Masese 28
1 Moto mabe akimaka ata soki moto moko te abengani ye, kasi bato ya sembo bazalaka na mpiko lokola nkosi.
Wicked [people] run away [even] when no one is pursuing them, but righteous/good [people are not afraid]; they are as brave as lions.
2 Soki kotomboka ezali kati na mokili, bakonzi bakomaka ebele; kasi moto ya mayele mpe ya bososoli ayeisaka kimia.
When [the people of] a nation sin, they will have one ruler after another; but when their leaders are wise and have good sense, their government will last for a long time.
3 Mokonzi oyo anyokolaka bato bakelela azali lokola mvula ya makasi oyo ebebisaka biloko mpe ememaka nzala.
A poor person who oppresses [other] poor [people] is [like] [MET] a very heavy/hard rain that [destroys the crops], with the result that there is no food [for people to eat].
4 Bato oyo babukaka mibeko bakumisaka bato mabe, kasi bato oyo babatelaka mibeko batelemelaka bato mabe.
Those who reject/disobey [God’s] laws always speak well of wicked [people]; but those who obey [God’s] laws [always] oppose what wicked people do.
5 Bato mabe basosolaka te makambo ya bosembo, kasi bato oyo balukaka Yawe basosolaka yango nyonso.
Evil people do not understand what it means to act justly, but those who try to obey/worship Yahweh understand that very well.
6 Mobola oyo atambolaka na bosembo azali malamu koleka mozwi oyo nzela na ye ezali mabe.
It is better to be honest [even] though you are poor than to be dishonest [even] though you are rich.
7 Moto oyo abatelaka mibeko azali mwana mayele, kasi moto oyo atambolaka na bato ya loyenge ayokisaka tata na ye soni.
Young people who obey the laws are wise [IDM]; parents whose children associate with those who (carouse/go to wild parties) are humiliated/disgraced because of what their children do.
8 Moto oyo abakisaka bomengo na ye na nzela ya moyibi abombelaka yango moto oyo asalisaka babola.
When people become very rich by charging very high interest [DOU], their money will [eventually] go to someone who does kind things for the poor.
9 Moto oyo akangi matoyi na ye mpo na koboya koyoka mobeko, libondeli na ye ekomaka nkele na miso ya Nzambe.
If people do not obey [MTY] [God’s] laws, [God] (detests their prayers/considers that their prayers stink).
10 Moto oyo amemaka bato ya sembo na nzela ya mabe akokangama na motambo oyo asali ye moko, kasi bato oyo bazangi pamela bakozwa esengo lokola libula na bango.
Those who cause honest/good [people] to do what is evil will fall into their own pits/traps, but good things will happen to those who (are innocent/have not done what is wrong).
11 Mozwi amimonaka lokola moto ya bwanya, kasi mobola oyo azali mayele ayebaka ye malamu.
[Many] rich people think that they are wise, but poor people who have good sense will find out whether rich people really are wise or not.
12 Tango bato ya sembo balongaka, ezalaka esengo mingi; kasi tango bato mabe bazwaka bokonzi, bato bamibombaka.
When righteous/good [people] (succeed/win [elections]), everyone (celebrates/is happy); but when wicked [people win], everyone hides [because they are afraid of what the wicked people will do].
13 Moto oyo abombaka masumu na ye abongaka te, kasi ye oyo atubelaka mpe atikaka yango azwaka ngolu.
Those who refuse to confess/admit their sins will not prosper, but [God] acts mercifully/kindly toward those who confess their sins and turn away from their sinful behavior.
14 Esengo na moto oyo abangaka tango nyonso kosala mabe, kasi ye oyo ayeisaka motema na ye libanga akweyaka kati na pasi.
[God] is pleased with those who always revere him, but those who are stubborn [IDM] will experience disasters.
15 Mokonzi mabe oyo azali kokamba bato bakelela azali lokola nkosi ya kanda to lokola ngombolo oyo ezali kolanda nyama ya kolia.
Wicked people who [mistreat] poor people whom they rule are [as dangerous to them as] [SIM] a lion roaring [at them] or a bear springing up [to attack them].
16 Mokonzi oyo anyokolaka bato azangi mayele, kasi oyo aboyaka bomengo na nzela ya moyibi ayeisaka mikolo ya bomoi na ye ebele.
Rulers who do not have good sense cruelly oppress [the people they rule], but rulers who do not want to become rich by cheating/deceiving [people] will live (OR, rule) for a long time.
17 Moto oyo amitungisaka mpo ete abomi moninga akimaka kino na libulu ya kufa; tika ete moto moko te akanga ye nzela.
Those who are guilty of murdering [MTY] another person will (be fugitives/keep running away) until they die; do not help them to escape.
18 Moto oyo atambolaka na bosembo akozwa lobiko, kasi moto ya mobulu oyo alandaka banzela mibale akokweya na moko.
Those who [continually] do what is right will be safe/protected, but those who are dishonest will [suddenly] be ruined.
19 Moto oyo asalaka bilanga atondaka na bilei, kasi moto oyo alandaka bagoyigoyi akotonda na bobola.
Farmers who work [hard] in their fields will [produce good crops and always] have plenty of food [to eat], but those who spend all their time (on useless projects/doing things that do not benefit anyone) will become very poor.
20 Moto ya sembo afulukaka na mapamboli, kasi moto oyo awelaka kokoma mozwi na lombangu akozanga te kozwa etumbu.
[God] will greatly bless those who (are trustworthy/always do what they say that they will do), but he will certainly punish [LIT] those who try to become rich quickly.
21 Kopona bilongi ezalaka malamu te; nzokande ata mpo na eteni ya lipa, moto akoki mpe kosala mabe.
It is not good [for judges] to decide matters unfairly/unjustly, but [some] people will do what is wrong [even] if they receive [only] a very small bribe [HYP] [for doing it].
22 Moto ya bilulela azalaka motema moto-moto mpo na kozwa bomengo, mpe ayebaka te ete bobola ekokomela ye.
Selfish people [IDM] are very eager to become rich quickly; they do not realize that they will [soon] become poor.
23 Moto oyo apamelaka moninga na ye akozwa ngolu na suka koleka moto oyo alobaka maloba ya sukali.
Those who rebuke someone will be appreciated/thanked more than those who [say nice things to others merely] to (flatter them/cause them to feel good).
24 Moto oyo ayibaka tata mpe mama na ye, bongo alobaka: « Ezali na yango mabe te, » azali moninga ya mobomi.
Anyone who steals things from his father or his mother and says “That is not sinful” is as bad as a bandit.
25 Moto ya lokoso ayeisaka koswana, kasi moto oyo atiaka elikya na Yawe akotonda na mafuta.
Greedy people cause trouble/strife; those who trust in Yahweh will prosper [IDM].
26 Moto oyo atiaka elikya kati na ye moko kaka azali zoba, kasi moto oyo atambolaka na bwanya akokangolama.
Those who believe that what they think [is always right] are foolish; those who act wisely will (escape danger/be safe).
27 Moto oyo akabelaka babola akozanga eloko te, kasi moto oyo aboyaka kotala bango akotonda na bilakeli mabe.
Those who give things to poor [people] will not become poor, but many [people] will curse those who refuse to help [IDM] poor people.
28 Tango bato mabe bazwaka bokonzi, bato bamibombaka; kasi tango bakufaka, bato ya sembo bakomaka ebele.
When wicked [people] become rulers, people hide [because they are afraid of what those wicked people will do]; but when wicked people are no longer rulers, good/righteous [people will] become the rulers.
