Masese 30
1 Tala maloba ya Aguri, mwana mobali ya Yake. Ezali ye nde alobaki yango epai ya Itieli, epai ya Itieli mpe Ukali:
The words of Gatherer the son of Vomiter. The vision which the man spoke with whom God is, and who being strengthened by God, abiding with him, said:
2 Solo, nazali zoba koleka bato nyonso, nazali ata na mayele ya bomoto te;
I am the most foolish of men, and the wisdom of men is not with me.
3 nayekolaki bwanya te, mpe nazali na boyebi ya Mosantu te.
I have not learned wisdom, and have not known the science of saints.
4 Nani amata na Lola to mpe akita wuta kuna? Nani asangisa mopepe kati na maboko na ye? Nani akanga mayi na kazaka na ye? Nani akata bandelo nyonso ya mabele? Kombo na ye nani? Mpe kombo ya mwana na ye ezali nani? Yebisa ngai soki oyebi!
Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended? who hath held the wind in his hands? who hath bound up the waters together as in a garment? who hath raised up all the borders of the earth? what is his name, and what is the name of his son, if thou knowest?
5 Liloba nyonso ya Nzambe ezalaka na libunga te, ezali nguba mpo na bato oyo bazwaka yango lokola ebombamelo na bango.
Every word of God is fire tried: he is a buckler to them that hope in him.
6 Kobakisa eloko moko te na maloba na Ye, noki te apamela yo mpe abimisa yo mokosi.
Add not any thing to his words, lest thou be reproved, and found a liar:
7 Oh Yawe, nasengi Yo biloko mibale, kopimela ngai yango te liboso ete nakufa:
Two things I have asked of thee, deny them not to me before I die.
8 longola mosika na ngai makambo ya pamba mpe ya lokuta, kopesa ngai te bobola to bozwi, kasi pesa ngai kaka, mokolo na mokolo, lipa oyo ekoki na ngai,
Remove far from me vanity, and lying words. Give me neither beggary, nor riches: give me only the necessaries of life:
9 pamba te soki natondi makasi, nakoki kowangana Yo mpe koloba: « Yawe nde nani? » To soki nazali na bobola, nakoki koyiba mpe koyokisa Kombo ya Nzambe na ngai soni.
Lest perhaps being filled, I should be tempted to deny, and say: Who is the Lord? or being compelled by poverty, I should steal, and forswear the name of my God.
10 Kotonga mowumbu te liboso ya nkolo na ye, noki te alakela yo mabe, mpe omona pasi.
Accuse not a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou fall.
11 Ezali na bato oyo balakelaka batata na bango mabe mpe bapambolaka te bamama na bango.
There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.
12 Ezali na bato oyo bamimonaka peto na miso na bango moko, nzokande bamipetoli na mbindo na bango te.
A generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet are not washed from their filthiness.
13 Ezali na bato oyo batonda na lolendo mpe bamonaka bato mosusu pamba.
A generation, whose eyes are lofty, and their eyelids lifted up on high.
14 Ezali na bato oyo minu na bango ezali lokola mipanga, lokola mbeli mpo na koboma babola kati na mokili mpe bato bakelela kati na bato.
A generation, that for teeth hath swords, and grindeth with their jaw teeth, to devour the needy from off the earth, and the poor from among men.
15 Sonzo ezalaka na bana basi mibale, egangaka kaka: « Pesa! Pesa! » Ezali na biloko misato oyo etondaka te, minei oyo elobaka te: « Ekoki! »
The horseleech hath two daughters that say: Bring, bring. There are three things that never are satisfied, and the fourth never saith: It is enough.
16 Mboka ya bakufi, libumu ya mwasi oyo abotaka te, mabele oyo etondaka mayi te, mpe moto oyo elobaka te: « Ekoki! » (Sheol h7585)
Hell, and the mouth of the womb, and the earth which is not satisfied with water: and the fire never saith: It is enough. (Sheol h7585)
17 Liso oyo etiolaka tata mpe ezanga botosi epai ya mama, ekotobolama na bayanganga ya lubwaku, mpe bana ya mpongo ekolia yango.
The eye that mocketh at his father, and that despiseth the labour of his mother in bearing him, let the ravens of the brooks pick it out, and the young eagles eat it.
18 Ezali na biloko misato oyo nasosolaka te, ata kutu minei oyo nayebaka te:
Three things are hard to me, and the fourth I am utterly ignorant of.
19 Nzela ya mpongo na likolo, nzela ya nyoka na likolo ya libanga, nzela ya masuwa kati na ebale, mpe nzela ya elenge mobali epai ya elenge mwasi.
The way of an eagle in the air, the way of a serpent upon a rock, the way of a ship in the midst of the sea, and the way of a man in youth.
20 Tala ndenge mwasi ya ndumba asalaka: Soki alie, apangusaka monoko; mpe na sima, akoloba: « Nasali na ngai mabe te! »
Such is also the way of an adulterous woman, who eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith: I have done no evil.
21 Ezali na makambo misato oyo eningisaka mokili, ata kutu minei oyo mokili ekokaka kondima te:
By three things the earth is disturbed, and the fourth it cannot bear:
22 Mowumbu oyo akomi mokonzi, zoba oyo atondi na bomengo,
By a slave when he reigneth: by a fool when he is filled with meat:
23 mwasi oyo balingaka te, kasi abali; mpe mwasi mosali oyo azwi bomengo ya nkolo na ye ya mwasi.
By an odious woman when she is married: and by a bondwoman when she is heir to her mistress.
24 Ezali na banyama mike minei na mokili, oyo, nzokande, ezalaka na bwanya mingi:
There are four very little things of the earth, and they are wiser than the wise:
25 Bafurmi: ezali bikelamu oyo ezanga makasi, kasi ebongisaka bilei na yango na tango ya elanga;
The ants, a feeble people, which provide themselves food in the harvest:
26 bampanya ya zamba: ezali bikelamu oyo ezanga nguya, kasi etongaka bandako na yango kati na mabanga;
The rabbit, a weak people, which maketh its bed in the rock:
27 mabanki: ezalaka na mokonzi te, kasi nyonso etambolaka nzela moko na molongo;
The locust hath no king, yet they all go out by their bands.
28 moselekete: loboko ekoki kokanga yango, kasi ezalaka kati na bandako ya bakonzi.
The stellio supporteth itself on hands, and dwelleth in kings’ houses.
29 Ezali na banyama misato oyo etambolaka malamu, ata kutu minei oyo edendaka soki ezali kotambola:
There are three things, which go well, and the fourth that walketh happily:
30 Nkosi: nyama ya makasi kati na banyama, ezongaka sima te ata liboso ya nani;
A lion, the strongest of beasts, who hath no fear of any thing he meeteth:
31 soso ya mobali, ntaba mobali, mpe mokonzi oyo azali kotambola liboso ya mampinga na ye.
A cock girded about the loins: and a ram: and a king, whom none can resist.
32 Soki osali bozoba mpo na komikumisa, mpe soki ozali na makanisi mabe, tia loboko na monoko na yo,
There is that hath appeared a fool after he was lifted up on high: for if he had understood, he would have laid his hand upon his mouth.
33 pamba te kobeta-beta mabele ebimisaka manteka, kobeta zolo ebimisaka makila, mpe kotumbola kanda eyeisaka koswana.
And he that strongly squeezeth the papa to bring out milk, straineth out butter: and he that violently bloweth his nose, bringeth out blood: and he that provoketh wrath bringeth forth strife.
