Masese 4
1 Bana na ngai, boyokaka mateya ya tata, bozalaka na bokebi mpo ete bozwa mayele.
Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend that you may know prudence.
2 Pamba te nazali kopesa bino mateya ya malamu; bobwaka mateya na ngai te.
I will give you a good gift, forsake not my law.
3 Ngai mpe nazalaki mwana malamu na miso ya tata na ngai, boye mama na ngai alingaki ngai makasi lokola mwana oyo abotama kaka ye moko.
For I also was my father’s son, tender and as an only son in the sight of my mother:
4 Tata na ngai azalaki koteya mpe koloba na ngai boye: « Tika ete motema na yo ebatela maloba na ngai, bomba mibeko na ngai mpe okozala na bomoi,
And he taught me, and said: Let thy heart receive my words, keep my commandments, and thou shalt live.
5 zwa bwanya, zwa mayele, kobosana yango te, kopesa mokongo te na maloba ya monoko na ngai,
Get wisdom, get prudence: forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth.
6 kosundola bwanya te, mpe yango ekobatela yo, linga yango mpe ekobomba yo.
Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee: love her, and she shall preserve thee.
7 Tala ebandeli ya bwanya: Zwa bwanya, pesa biloko nyonso oyo ozali na yango mpo ete ozwa mayele.
The beginning of wisdom, get wisdom, and with all thy possession purchase prudence.
8 Simba yango makasi, mpe ekotombola yo; yamba yango, mpe ekopesa yo lokumu.
Take hold on her, and she shall exalt thee: thou shalt be glorified by her, when thou shalt embrace her.
9 Ekolatisa yo ekoti ya lokumu na moto, ekopesa yo motole ya nkembo. »
She shall give to thy head increase of graces, and protect thee with a noble crown.
10 Mwana na ngai, yoka mpe yamba maloba na ngai, mpe mibu ya bomoi na yo ekobakisama.
Hear, O my son, and receive my words, that years of life may be multiplied to thee.
11 Nazali kolakisa yo nzela ya bwanya, nazali kotambolisa yo na nzela ya alima.
I will shew thee the way of wisdom, I will lead thee by the paths of equity:
12 Mpo ete makolo na yo ezala na mikakatano te tango okotambola; mpe soki okimi mbangu, okokweya te.
Which when thou shalt have entered, thy steps shall not be straitened, and when thou runnest thou shalt not meet a stumblingblock.
13 Tingama makasi na mateya oyo bapesi yo, kobwaka yango te, batela yango malamu mpo ete ezali bomoi na yo.
Take hold on instruction, leave it not: keep it, because it is thy life.
14 Kokotaka te na nzela ya bato ya mobulu mpe kotambolaka te na nzela ya bato mabe.
Be not delighted in the paths of the wicked, neither let the way of evil men please thee.
15 Longwa kati na bango, kolekela wana te, kosala mpe maseki kuna te, kasi kende na yo na nzela mosusu.
Flee from it, pass not by it: go aside, and forsake it.
16 Pamba te balalaka pongi te soki basali nanu moto mabe te, mpe pongi ekimaka bango soki babomi moto te;
For they sleep not except they have done evil: and their sleep is taken away unless they have made some to fall.
17 baliaka lipa na nzela ya mabe mpe bamelaka vino na nzela ya mobulu.
They eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of iniquity.
18 Nzokande, nzela ya bato ya sembo ezali lokola pole ya tongo makasi, oyo kongenga na yango eyaka malembe-malembe kino tango moyi ekobima makasi.
But the path of the just, as a shining light, goeth forwards and increaseth even to perfect day.
19 Nzela ya bato ya mobulu ezali lokola molili, bayebaka te eloko nini ekokweyisa bango.
The way of the wicked is darksome: they know not where they fall.
20 Mwana na ngai, zala na bokebi na maloba na ngai, pesa litoyi na yo na mateya na ngai.
My son, hearken to my words, and incline thy ear to my sayings.
21 Tika ete ezala te mosika ya miso na yo! Batela yango malamu kati na motema na yo,
Let them not depart from thy eyes, keep them in the midst of thy heart:
22 pamba te ezali bomoi mpo na bato oyo bazwaka yango, mpe epesaka nzoto kolongono.
For they are life to those that find them, and health to all flesh.
23 Batela malamu motema na yo koleka biloko nyonso, pamba te makambo nyonso oyo tosalaka, wana tozali na bomoi, ewutaka na motema.
With all watchfulness keep thy heart, because life issueth out from it.
24 Longola lokuta na monoko na yo, mpe longola mabe na bibebu na yo.
Remove from thee a froward mouth, and let detracting lips be far from thee.
25 Tika ete miso na yo etalaka kaka liboso, mpe salaka makambo na bosembo mpe bosolo.
Let thy eyes look straight on, and let thy eyelids go before thy steps.
26 Bongisa nzela oyo makolo na yo ekolekela, mpe tambola kaka na nzela oyo oyebi malamu.
Make straight the path for thy feet, and all thy ways shall be established.
27 Kotengama te, ezala na ngambo ya loboko ya mobali to ya mwasi, longola makolo na yo na mabe.
Decline not to the right hand, nor to the left: turn away thy foot from evil. For the Lord knoweth the ways that are on the right hand: but those are perverse which are on the left hand. But he will make thy courses straight, he will bring forward thy ways in peace.
