Masese 1
1 Masese ya Salomo, mwana mobali ya Davidi, mokonzi ya Isalaele:
The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
2 mpo na koyeba bwanya, kozwa mateya mpe kososola maloba ya mayele;
To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
3 mpo na kozwa mateya ya bwanya oyo epesaka bizaleli ya sembo, ya boyengebene mpe makambo ya alima;
To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
4 mpo na kopesa mayele epai ya bazoba, mpe boyebi epai ya bilenge.
To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
5 Tika ete moto ya bwanya ayoka yango, mpe akobakisa bwanya na ye, bongo moto ya mayele akoyeba mayele ya kotambolisa bato;
A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
6 mpo na kososola masese mpe sambole, maloba ya bwanya mpe kolimbola makambo.
To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
7 Kotosa Yawe ezali mosisa ya mayele; bato oyo bazangi mayele batiolaka bwanya mpe toli.
The fear of Yhwh is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 Mwana na ngai ya mobali, yoka toli ya tata na yo, mpe kobwaka te mateya ya mama na yo;
My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
9 Pamba te ekozala lokola ekoti ya ngolu na moto na yo, mpe lokola mayaka ya kitoko na kingo na yo.
For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
10 Mwana na ngai ya mobali, soki bato ya masumu balingi kokweyisa yo, komitika te.
My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
11 Soki balobi na yo: « Yaka elongo na biso, tika ete tosala motambo mpo na koboma bato, tokosepela mpo na kokanga moto oyo ayebi likambo te!
If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:
12 Ndenge mokili ya bakufi esalaka, tokomela ye ya bomoi, tokomela ye mobimba lokola bato oyo bakitaka na libulu ya kufa; (Sheol h7585)
Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: (Sheol h7585)
13 tokozwa biloko ya talo ya ndenge na ndenge, mpe tokotondisa bandako na biso na bomengo ya bitumba;
We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
14 okozwa ndambo na yo epai na biso, pamba te biso nyonso tokosangisa biloko na biso esika moko; »
Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:
15 mwana na ngai ya mobali, kokende elongo na bango te, longola makolo na yo na nzela na bango;
My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:
16 pamba te makolo na bango ekimaka mbangu mpo na kolanda mabe, mpe bapotaka mbangu mpo na kosopa makila.
For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
17 Solo, ezali pamba kotia monyama liboso ya miso ya bikelamu nyonso oyo ezali na mapapu.
Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.
18 Kasi bango, batiaka mitambo mpo na kosopa makila na bango moko, bamilukelaka pasi na bomoi na bango.
And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.
19 Moto oyo alukaka kozwa bomengo na nzela ya lokuta asukaka kaka bongo, mpe bomengo yango ebomaka kaka ye moko.
So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.
20 Bwanya azali koganga na libanda, atomboli mongongo na ye na bisika oyo bato ebele bakutanaka;
Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:
21 azali koganga na bisika ya loyenge mpe azali koloba liboso ya ekuke ya engumba:
She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,
22 « Yo moto oyo ozangi mayele, kino tango nini okolinga bozoba na yo? Kino tango nini batioli bakokoba kosepela kotiola? Mpe bino bazoba, kino tango nini bokokoba koyina mayele?
How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
23 Soki boyoki makebisi na Ngai, nakosopela bino Molimo na Ngai mpe nakososolisa bino maloba na Ngai.
Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
24 Kasi lokola bosundolaki Ngai tango nazalaki kobelela mpe moto moko te asalaki keba tango natandaki loboko,
Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
25 lokola bobwakaki toli na Ngai mpe boboyaki kondima pamela na Ngai,
But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
26 Ngai mpe nakoseka bino tango pasi ekoyela bino, nakotiola bino tango minyoko ekokomela bino,
I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
27 tango minyoko ekokomela bino na pwasa lokola mvula ya kake makasi, tango somo ekoyela bino lokola ekumbaki, tango mawa mpe somo ekokomela bino.
When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
28 Bakoganga epai na Ngai, kasi nakoyanola bango te; bakoluka Ngai na ngonga ya malamu, kasi bakomona Ngai te.
Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
29 Lokola bayinaki boyebi mpe baponaki te nzela ya kotosa Yawe,
For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of Yhwh:
30 lokola baboyaki kondima toli na Ngai mpe batiolaki pamela na Ngai,
They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
31 bakolia mbuma ya etamboli na bango mpe bakotonda na mabongisi ya mitema na bango moko.
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
32 Pamba te kotomboka ya bato oyo bazangi mayele ekoboma bango, mpe bozangi bokebi ya bato oyo bazangi mayele ekoboma kaka bango moko;
For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
33 kasi moto oyo ayokaka Ngai akovanda na kimia mpe akobanga mabe moko te. »
But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
