Masese 2

1 Mwana na ngai, soki ondimi maloba na ngai mpe obateli kati na motema na yo mibeko na ngai;

[My] son, if you will receive the utterance of my commandment, and hide it with you;

2 soki opesi litoyi na yo na maloba ya bwanya mpe okabi motema na yo na makambo ya mayele;

your ear shall listen to wisdom; you shall also apply your heart to understanding, and shall apply it to the instruction of your son.

3 soki obeleli mayele mpe ogangi epai ya bososoli;

For it you shall call to wisdom, and utter your voice for understanding;

4 soki oluki yango penza ndenge balukaka palata to bomengo oyo ebombama,

and if you shall seek it as silver, and search diligently for it as for treasures;

5 okososola solo soki kotosa Yawe elakisi nini mpe okozwa boyebi ya Nzambe.

then shall you understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

6 Pamba te Yawe nde apesaka bwanya, mpe maloba ya monoko na Ye epesaka mayele mpe bososoli.

For the Lord gives wisdom; and from his presence [come] knowledge and understanding,

7 Abongiselaka bato ya sembo elonga mpe azali nguba ya bato oyo batambolaka na bosembo.

and he treasures up salvation for them that walk uprightly: he will protect their way;

8 Pamba te abatelaka bayengebene mpe nzela ya bato oyo batosaka Ye.

that he may guard the righteous ways: and he will preserve the way of them that fear him.

9 Boye, okososola likambo nini ezali solo, alima, sembo: nzela nyonso oyo ememaka na bolamu.

Then shall you understand righteousness, and judgment; and shall direct all your course aright.

10 Pamba te bwanya ekokota kati na motema na yo mpe boyebi ekosepelisa molimo na yo.

For if wisdom shall come into your understanding, and discernment shall seem pleasing to your soul,

11 Bososoli ekobatela yo, mpe mayele ekobomba yo

good counsel shall guard you, and holy understanding shall keep you;

12 mpo na kobikisa yo na nzela mabe, na moto oyo alobaka makambo ezanga tina,

to deliver you from the evil way, and from the man that speaks nothing faithfully.

13 na bato oyo batikaka nzela ya sembo mpo na kolanda nzela ya molili,

Alas [for those] who forsake right paths, to walk in ways of darkness;

14 na bato oyo basepelaka kosala mabe, na bato oyo bazalaka na esengo ya kokota na bozindo ya mabe,

who rejoice in evils, and delight in wicked perverseness;

15 na bato oyo nzela na bango etengama-tengama mpe etamboli na bango etonda na mobulu.

whose paths are crooked, and their courses winding;

16 Bwanya ekobikisa yo lisusu liboso ya mwasi mopaya, liboso ya mwasi oyo atonda na maloba ya sukali,

to remove you far from the straight way, and to estrange you from a righteous purpose. [My] son, let not evil counsel overtake you,

17 oyo akima mobali na ye ya bolenge mpe abosana boyokani oyo asalaki elongo na Nzambe na ye;

[of her] who has forsaken the instruction of her youth, and forgotten the covenant of God.

18 pamba te ndako na ye ememaka na kufa, mpe nzela na ye ememaka na mboka ya bakufi.

For she has fixed her house near death, and [guided] her wheels near Hades with the giants.

19 Moto moko te oyo akotaka epai na ye azongaka mpe amonaka lisusu nzela ya bomoi.

None that go by her shall return, neither shall they take hold of right paths, for they are not apprehended of the years of life.

20 Boye, okotambola na nzela ya bato malamu mpe okolanda nzela ya bato ya sembo.

For had they gone in good paths, they would have found the paths of righteousness easy.

21 Pamba te bato ya sembo bakovanda na mokili, mpe bato oyo bazangi pamela bakotikala kati na yango;

For the upright shall dwell in the earth, and the holy shall be left behind in it.

22 kasi bato mabe bakokufa na mokili mpe bakolongola bango kati na mokili ya bato ya songisongi.

The paths of the ungodly shall perish out of the earth, and transgressors shall be driven away from it.