Masese 26
1 Ndenge mvula ya pembe elimwaka na tango ya molunge, mpe mvula enokaka te na tango ya elanga, ndenge wana mpe lokumu oyo bapesi na zoba ekowumela na ye te.
Just [like] [SIM] [it is not appropriate for] snow [to fall] in summer time, or rain [to fall] at harvest time, it is not appropriate to praise/honor foolish people.
2 Ndenge ndeke ya moke oyo babengaka mwano ekendaka bipai na bipai to mbilambila epumbwaka-pumbwaka, ndenge wana mpe elakeli mabe ezwaka te moto oyo asali na ye mabe te.
Like [SIM] birds that fly by [and do not alight/land on anything], if someone curses you, it cannot hurt you if you (do not deserve them/have not done to him what is wrong).
3 Ndenge fimbu ezalaka malamu mpo na mpunda, mpe ekangiseli ezalaka malamu mpo na monoko ya ane, ndenge wana mpe fimbu ezalaka malamu mpo na mokongo ya zoba.
It is necessary to whip a horse and to put a bridle on a donkey [to force them to go where we want them to go], and similarly [SIM] [it is often necessary to strike] foolish people with a stick [to cause them to do what is right].
4 Kozongisela zoba te kolanda bozoba na ye, noki te okokokana na ye.
If a foolish person asks a foolish question, [do not answer him], because [if you answer his question], you are just as foolish as he is.
5 Zongisela zoba kolanda bozoba na ye, noki te akomimona moto ya bwanya na miso na ye moko.
If you give a foolish answer to someone who asks a foolish question, he will realize that he is (not very wise/foolish).
6 Moto oyo atindaka sango na nzela ya zoba azali lokola moto oyo amikati makolo mpe amilukeli makambo.
Anyone who asks a foolish person to take a message to someone [is himself doing something as foolish as] cutting off his own feet or drinking poison.
7 Ndenge makolo ya ebosono ezalaka makasi te, ndenge wana mpe masese ezalaka na nguya te kati na monoko ya zoba.
A lame man cannot use his legs, and similarly [SIM] [it is useless for] a foolish person to speak [MTY] (proverbs/wise sayings).
8 Kopesa zoba lokumu ezali lokola kotia libanga na ebambelo mabanga.
Tying a stone in a sling [so that it cannot be thrown at a target] is [as foolish as] [SIM] honoring a foolish person.
9 Lisese kati na monoko ya zoba ezali lokola etape ya banzube kati na loboko ya moto oyo alangwe masanga.
If a drunk person waves some thorns/brambles with his hand, [he is not able to accomplish anything useful by doing that] (OR, [he does not feel it when a thorn sticks in his hand]); similarly, if foolish people speak [MTY] proverbs, [they do not help anyone who hears them].
10 Moto oyo azwaka zoba to moleki nzela na mosala azali lokola soda oyo azokisaka moto nyonso na likonga.
A man who shoots arrows [to try] to wound everybody who is near [is foolish]; similarly, anyone who hires a foolish person [who passes by is very foolish].
11 Ndenge kaka mbwa ezongelaka kolia biloko oyo yango moko esanzi, ndenge wana mpe zoba azongelaka bozoba na ye.
A foolish person will foolishly do something stupid a second time; it is [like] [SIM] a dog returning to [eat] what it has vomited.
12 Eleki malamu kotia elikya na zoba, na esika ete otia elikya na moto oyo amimonaka moto ya bwanya na miso na ye moko.
[God] can help/bless foolish people more easily than he can help/bless people who are not wise [RHQ], but think that they are wise.
13 Moto ya goyigoyi alobaka: « Nkosi ekangi nzela! Nyama moko ya mabe ezali na kati-kati ya balabala! »
Lazy people [just stay inside their houses and do nothing]; [they keep] saying “[I think] there is a lion in the street!”
14 Moto ya goyigoyi abalukaka na mbeto na ye ndenge ekuke ebalukaka na biloko oyo efungolaka yango.
A door [continually] swings back and forth on its hinges [and does not go anywhere]; similarly [SIM], lazy people [just continually turn over] in their beds [and never do anything].
15 Moto ya goyigoyi akotisaka loboko na ye kati na bilei, kasi akokaka te kozongisa yango na monoko.
Some people are extremely lazy; they put their hand in a dish [to get some food] but do not [even] lift the food up to their mouths.
16 Moto ya goyigoyi amimonaka ete azali na bwanya koleka bato sambo ya mayele.
Lazy people think that they are wiser than seven/several people who can answer [others’ questions] with good sense.
17 Moto oyo akotaka makambo oyo etali ye te azali lokola moto oyo akangi mbwa na matoyi.
Anyone who (meddles/involves himself) in a quarrel that does not concern him is [as foolish as] [SIM] someone who tries to grab a passing dog by its ears.
18 Ndenge moto ya liboma abwakaka moto, makonga mpe kufa,
Crazy people who shoot burning arrows to kill people
19 ndenge wana mpe moto oyo akosi moninga na ye alobaka: « Ezalaki kaka mpo na kosala maseki! »
are as foolish as those who deceive someone else and [then] say, “I was only joking.”
20 Soki bakoni ezali te, moto ekokufa; soki bato ya songisongi bazali te, koswana ekokita.
If there is no [more] firewood [to put on the fire], the fire will go out; similarly [SIM], if there are no people who (gossip/tell people things that are not true), quarreling will end.
21 Ndenge makala engalaka na mbabola, mpe bakoni epelisaka moto, ndenge wana mpe moto oyo alinga koswana ayeisaka matata.
[Putting] charcoal on burning coals or [putting] wood on a fire [causes the fire to keep burning]; similarly, people who like to quarrel cause people to keep arguing.
22 Maloba ya moto ya songisongi ezalaka lokola bilei ya kitoko, ekitaka na esengo kino na libumu.
People [enjoy listening to what gossips say about others just like] [SIM] they enjoy tasty food; they [enjoy listening to what gossips tell them like] they enjoy swallowing tasty food.
23 Maloba ya sukali ya moto ya motema mabe ezalaka lokola palata ya mbindo oyo bapakoli na mbeki basala na mabele.
People who say nice things when they are thinking about doing evil things are like a nice glaze/covering on a [cheap] clay pot.
24 Moto oyo ayinaka moninga na ye amibombaka na maloba na ye, kasi atondi na lokuta kati na motema na ye.
Those who hate someone and are saying [MTY] something very different from what they are thinking are hypocrites; they are only planning [to harm that person].
25 Ata soki abimisi maloba ya esengo, kondimela ye te, pamba te makambo sambo ya mbindo ebombama kati na motema na ye.
When they say nice things, do not believe them, because in their inner beings are many things that [Yahweh] hates.
26 Akoki solo kobomba makanisi na ye ya mabe na maloba ya lokuta, kasi motema mabe na ye ekosuka se na koyebana na miso ya bato nyonso.
They try to deceive people to cause them to think that they do not hate [that person], but in a public meeting, the people will find out the evil things [that they have done].
27 Moto oyo atimolaka libulu akweyaka ye moko kati na yango; mpe moto oyo atindikaka libanga, libanga yango ekozongela kaka ye moko.
Those who dig a deep pit [for other people to fall into] will fall into it themselves; rocks will roll down on those who start to cause rocks to roll down [to crush someone].
28 Lolemo ya lokuta eyinaka bato oyo ezokisi, mpe maloba ya sukali ememaka libebi.
Those [MTY] who tell lies to others [really] hate them, and those who deceive [others] ruin them.
