< Masese 3 >

1 Mwana na Ngai, kobosana mateya na ngai te, kasi batela mibeko na ngai kati na motema na yo;
My son, do not forget what I have taught you. Keep my commands in your inner being,
2 pamba te ekoyeisa mikolo ya bomoi na yo milayi, ekobakisa mibu ebele na bomoi na yo mpe ekomemela yo kimia.
because [if you obey them] you will live a long time and things will go well for you
3 Tika ete bolamu mpe bosolo ekabwana na yo te, linga yango zingazinga na kingo na yo, mpe koma yango na etando ya motema na yo!
Always faithfully love others and (be faithful/do what you say that you will do); doing those things [will cause others to be pleased with you]; it will be as though you are wearing a beautiful necklace. Keep those things in your mind/inner being.
4 Okozwa ngolu mpe kombo ya malamu na miso ya Nzambe mpe na miso ya bato.
If you do, God and people will approve of you and think highly of you [MTY].
5 Ndimela Yawe na motema na yo mobimba, mpe kotia motema te na mayele na yo.
Trust in Yahweh completely, and do not rely on what you yourself understand.
6 Yebaka Ye na banzela na yo nyonso, mpe Ye akokomisa yango alima.
Always allow him to lead you. If you do that, he will (show you the right path/direct your life).
7 Tika ete omimonaka te moto ya bwanya na miso na yo moko; tosa Yawe mpe longwa na mabe.
Do not be proud of being wise. [Instead], revere Yahweh and turn away from doing evil.
8 Ekozala kisi mpo na kokomisa nzoto na yo kolongono mpe kolendisa mikuwa na yo.
If you do that, your body will be healthy/strong; it will be [like] medicine for you.
9 Pesaka Yawe lokumu na nzela ya biloko na yo mpe ya bambuma ya liboso ya bozwi na yo nyonso.
Honor Yahweh by [what you do with] your money; and [by giving him] the first part of your harvest.
10 Bongo bibombelo na yo ekotonda na biloko, mpe bambeki na yo ekotonda na vino.
If you do that, [you will have a good harvest]. Yahweh will fill your barns [with grain], and your vats/containers will be overflowing with [grape juice for making] wine.
11 Mwana na ngai, yamba toli ya Yawe, koboya te pamela na Ye;
My son, when Yahweh disciplines/corrects you, do not despise it, and if he rebukes you, do not resent it.
12 pamba te Yawe apamelaka moto oyo Ye alingaka, ndenge kaka tata apamelaka mwana na ye, oyo alingaka.
[I say that] because it is the people whom Yahweh loves that he corrects/reproves, [just] like parents correct/reprove their sons whom they love.
13 Esengo na moto oyo amoni bwanya! Esengo na moto oyo azwi mayele!
[Yahweh] is pleased with those who become wise and have good understanding.
14 Pamba te kozala na yango eleki kozala na palata na motuya, mpe lifuti na yango eleki wolo oyo balekisi na moto na motuya.
Being wise and having good understanding is worth more than silver, better than gold.
15 Ezali na motuya koleka babiju, mpe eloko moko te oyo moto akoki koluka ekokani na yango.
Being wise is more precious than (jewels/precious stones); there is nothing that you could desire [that would be as valuable] as wisdom.
16 Kati na loboko na Ye ya mobali, ezali na bomoi ya molayi; mpe kati na loboko na Ye ya mwasi, ezali na lokumu mpe bomengo.
On the one hand, wisdom [PRS] enables [you] to live a long life, and on the other hand, wisdom enables [you] to become rich and to be honored.
17 Nzela na Ye ezali ya esengo, mpe banzela na Ye nyonso ya mike ezali ya kimia.
If [you] are wise, [your] life will be pleasant, and things will go well [for you].
18 Bwanya ezali nzete ya bomoi mpo na bato oyo basimbaka yango; bato oyo bakokanga yango makasi bakozala na esengo.
Wisdom is [like] a tree that gives long life to those who [eagerly] take hold of it, and [Yahweh] is pleased with those who hold onto it tightly.
19 Na nzela ya bwanya, Yawe atiaki miboko ya mabele; na nzela ya mayele, alendisaki likolo.
By his wisdom Yahweh created the earth, and by his understanding he put everything in the skies.
20 Na nzela ya mayele na Ye, mozindo ya se ya mabele ebimisaki mayi mpe mapata enokisaki mvula.
By his knowledge [he caused] the water that was beneath the earth to burst forth, and he caused rain to fall from the clouds.
21 Mwana na ngai, tika ete bwanya mpe bososoli ezala mosika ya miso na yo te; batela yango malamu,
My son, [always] keep doing things that are right and things that are smart. If you do that,
22 pamba te ekozala bomoi mpo na yo mpe ngolu mpo na kingo na yo.
you will live [many years] and be honored and respected {people will honor and respect you}.
23 Boye, okotambola na kimia na nzela na yo, mpe lokolo na yo ekobeta libaku te.
If you do what is right and wise, you will [be able to] walk safely, and you will not (stumble/do things that are wrong) [MET].
24 Tango okolala, okobanga eloko moko te, pamba te pongi na yo ekozala ya kimia.
You will [be able to] lie down [at night] and not be afraid [of anything], and you will sleep peacefully.
25 Somo ya pwasa ekobangisa yo te, ezala tango bato mabe bakobimela yo na pwasa;
You will not be afraid that something disastrous will happen to you or that storms that strike the wicked will strike you,
26 pamba te Yawe akozala elikya na yo mpe akobatela makolo na yo mpo ete ekangama te na motambo.
because you will be confident that Yahweh [will take care of you]. He will not let your foot be caught in a trap/snare.
27 Koboyaka te kosala bolamu epai ya moto oyo azali na bosenga, tango maboko na yo ezali na makoki ya kosala yango.
If you are able to help people who deserve it, do not refuse to help them.
28 Kolobaka na moninga na yo te: « Kende, bongo oya sima; nakopesa yo yango lobi; » soki ozali na makoki ya kosala likambo yango.
If you are able to help someone you interact with, do not say, “Come back later; [perhaps] I can help you tomorrow.”
29 Kosalaka moninga na yo mabe te soki azali kovanda na kimia epai na yo.
Do not make plans to harm those you interact with regularly, [because] they live near you, and they trust you.
30 Kolukelaka moto makambo te, oyo ezanga tina soki asali yo mabe te.
If someone has not harmed you, do not accuse him [by saying that he has harmed you].
31 Kolulaka te moto ya mobulu mpe koponaka ata nzela moko te, kati na banzela na ye.
Do not envy people who [obtain things by] violent actions, and do not imitate/do what they do.
32 Pamba te Yawe ayinaka bato mabe, kasi ayebisaka basekele na Ye epai ya bato ya sembo.
[I say that] because Yahweh considers such people to be abominable/detestable; but he is a friend to [all] those who do what is right.
33 Yawe alakelaka mabe ndako ya moto mabe, kasi apambolaka ndako ya moto ya sembo;
Yahweh curses the families [MTY] of those who are wicked, but he blesses the families of those who are good/righteous.
34 asambwisaka batioli, kasi atalisaka ngolu na Ye epai ya bato oyo bamikitisaka.
Yahweh makes fun of those who make fun [of others], but he kindly helps those who are humble.
35 Bato ya bwanya bakozwa nkembo, kasi bazoba bakozala na soni.
Wise [people] will be honored {people will honor wise people}, but foolish people will be dishonored/disgraced.

< Masese 3 >