Masese 4
1 Bana na ngai, boyokaka mateya ya tata, bozalaka na bokebi mpo ete bozwa mayele.
Hear, ye children, the correction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
2 Pamba te nazali kopesa bino mateya ya malamu; bobwaka mateya na ngai te.
For good information do I give you: my teaching must ye not forsake.
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 was a son unto my father, a tender and an only child before 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 instructed me, and said unto me, Let thy heart grasp firmly my words: observe my commandments and live.
5 zwa bwanya, zwa mayele, kobosana yango te, kopesa mokongo te na maloba ya monoko na ngai,
Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding: forget not, and depart not from the sayings of my mouth.
6 kosundola bwanya te, mpe yango ekobatela yo, linga yango mpe ekobomba yo.
Forsake her not, and she will watch over thee: love her, and she will keep thee.
7 Tala ebandeli ya bwanya: Zwa bwanya, pesa biloko nyonso oyo ozali na yango mpo ete ozwa mayele.
The beginning of wisdom is, Acquire wisdom: and with all thy acquisition acquire understanding.
8 Simba yango makasi, mpe ekotombola yo; yamba yango, mpe ekopesa yo lokumu.
Hold her in high esteem, and she will exalt thee: she will bring thee to honor, when thou embracest her.
9 Ekolatisa yo ekoti ya lokumu na moto, ekopesa yo motole ya nkembo. »
She will give to thy head a wreath of grace: a crown of ornament will she deliver to thee.
10 Mwana na ngai, yoka mpe yamba maloba na ngai, mpe mibu ya bomoi na yo ekobakisama.
Hear, O my son, and accept my sayings: and they will increase unto thee the years of life.
11 Nazali kolakisa yo nzela ya bwanya, nazali kotambolisa yo na nzela ya alima.
In the way of wisdom have I instructed thee: I have led thee in the tracks of uprightness.
12 Mpo ete makolo na yo ezala na mikakatano te tango okotambola; mpe soki okimi mbangu, okokweya te.
When thou walkest, thy step shall not be narrowed; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
13 Tingama makasi na mateya oyo bapesi yo, kobwaka yango te, batela yango malamu mpo ete ezali bomoi na yo.
Lay fast hold of correction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.
14 Kokotaka te na nzela ya bato ya mobulu mpe kotambolaka te na nzela ya bato mabe.
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and step not on the way of the bad.
15 Longwa kati na bango, kolekela wana te, kosala mpe maseki kuna te, kasi kende na yo na nzela mosusu.
Avoid it, pass not through by it, turn off from it, and pass away.
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 robbed away, unless they cause some to stumble.
17 baliaka lipa na nzela ya mabe mpe bamelaka vino na nzela ya mobulu.
For they eat the bread of wickedness; and the wine of violence do they drink.
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 righteous is as the early morning light, that shineth more and more brightly until the height of noonday.
19 Nzela ya bato ya mobulu ezali lokola molili, bayebaka te eloko nini ekokweyisa bango.
The way of the wicked is like darkness: they know not against what they stumble.
20 Mwana na ngai, zala na bokebi na maloba na ngai, pesa litoyi na yo na mateya na ngai.
My son, attend to my words, unto my sayings incline thy ear.
21 Tika ete ezala te mosika ya miso na yo! Batela yango malamu kati na motema na yo,
Let them not slip away from thy eyes: guard 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 unto every one of those that find them, and to all his body a healing.
23 Batela malamu motema na yo koleka biloko nyonso, pamba te makambo nyonso oyo tosalaka, wana tozali na bomoi, ewutaka na motema.
Above all that is to be guarded, keep thy heart, for out of it are the issues of life.
24 Longola lokuta na monoko na yo, mpe longola mabe na bibebu na yo.
Remove from thee frowardness of mouth; and perverseness of lips put away far from thee.
25 Tika ete miso na yo etalaka kaka liboso, mpe salaka makambo na bosembo mpe bosolo.
Let thy eyes look right forward, and let thy eyelids see straight out before thee.
26 Bongisa nzela oyo makolo na yo ekolekela, mpe tambola kaka na nzela oyo oyebi malamu.
Balance well the track of thy foot, and let all thy ways be firmly right.
27 Kotengama te, ezala na ngambo ya loboko ya mobali to ya mwasi, longola makolo na yo na mabe.
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
