Masese 23
1 Soki ovandi mpo na kolia mesa moko elongo na mokonzi, tala malamu moto oyo azali liboso na yo.
When you sit to eat with a ruler, Diligently consider that which [is] before you,
2 Tia mbeli na mongongo na yo soki ozalaka lokoso.
And you have put a knife to your throat, If you [are] a man of appetite.
3 Kolula te bilei na ye ya kitoko, pamba te, tango mosusu, ezali na yango bololo.
Have no desire to his delicacies, seeing it [is] lying food.
4 Koboma nzoto te mpo na koluka kozwa bomengo, kotia mayele na yo te kati na yango.
Do not labor to make wealth, Cease from your own understanding, Do you cause your eyes to fly on it? Then it is not.
5 Tango okobwaka miso na ngambo ya bomengo, ekobunga, pamba te ezalaka na mapapu mpe epumbwaka na likolo makasi lokola mpongo.
For wealth makes wings to itself, It flies to the heavens as an eagle.
6 Kolia te bilei ya moto oyo azali kotala yo na miso mabe mpe kolula te bilei na ye ya kitoko,
Do not eat the bread of an evil eye, And have no desire to his delicacies,
7 pamba te azalaka ndenge makanisi ya motema na ye ezali. Alobaka: « Lia mpe mela, » kasi motema na ye ezali elongo na yo te.
For as he has thought in his soul, so he [is]. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, And his heart [is] not with you.
8 Okosanza eteni oyo oliaki, mpe maloba na yo ya kitoko ekokende pamba.
You vomit up your morsel you have eaten, And have marred your words that [are] sweet.
9 Kolobaka na zoba te, pamba te akotiola bwanya ya maloba na yo.
Do not speak in the ears of a fool, For he treads on the wisdom of your words.
10 Kozongisa te na sima mondelo ya kala mpe kokota te na bilanga ya bana bitike,
Do not remove a border of ancient times, And do not enter into fields of the fatherless,
11 pamba te Molobeli na bango azalaka makasi, akozwa makambo na bango na maboko mpo na kotelemela yo.
For their Redeemer [is] strong, He pleads their cause with you.
12 Tika ete motema na yo endimaka kotosa mibeko, mpe matoyi na yo eyokaka maloba ya boyebi!
Bring your heart to instruction, And your ear to sayings of knowledge.
13 Kozangisa te kopesa mwana etumbu; soki obeti ye fimbu, akokufa te.
Do not withhold discipline from a youth, When you strike him with a rod he does not die.
You strike him with a rod, And you deliver his soul from Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
15 Mwana na ngai, soki motema na yo ezali na bwanya, motema na ngai ekozala na esengo.
My son, if your heart has been wise, My heart rejoices, even mine,
16 Solo, bomoto na ngai nyonso ekotonda na esengo, soki bibebu na yo elobi makambo ya sembo.
And my reins exult when your lips speak uprightly.
17 Tika ete motema na yo elulaka te bato ya masumu, kasi zalaka tango nyonso na posa makasi ya kotosa Yawe;
Do not let your heart be envious at sinners, But—in the fear of YHWH all the day.
18 pamba te suka na yo ekozala solo malamu mpe elikya na yo ekozala ya pamba te.
For is there a posterity? Then your hope is not cut off.
19 Mwana na ngai, yoka mpe zala na bwanya, batela motema na yo kati na nzela ya sembo.
Hear, my son, and be wise, And make your heart blessed in the way,
20 Kozala esika moko te na balangwi masanga to na bato ya lokoso,
Do not become drunk with wine, Among gluttonous ones of flesh,
21 pamba te balangwi masanga mpe bato na lokoso bakomaka babola, mpe bogoyigoyi ekolatisa bango bilamba epasuka.
For the drunkard and glutton become poor, And drowsiness clothes with rags.
22 Yokela tata oyo aboti yo, mpe kotiola mama na yo te ata soki anuni.
Listen to your father, who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she has become old.
23 Luka bosolo, kasi koteka yango te; sala se bongo na bwanya, na mateya mpe na mayele.
Buy truth, and do not sell, Wisdom, and instruction, and understanding,
24 Tata ya moto ya sembo akozala na esengo mingi, mpe moto oyo abota mwana ya bwanya akosepela kati na ye.
The father of the righteous rejoices greatly, The begetter of the wise rejoices in him.
25 Tika ete tata na yo mpe mama na yo basepela! Tika ete mama oyo abota yo azala na esengo!
Your father and your mother rejoice, Indeed, she bearing you is joyful.
26 Mwana na ngai ya mobali, pesa ngai motema na yo, mpe tika ete miso na yo esepela na nzela na ngai!
Give, my son, your heart to me, And let your eyes watch my ways.
27 Pamba te mwasi ya ndumba azali lokola libulu ya monene, mpe mwasi ya mopaya azali lokola libulu ya mozindo.
For a harlot [is] a deep ditch, And a strange woman [is] a narrow pit.
28 Mwasi ya ndumba atelemaka na ekenge lokola moyibi mpe akomisaka mibali bazoba koleka.
She also, as catching prey, lies in wait, And she increases the treacherous among men.
29 Mpo na nani: « Ah ngai, mawa! » Mpo na nani: « Eh! » Mpo na nani koswanaswana? Mpo na nani kolelalela? Mpo na nani kowelana ezanga tina? Mpo na nani kotelisa miso?
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaint? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?
30 Mpo na bato oyo bawumelaka liboso ya masanga ya vino, mpo na bato oyo bamelaka masanga ya makasi.
Those lingering by the wine, Those going in to search out mixed wine.
31 Kotalaka te masanga ya vino tango ezali motane, tango ezali kongala kati na kopo mpe kokita na pete na mongongo.
Do not see wine when it shows itself red, When it gives its color in the cup, It goes up and down through the upright.
32 Na suka na yango, ekoswa yo lokola nyoka mpe ekotia yo minu lokola etupa.
Its latter end—it bites as a serpent, And it stings as a viper.
33 Miso na yo ekomona biloko na ndenge ya kokamwa, mpe motema na yo ekobimisa makambo ya bozoba.
Your eyes see strange women, And your heart speaks perverse things.
34 Boye, okokoma lokola moto oyo alali kati na ebale monene, mpe lokola moto oyo alali na songe ya nzete ya molayi.
And you have been as one lying down in the heart of the sea, And as one lying down on the top of a mast.
35 Okoloba: « Babeti ngai, kasi nazali koyoka pasi te; babeti ngai fimbu, kasi nazali koyoka eloko te! Tango nini nakolamuka? Nakozongela lisusu komela vino. »
“They struck me, I have not been sick, They beat me, I have not known. When I awake—I seek it yet again!”
