Masese 17
1 Kolia na kimia ndambo ya lipa ya kokawuka ezali malamu koleka kovanda na ndako etonda na misuni elongo na koswana.
It is better [to eat] a dry piece [of bread] and not have strife/quarrels than to have a big feast in a house where [everyone] is quarreling.
2 Mosali ya bwanya akozala na bokonzi likolo ya mwana mobali oyo asalaka soni, mpe akozwa libula elongo na bandeko.
A slave who acts wisely will [some day] be the boss of his master’s disgraceful son and when his master dies, the slave will receive part of his master’s possessions.
3 Bapetolaka palata na kikalungu, mpe bapetolaka wolo na fulu ya moto makasi, kasi ezali Yawe nde amekaka mitema.
[Workers put] silver and gold in a very hot furnace [to burn out what is impure], and Yahweh [similarly] examines people’s inner beings [to see if they are pure].
4 Moto oyo asalaka mabe ayokaka maloba ya bato mabe, mokosi apesaka litoyi na ye na maloba ya lokuta.
Those who do what is evil pay attention to people who say [MTY] what is evil, and liars pay attention to [other people’s] lies.
5 Moto oyo anyokolaka mobola anyokolaka Mokeli ya mobola yango; moto oyo asepelaka na pasi ya moninga akozanga te kozwa etumbu.
Those who make fun of poor [people] insult God, the one who made the poor [people], [and] those who are happy when [someone else has] troubles will certainly be punished [LIT] [by God].
6 Bakitani bazali motole ya bakoko, mpe baboti bazali lokumu ya bana.
Old [people] are [usually] proud of [MET] their grandchildren, [just like] children are [usually] proud of their parents.
7 Ndenge maloba ya lokumu ebongi te mpo na moto mabe, ndenge mpe maloba ya lokuta ebongi te mpo na mokonzi.
Fine/Eloquent speech is not suitable for foolish people to say, just like lies are not suitable for rulers [to say].
8 Kanyaka ezalaka lokola kisi na miso ya moto oyo azali na yango; alongaka na esika nyonso oyo akendaka.
People think that a bribe is like a magic stone [to persuade someone to do what they want him to do]; they think that because of the bribe, that person will do whatever they want him to do.
9 Moto oyo abombaka mabe alukaka bolingo, kasi moto oyo azongelaka yango tango nyonso akabolaka bato oyo balingani.
If you want people to like/love you, forgive them for the wrong things that they do to you. If you continue to remind them about those wrong things, they will no longer be your friends.
10 Pamela ezalaka na litomba mpo na moto ya mayele, kasi kobeta zoba bafimbu nkama moko ezalaka na litomba te.
Rebuking people who have good sense will accomplish more for them than hitting them 100 times [with a stick].
11 Moto mabe alukaka kaka kotomboka, kasi bakotindela ye ntoma ya motema mabe mpo na kotelemela ye.
[Because] wicked people are always trying to cause trouble, someone will be sent to severely punish them.
12 Kokutana na ngombolo oyo babotoli bana ezali malamu koleka kokutana na zoba oyo azali kati na bolema.
A mother bear whose cubs have been taken away from her is dangerous, but it is more dangerous to confront a foolish person who is doing something foolish.
13 Pasi etikaka ata moke te ndako ya moto oyo azongisaka mabe mpo na malamu.
If someone does something evil in return for something good being done to him, evil/trouble will never leave that person’s family.
14 Kobanda koswana ezali lokola kofungola nzela ya mayi; tika na yo liboso ete kobendana ekoma makasi.
Starting a quarrel is like allowing water to start to leak out of a dam; they both need to be stopped before they get worse.
15 Moto oyo alongisaka bato mabe mpe moto oyo akweyisaka bato ya sembo bazali, bango mibale, nkele na miso ya Yawe.
There are two things that Yahweh hates: (Condemning innocent [people]/Saying that people who have done nothing wrong must be punished), and declaring that people who have done wicked things should not be punished.
16 Mpo na nini mbongo ezala na maboko ya zoba? Mpo ete asomba bwanya wana azali na posa na yango te!
It is useless to allow foolish people [RHQ] to try to become wise by paying for it, because they do not have enough good sense to become wise.
17 Molingami alingaka tango nyonso, mpe akomaka ndeko na tango ya pasi.
Friends love [others] all the time, and relatives are able to help us when we have troubles.
18 Moto oyo azangi mayele abetaka tolo mpo na kondima baniongo ya mopaya.
[If someone borrows money from another person], it is foolish for you to promise [IDM] that you will pay the money back if that other person is unable to pay back the money that he borrowed.
19 Moto oyo alingaka koswana alingaka masumu; moto oyo atongaka ekuke na ye na likolo amilukelaka kokweya.
Those who like to sin [also] like to cause strife/trouble; [and] those who build fancy doors in their houses [to show that they are very wealthy] (OR, speak proudly) are inviting disaster.
20 Moto ya motema mabe abongaka te, mpe moto ya lolemo ya lokuta akomona pasi.
Those who (have perverse minds/are always thinking about doing evil things) will not prosper, and disasters will happen to those who always tell lies.
21 Kozala na mwana ya zoba esalaka pasi na motema, mpe tata ya moto ya liboma akotikala kozala na esengo te.
Children who are foolish [soon] cause their parents to be very sad; their parents will not be joyful at all.
22 Motema ya esengo ebikisaka nzoto, kasi motema oyo etutami ebukaka mikuwa.
Being cheerful is [like swallowing] good medicine; being discouraged/gloomy [all the time will] (drain away your energy/cause you to become weak) [MTY].
23 Moto mabe azwaka kanyaka na nkuku mpo na kobebisa nzela ya bosembo.
Wicked people/judges accept bribes that are given to them secretly, and as a result they do not decide matters justly/fairly.
24 Bwanya emonanaka na elongi ya moto ya mayele, kasi miso ya zoba ekendaka kino na suka ya mokili.
Those who have good sense determine to do what is wise, but foolish people are always thinking about many different things [and never decide what they should do].
25 Mwana oyo azangi mayele apesaka tata na ye mawa, mpe ayokisaka mama na ye pasi na motema.
Children who are foolish cause their father to be sad and [also] cause their mother to be very sorrowful.
26 Ezali malamu te kopesa moto ya sembo etumbu, mpe ezali malamu te kobeta bato ya lokumu na miso ya bosembo.
It is not right to force someone who has done nothing wrong to pay a fine; it is wrong to punish good/respected people.
27 Moto oyo abatelaka monoko na ye azali na boyebi; moto oyo alengaka-lengaka te azali mayele.
Those who have good sense do not talk a lot, and those who (control their tempers/keep themselves from becoming very angry) are [truly] wise.
28 Ezala moto ya liboma, soki avandi kimia, amonanaka lokola moto ya bwanya; moto oyo akangaka monoko na ye amonanaka lokola moto ya mayele.
People [may] think that foolish people who do not say anything are wise; if foolish people (do not say anything/keep their mouths shut), others will think that they are [very] intelligent.
