Masese 4
1 Bana na ngai, boyokaka mateya ya tata, bozalaka na bokebi mpo ete bozwa mayele.
My children, listen to what I am teaching you. If you pay attention, you will understand what is wise.
2 Pamba te nazali kopesa bino mateya ya malamu; bobwaka mateya na ngai te.
What I am teaching you is good, so do not turn away from it.
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.
When I was a young boy, loved by 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,
my father told me, “Remember my words; if you obey my commandments, you will live [a long time].
5 zwa bwanya, zwa mayele, kobosana yango te, kopesa mokongo te na maloba ya monoko na ngai,
Obtain wisdom and understanding, and (do not abandon/hold fast to) [LIT] what I have taught you.
6 kosundola bwanya te, mpe yango ekobatela yo, linga yango mpe ekobomba yo.
Do not turn away from wisdom, because if you are wise, you will be protected [from all evil/danger]. If you love wisdom, wisdom [PRS] will guard you.
7 Tala ebandeli ya bwanya: Zwa bwanya, pesa biloko nyonso oyo ozali na yango mpo ete ozwa mayele.
The most important thing that you can do is to get wisdom. Even if you obtain many other things, the best thing is to know what things are wise.
8 Simba yango makasi, mpe ekotombola yo; yamba yango, mpe ekopesa yo lokumu.
If you consider being wise to be very valuable, [people] will think very highly of you. If you cling to wisdom [like you would cling to a woman you love], [many people] will honor you.
9 Ekolatisa yo ekoti ya lokumu na moto, ekopesa yo motole ya nkembo. »
If you become wise, that will for you be [like] a beautiful wreath that is put {someone puts} on your head; it will be [like] a king’s glorious crown.” [That is what my father told me].
10 Mwana na ngai, yoka mpe yamba maloba na ngai, mpe mibu ya bomoi na yo ekobakisama.
[So now I say], “My son, heed what I say. If you do that, you will live a [good] long life.
11 Nazali kolakisa yo nzela ya bwanya, nazali kotambolisa yo na nzela ya alima.
I am teaching you the way to live wisely; I am showing you how to act justly [toward others].
12 Mpo ete makolo na yo ezala na mikakatano te tango okotambola; mpe soki okimi mbangu, okokweya te.
If you live wisely, when you decide to do something, you will succeed [LIT].
13 Tingama makasi na mateya oyo bapesi yo, kobwaka yango te, batela yango malamu mpo ete ezali bomoi na yo.
Hold fast to the things I have taught you to do, and do not let them go. Guard them, because they [will be the source of a good] life.
14 Kokotaka te na nzela ya bato ya mobulu mpe kotambolaka te na nzela ya bato mabe.
Do not do the things that wicked people do; [do not behave like they do]; do not even walk on the roads that evil [people] walk on [MET].
15 Longwa kati na bango, kolekela wana te, kosala mpe maseki kuna te, kasi kende na yo na nzela mosusu.
Stay away from those roads; turn aside and walk on other roads;
16 Pamba te balalaka pongi te soki basali nanu moto mabe te, mpe pongi ekimaka bango soki babomi moto te;
because evil people cannot sleep if they have not done some evil deed [on that day]. They cannot rest if they have not harmed someone.
17 baliaka lipa na nzela ya mabe mpe bamelaka vino na nzela ya mobulu.
What they eat and what they drink are things that they have obtained by acting wickedly and violently.”
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.
The behavior of good/righteous [people] is like the light [that begins to shine] at dawn and then [continues to] shine brighter until the brightest time of day.
19 Nzela ya bato ya mobulu ezali lokola molili, bayebaka te eloko nini ekokweyisa bango.
[But] the behavior of wicked [people] is like deep/thick darkness. [Because it is very dark], they cannot see the things that cause them to stumble.
20 Mwana na ngai, zala na bokebi na maloba na ngai, pesa litoyi na yo na mateya na ngai.
My son, pay attention to what I am saying. Listen to my words carefully.
21 Tika ete ezala te mosika ya miso na yo! Batela yango malamu kati na motema na yo,
Keep them close to you; let them penetrate your inner being,
22 pamba te ezali bomoi mpo na bato oyo bazwaka yango, mpe epesaka nzoto kolongono.
because you will have [PRS] [a good] life and [good] health if you [search for them and] find them.
23 Batela malamu motema na yo koleka biloko nyonso, pamba te makambo nyonso oyo tosalaka, wana tozali na bomoi, ewutaka na motema.
It is very important that you be careful about what you think, because what you think controls [MET] the things that you do.
24 Longola lokuta na monoko na yo, mpe longola mabe na bibebu na yo.
Do not say anything that deceives [others] and never say what is not true.
25 Tika ete miso na yo etalaka kaka liboso, mpe salaka makambo na bosembo mpe bosolo.
Keep looking straight ahead toward the events that are before you, and do not turn aside.
26 Bongisa nzela oyo makolo na yo ekolekela, mpe tambola kaka na nzela oyo oyebi malamu.
Plan carefully where you will go and what you will do, and then stay on that road. Then what you do will be right.
27 Kotengama te, ezala na ngambo ya loboko ya mobali to ya mwasi, longola makolo na yo na mabe.
Do not leave the straight road by turning to the left or to the right. [Do only what is right] and keep yourself from [doing what is] evil.
