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 doth hear and increaseth learning, And the intelligent doth 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 Jehovah [is] a beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and instruction fools have despised!
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 leave 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 a graceful wreath [are] they to thy head, And chains to thy neck.
10 Mwana na ngai ya mobali, soki bato ya masumu balingi kokweyisa yo, komitika te.
My son, if sinners entice thee be not 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;
Every precious substance we find, We fill our houses [with] spoil,
14 okozwa ndambo na yo epai na biso, pamba te biso nyonso tokosangisa biloko na biso esika moko; »
Thy lot thou dost cast 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! go not in 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 to evil do run, And they haste 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 for their own blood lay wait, 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, The life of its owners it taketh.
20 Bwanya azali koganga na libanda, atomboli mongongo na ye na bisika oyo bato ebele bakutanaka;
Wisdom in an out-place crieth aloud, In broad places she giveth forth her voice,
21 azali koganga na bisika ya loyenge mpe azali koloba liboso ya ekuke ya engumba:
At the head of the multitudes she calleth, In the openings of the gates, In the city her sayings she saith:
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?
'Till when, ye simple, do ye love simplicity? And have scorners their scorning desired? 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, lo, I pour forth to you my spirit, 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 ye refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,
25 lokola bobwakaki toli na Ngai mpe boboyaki kondima pamela na Ngai,
And ye slight all my counsel, And my reproof ye have not desired.
26 Ngai mpe nakoseka bino tango pasi ekoyela bino, nakotiola bino tango minyoko ekokomela bino,
I also in your calamity do laugh, I deride 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 destruction, And your calamity as a hurricane doth come, When on you come adversity and distress.
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 find me not.
29 Lokola bayinaki boyebi mpe baponaki te nzela ya kotosa Yawe,
Because that they have hated knowledge, And the fear of Jehovah have not chosen.
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 from their own counsels they are filled.
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 slayeth them, And the security of the foolish destroyeth them.
33 kasi moto oyo ayokaka Ngai akovanda na kimia mpe akobanga mabe moko te. »
And whoso is hearkening to me dwelleth confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!'
