Masese 1
1 Masese ya Salomo, mwana mobali ya Davidi, mokonzi ya Isalaele:
The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, the king of Israel:
2 mpo na koyeba bwanya, kozwa mateya mpe kososola maloba ya mayele;
To know wisdom and instruction; to comprehend the sayings of understanding;
3 mpo na kozwa mateya ya bwanya oyo epesaka bizaleli ya sembo, ya boyengebene mpe makambo ya alima;
To accept the instruction of intelligence, righteousness, and justice, and equity;
4 mpo na kopesa mayele epai ya bazoba, mpe boyebi epai ya bilenge.
To give to the simple prudence, to the youth 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;
The wise will hear, and will increase [his] information; and the man of understanding will obtain wise counsels:
6 mpo na kososola masese mpe sambole, maloba ya bwanya mpe kolimbola makambo.
To understand a proverb, and a sage sentence; the words of the wise, and their riddles.
7 Kotosa Yawe ezali mosisa ya mayele; bato oyo bazangi mayele batiolaka bwanya mpe toli.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: wisdom and instruction fools [alone] despise.
8 Mwana na ngai ya mobali, yoka toli ya tata na yo, mpe kobwaka te mateya ya mama na yo;
Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and cast not off the teaching 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 a wreath of grace are they unto thy head, and chains for thy throat.
10 Mwana na ngai ya mobali, soki bato ya masumu balingi kokweyisa yo, komitika te.
My son, if sinners wish to 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 should say, Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us watch in concealment for the uselessly innocent;
12 Ndenge mokili ya bakufi esalaka, tokomela ye ya bomoi, tokomela ye mobimba lokola bato oyo bakitaka na libulu ya kufa; (Sheol h7585)
We will swallow them up like the grave alive; and the men of integrity, 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 [kinds of] precious wealth, we will fill our houses with booty;
14 okozwa ndambo na yo epai na biso, pamba te biso nyonso tokosangisa biloko na biso esika moko; »
Thy lot must thou cast in our midst; one purse shall be for us all:
15 mwana na ngai ya mobali, kokende elongo na bango te, longola makolo na yo na nzela na bango;
My son, walk not thou on the way with them; withhold 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 after evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
17 Solo, ezali pamba kotia monyama liboso ya miso ya bikelamu nyonso oyo ezali na mapapu.
For uselessly is the net spread out before the eyes of every winged bird:
18 Kasi bango, batiaka mitambo mpo na kosopa makila na bango moko, bamilukelaka pasi na bomoi na bango.
While they lie in wait for their [own] blood; they watch in concealment 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 paths of every one that is greedy after [unlawful] gain; it taketh away the life of those that own it.
20 Bwanya azali koganga na libanda, atomboli mongongo na ye na bisika oyo bato ebele bakutanaka;
Wisdom crieth loudly without; in the public places she uttereth her voice;
21 azali koganga na bisika ya loyenge mpe azali koloba liboso ya ekuke ya engumba:
At the corner of noisy streets she calleth, at the entrances of gates; in the city she sayeth her speeches:
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 take their delight in scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
23 Soki boyoki makebisi na Ngai, nakosopela bino Molimo na Ngai mpe nakososolisa bino maloba na Ngai.
Turn back to my admonition: 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,
Whereas I called, and ye refused; I stretched out my hand, and no man was attentive;
25 lokola bobwakaki toli na Ngai mpe boboyaki kondima pamela na Ngai,
And ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would not accept my admonition:
26 Ngai mpe nakoseka bino tango pasi ekoyela bino, nakotiola bino tango minyoko ekokomela bino,
[Therefore] I also will truly laugh at your calamity; I will deride [you] when your terror 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 terror cometh like the tempest-cloud, and your calamity hasteneth like a whirlwind; when there come upon you distress and affliction.
28 Bakoganga epai na Ngai, kasi nakoyanola bango te; bakoluka Ngai na ngonga ya malamu, kasi bakomona Ngai te.
Then will they call me, but I will not answer; they will seek me earnestly, but they shall not find me;
29 Lokola bayinaki boyebi mpe baponaki te nzela ya kotosa Yawe,
For the reason that they hated knowledge, and the fear of the Lord they did not choose;
30 lokola baboyaki kondima toli na Ngai mpe batiolaki pamela na Ngai,
[That] they would not attend to my counsel: [that] they rejected all my admonition.
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 from their own counsels shall they be satisfied.
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 defection of the simple will slay them, and the prosperity of fools will cause them to be lost.
33 kasi moto oyo ayokaka Ngai akovanda na kimia mpe akobanga mabe moko te. »
But he that hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be at rest from the dread of evil.
