signal to their friends that they are] planning to do something to harm [others]; they smirk when they are about to do something evil.
31 Suki ya pembe ezali motole ya nkembo; bazwaka yango na nzela ya bosembo.
Gray hair is [like] a glorious crown [MET] that is given to people who have always behaved righteously.
32 Moto oyo akangaka motema azali makasi koleka elombe, mpe moto oyo ayebi komikanga azali makasi koleka moto oyo abotolaka bingumba.
Those who do not become angry quickly are better than those who are powerful; it is better to (control your temper/keep yourself from becoming very angry) than to conquer a city.
33 Bakobetaka zeke kati na elamba ya Nganga-Nzambe, kasi mikano nyonso ewutaka na Yawe.
People (cast lots/throw marked stones) [to decide what should be done], but God is the one who truly decides what will happen.
