Masese 4
1 Bana na ngai, boyokaka mateya ya tata, bozalaka na bokebi mpo ete bozwa mayele.
Listen, sons, to a father's instruction, and pay attention so you will know what understanding is.
2 Pamba te nazali kopesa bino mateya ya malamu; bobwaka mateya na ngai te.
I am giving you good instructions; do not forsake my teaching.
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 son of my father, the tender and only child 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,
he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast to my words; keep my commands and live.
5 zwa bwanya, zwa mayele, kobosana yango te, kopesa mokongo te na maloba ya monoko na ngai,
Acquire wisdom and understanding; do not forget and do not reject the words of my mouth;
6 kosundola bwanya te, mpe yango ekobatela yo, linga yango mpe ekobomba yo.
do not abandon wisdom and she will watch over you; love her and she will keep you safe.
7 Tala ebandeli ya bwanya: Zwa bwanya, pesa biloko nyonso oyo ozali na yango mpo ete ozwa mayele.
Wisdom is the most important thing, so acquire wisdom and spend all you own so you can get understanding.
8 Simba yango makasi, mpe ekotombola yo; yamba yango, mpe ekopesa yo lokumu.
Cherish wisdom and she will exalt you; she will honor you when you embrace her.
9 Ekolatisa yo ekoti ya lokumu na moto, ekopesa yo motole ya nkembo. »
She will put a wreath of honor on your head; she will give you a beautiful crown.”
10 Mwana na ngai, yoka mpe yamba maloba na ngai, mpe mibu ya bomoi na yo ekobakisama.
Listen, my son, and pay attention to my words, and you will have many years in your life.
11 Nazali kolakisa yo nzela ya bwanya, nazali kotambolisa yo na nzela ya alima.
I direct you in the way of wisdom; I lead you down straight paths.
12 Mpo ete makolo na yo ezala na mikakatano te tango okotambola; mpe soki okimi mbangu, okokweya te.
When you walk, no one will stand in your way and if you run, you will not stumble.
13 Tingama makasi na mateya oyo bapesi yo, kobwaka yango te, batela yango malamu mpo ete ezali bomoi na yo.
Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it, for it is your life.
14 Kokotaka te na nzela ya bato ya mobulu mpe kotambolaka te na nzela ya bato mabe.
Do not follow the path of the wicked and do not go along the way of those who do evil.
15 Longwa kati na bango, kolekela wana te, kosala mpe maseki kuna te, kasi kende na yo na nzela mosusu.
Avoid it, do not go on it; turn away from it and go another way.
16 Pamba te balalaka pongi te soki basali nanu moto mabe te, mpe pongi ekimaka bango soki babomi moto te;
For they cannot sleep until they do evil and they are robbed of sleep until they cause someone to stumble.
17 baliaka lipa na nzela ya mabe mpe bamelaka vino na nzela ya mobulu.
For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
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 righteous people is like the first light that grows brighter; it shines more and more until the fullness of the day comes.
19 Nzela ya bato ya mobulu ezali lokola molili, bayebaka te eloko nini ekokweyisa bango.
The way of the wicked is like darkness— they do not know what it is they stumble over.
20 Mwana na ngai, zala na bokebi na maloba na ngai, pesa litoyi na yo na mateya na ngai.
My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Tika ete ezala te mosika ya miso na yo! Batela yango malamu kati na motema na yo,
Do not let them turn away from your eyes; keep them in your heart.
22 pamba te ezali bomoi mpo na bato oyo bazwaka yango, mpe epesaka nzoto kolongono.
For my words are life to those who find them and health to their whole body.
23 Batela malamu motema na yo koleka biloko nyonso, pamba te makambo nyonso oyo tosalaka, wana tozali na bomoi, ewutaka na motema.
Keep your heart safe and guard it with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.
24 Longola lokuta na monoko na yo, mpe longola mabe na bibebu na yo.
Put crooked speech away from you and put corrupt talk far from you.
25 Tika ete miso na yo etalaka kaka liboso, mpe salaka makambo na bosembo mpe bosolo.
Let your eyes look straight ahead and fix your gaze straight before you.
26 Bongisa nzela oyo makolo na yo ekolekela, mpe tambola kaka na nzela oyo oyebi malamu.
Make a level path for your foot; then all your ways will be secure.
27 Kotengama te, ezala na ngambo ya loboko ya mobali to ya mwasi, longola makolo na yo na mabe.
Do not turn aside to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.
