Masese 19
1 Mobola oyo atambolaka na bosembo azali malamu koleka mokosi oyo azangi mayele.
Conducting our lives as we should [even though] we are poor is better than being foolish and telling lies.
2 Ezali malamu te kobungisa mayele, kati na bolingo oyo eleka ndelo. Lokolo ya moto oyo atambolaka noki-noki ezangaka te kobeta libaku.
Being enthusiastic but not thinking carefully [about what we are about to do] is not good; doing things hastily can cause us a lot of trouble [IDM].
3 Bozoba ya moto ebebisaka bomoi na ye; mpe, na sima, akomaka kotombokela Yawe.
Some people are ruined as a result of their [own] foolish actions, and when that happens, they [SYN] angrily say that it is Yahweh’s fault.
4 Mozwi azalaka na baninga ebele, kasi mobola akabwanaka ata na molingami na ye ya motema.
Those who are rich easily find people who want to be their friends, but when [people become] poor, their friends [often] desert them.
5 Motatoli ya lokuta akozwa etumbu; moto oyo akosaka akozanga te kozwa etumbu.
Those who tell lies in court will surely be punished [LIT]; they will not escape it.
6 Bato mingi balukaka kosepelisa moto ya lokumu, mpe moto nyonso alukaka kozala molingami ya moto oyo asungaka bato.
Many [people] try to persuade important people to do favors for them; everyone [wants to] be a friend of those who give gifts.
7 Soki bandeko nyonso ya mobola bayinaka ye, mpo na nini baninga na ye bakima ye te? Ata tango azali nanu koloba, batikalaka lisusu wana te.
[Even] the relatives of someone who becomes poor hate him, and his friends certainly stay away from him, too; [even] if he tries to talk with them, they will not be his friends [again].
8 Moto oyo alukaka kozwa bwanya alingaka bomoi na ye; moto oyo alingaka mayele alongaka.
Those who become wise [IDM] are doing a favor for themselves; those who get good sense will prosper.
9 Motatoli ya lokuta azwaka etumbu; moto oyo akosaka akobebisama.
Those who tell lies in court will certainly be punished [LIT]; they will be ruined.
10 Bomoi ya lokumu ebongi na zoba te; ebongi mpe te na mowumbu kopesa mitindo na bakambi.
It is not appropriate for foolish people to live (luxuriously/like rich people), and it is even less appropriate for slaves to rule important officials.
11 Bwanya ya moto ekomisaka ye motema molayi; mpe azwaka lokumu tango atalaka pamba mabe oyo basalaka ye.
Those who have good sense do not quickly become angry; people respect those who ignore offensive [things that people say to them].
12 Kanda ya mokonzi ezali lokola koganga ya nkosi, kasi bolamu na ye ezali lokola mamwe.
When a king is angry, [that causes people to be afraid of him], like the roar of a lion [causes people to be afraid] [SIM], but if he acts kindly toward people, [they like it just] like [they like] dew on the grass [in the morning].
13 Mwana ya zoba azali pasi mpo na tata na ye; koswana ya mwasi ezali lokola linzanza ya ndako, oyo etangisaka mayi tango nyonso.
Foolish children [can] cause disasters to happen to their parents. A wife who constantly (nags/quarrels with) [her husband is as annoying as] water that continually drips [MET].
14 Moto akoki kozwa bandako mpe bomengo lokola libula kowuta epai ya batata, kasi mwasi ya bwanya azali likabo kowuta na Yawe.
We [can] inherit a house or money from our parents [when they die], but only Yahweh [can] give someone a sensible wife.
15 Bogoyigoyi ememaka moto na pongi makasi, mpe moto ya goyigoyi akufaka nzala.
Those who are lazy sleep soundly, but if they are lazy, they will be hungry [because of not earning money to buy food].
16 Moto oyo atosaka mibeko abatelaka molimo na ye; moto oyo akebaka te na etamboli na ye akokufa.
Those who obey [God’s] commandments will remain alive [for a long time]; those who despise/disobey them (OR, those who do not control their own conduct) will die [while they are still young].
17 Moto oyo asalaka bolamu epai ya mobola adefisaka Yawe, bongo Yawe akozongisela ye bolamu.
When we give things to poor [people], [it is as though] we are lending to Yahweh, and he will (pay us back/reward us for what we did).
18 Pesaka mwana na yo etumbu wana elikya ezali nanu, kasi kotomboka na yo ekoma te kino na posa ya koboma ye.
Discipline your children while [they are young], while you still hope that [they will learn to behave as they should]; [if you do not discipline them], you are helping them to destroy [themselves].
19 Tika ete moto oyo asilikaka makasi amema mokumba ya kanda na ye; pamba te soki obikisi ye, okotinda ye ete azongela lisusu.
Those who (do not control their temper/quickly become very angry) will have to endure what happens as a result; [but] if we rescue them [from those troubles once], we will have to continue rescuing them.
20 Yoka toli mpe ndima mateya, mpo ete okoma moto ya bwanya.
Pay attention when [people give you good] advice and learn from them, in order that you will become wise for the rest of your life.
21 Motema ya moto ezalaka na makanisi ebele, kasi ezali mokano ya Yawe nde ekokisamaka.
People plan to do many [kinds of things], but what will happen is what Yahweh has decided will happen.
22 Eloko oyo moto alingaka epai ya moninga na ye moto ezali bolingo ya solo, mpe mobola azali malamu koleka mokosi.
People want others to be loyal to them; it is better to be poor than to tell a lie [to a judge in court in order to get money].
23 Kotosa Yawe ememaka na bomoi, esalaka ete moto azala na kimia; boye ata mabe moko te ekokomela ye.
[Those who have] an awesome respect for Yahweh will live [a long life]; they rest peacefully and are not harmed [during the night].
24 Moto ya goyigoyi akotisaka loboko na ye kati na bilei, kasi akokaka te kozongisa yango na monoko na ye.
Some people are extremely lazy; they put their hand in a dish [to take some food] but do not even lift the food up to their mouths.
25 Beta motioli fimbu, mpe zoba akozwa mayele; sembola moto ya mayele, mpe akozwa boyebi.
If you punish someone who makes fun of those who are wise, those who (are naive/need to be instructed) will learn to do what is smart; if you rebuke those who are wise, they will [listen to what you say and] become wiser.
26 Mwana oyo abetaka tata na ye mpe abenganaka mama na ye ayeisaka soni mpe mawa.
Anyone who mistreats/abuses his father or forces his mother to leave the home is a child who is acting shamefully and disgracefully.
27 Mwana na ngai, soki otiki koyoka mateya, okobunga nzela ya maloba ya boyebi.
My son, if you stop learning things, you will [soon] forget what [you already] know.
28 Moto oyo atiolaka bosembo azali motatoli ya zoba; mpe monoko ya bato mabe emelaka kaka mabe.
Worthless witnesses [in court] make fun of [judges who try to] make fair decisions, and wicked people [enjoy] doing evil [like] they enjoy eating [good food] [MET].
29 Etumbu esalema mpo na batioli, mpe fimbu esalema mpo na bazoba.
[God] is ready to punish those who make fun [of him/religion]; those who do foolish things deserve to be flogged/whipped.
