Masese 1
1 Masese ya Salomo, mwana mobali ya Davidi, mokonzi ya Isalaele:
Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 mpo na koyeba bwanya, kozwa mateya mpe kososola maloba ya mayele;
For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,
3 mpo na kozwa mateya ya bwanya oyo epesaka bizaleli ya sembo, ya boyengebene mpe makambo ya alima;
For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,
4 mpo na kopesa mayele epai ya bazoba, mpe boyebi epai ya bilenge.
For giving to simple ones—prudence, To a 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 hear and increase learning, And the intelligent obtain counsels.)
6 mpo na kososola masese mpe sambole, maloba ya bwanya mpe kolimbola makambo.
For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.
7 Kotosa Yawe ezali mosisa ya mayele; bato oyo bazangi mayele batiolaka bwanya mpe toli.
Fear of YHWH [is the] beginning of knowledge, Fools have despised wisdom and instruction!
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 your father, And do not leave the law of your mother,
9 Pamba te ekozala lokola ekoti ya ngolu na moto na yo, mpe lokola mayaka ya kitoko na kingo na yo.
For they [are] a graceful wreath to your head, And chains to your neck.
10 Mwana na ngai ya mobali, soki bato ya masumu balingi kokweyisa yo, komitika te.
My son, if sinners entice you, do not be willing.
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, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly 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)
We swallow them as Sheol—alive, And whole—as those going down [to] the pit, (Sheol h7585)
13 tokozwa biloko ya talo ya ndenge na ndenge, mpe tokotondisa bandako na biso na bomengo ya bitumba;
We find every precious substance, We fill our houses [with] spoil,
14 okozwa ndambo na yo epai na biso, pamba te biso nyonso tokosangisa biloko na biso esika moko; »
You cast your lot among us, One purse is—to all of us.”
15 mwana na ngai ya mobali, kokende elongo na bango te, longola makolo na yo na nzela na bango;
My son! Do not go in the way with them, Withhold your 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 they hurry to shed blood.
17 Solo, ezali pamba kotia monyama liboso ya miso ya bikelamu nyonso oyo ezali na mapapu.
Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes 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 watch secretly 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 gainer of dishonest gain, It takes the life of its owners.
20 Bwanya azali koganga na libanda, atomboli mongongo na ye na bisika oyo bato ebele bakutanaka;
Wisdom cries aloud in an out-place, She gives forth her voice in broad places,
21 azali koganga na bisika ya loyenge mpe azali koloba liboso ya ekuke ya engumba:
She calls at the head of the multitudes, In the openings of the gates, In the city she says her sayings:
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?
“Until when, you simple, do you love simplicity? And have scorners desired their scorning? And do fools hate knowledge?
23 Soki boyoki makebisi na Ngai, nakosopela bino Molimo na Ngai mpe nakososolisa bino maloba na Ngai.
Turn back at my reproof, behold, I pour forth my spirit to you, I make known my words with you.
24 Kasi lokola bosundolaki Ngai tango nazalaki kobelela mpe moto moko te asalaki keba tango natandaki loboko,
Because I have called, and you refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,
25 lokola bobwakaki toli na Ngai mpe boboyaki kondima pamela na Ngai,
And you slight all my counsel, And you have not desired my reproof.
26 Ngai mpe nakoseka bino tango pasi ekoyela bino, nakotiola bino tango minyoko ekokomela bino,
I also laugh in your calamity, I deride when your fear comes,
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 comes as destruction, And your calamity comes as a windstorm, When adversity and distress come on you.
28 Bakoganga epai na Ngai, kasi nakoyanola bango te; bakoluka Ngai na ngonga ya malamu, kasi bakomona Ngai te.
Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and do not find me.
29 Lokola bayinaki boyebi mpe baponaki te nzela ya kotosa Yawe,
Because that they have hated knowledge, And have not chosen the fear of YHWH.
30 lokola baboyaki kondima toli na Ngai mpe batiolaki pamela na Ngai,
They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,
31 bakolia mbuma ya etamboli na bango mpe bakotonda na mabongisi ya mitema na bango moko.
And they eat of the fruit of their way, And they are filled from their own counsels.
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 of the simple slays them, And the security of the foolish destroys them.
33 kasi moto oyo ayokaka Ngai akovanda na kimia mpe akobanga mabe moko te. »
And whoever is listening to me dwells confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!”
