2 Corinthians 3
1 [As I write these things about myself], I am [RHQ] not [doing it] to boast about how good I am, [as some of you say I do]. Some people always carry letters with them that tell how well they work, [that other people] have [written]. But I do not [RHQ] need [to bring] letters like that [when I come to you]. Nor do I need to ask you [to write] letters like that [for me when I go to other congregations].
Boni, tokomi lisusu komikumisa biso moko? Boni, tozali lisusu na posa, lokola bato mosusu, ya kopesa bino mikanda ya matatoli to ya kosenga bino mikanda ya matatoli?
2 You yourselves are [MET] [like a] letter that recommends my work [for God to everyone]. People see [how Christ changed] your [lives when you believed the message that I taught you]. Everyone [who knows you] can see [the result of my work for God].
Bino nde bozali mokanda na biso, mokanda oyo ekomama kati na mitema na biso, mokanda oyo bato nyonso bayebi mpe batangaka.
3 You are [MET] [like] a letter that Christ himself [has written] that says good things about [my work for God in your lives]. You show [people by the way you now conduct your lives that God has changed your lives] as a result of my work [among you. People did] not [find out about you by] reading [a letter that was written to them on paper] with [pen and] ink. Instead, [they saw how] the Spirit of the all-powerful God [has changed your lives]. Nor [did people find out about you by reading] a letter that was carved on stone slabs [like the stone slabs that God gave to Moses]. Instead, [it was the change that God’s Spirit made in] your lives [MET] [that they saw].
Bozali penza kolakisa ete bozali mokanda ya Klisto, bozali mbuma ya lotomo na biso, mpe ete bozali mokanda oyo ekomamaki na nzela ya mayi ya ekomeli te kasi na nzela ya Molimo ya Nzambe na bomoi, mokanda oyo ekomamaki na likolo ya bitando ya mabanga te kasi kati na mitema ya bato.
4 I [can very] confidently [write these things about the work that Silas, Timothy, and I did among you, because God knows that what I write is true. We(exc) are true workers] for God [because of what] Christ [has done for us].
Yango nde elikya oyo tozali na yango kati na Nzambe, na nzela ya Klisto.
5 We [(exc)], by ourselves, do not have the ability [to do this work]. None of us [apostles] can say, “[I have changed the lives of these people].” God is the one [who has given us this ability].
Tosengeli te kokanisa ete ezali na ndenge na biso moko nde tozwi makoki ya kosala likambo songolo; te, makoki na biso ewutaka nde na Nzambe.
6 He is the one who enables us [(exc)] to be his messengers. [He has enabled us to tell people the message] about the new agreement [that he is making with them]. This is not a [message about obeying all the] written laws [of his old agreement that he made with the Jewish people]. Instead, [it is a message about God giving us his] Spirit. [Previously, God condemned people to be] separated from him forever [if they did not obey his laws]. But by [God’s new agreement] his Spirit enables people to live [eternally].
Ezali Nzambe nde apesaki biso makoki ya kozala basali ya Boyokani ya sika oyo evandisami na Mibeko te kasi na Molimo; pamba te Mibeko ebomaka, kasi Molimo apesaka bomoi.
7 [Moses] taught [the people that if they did not obey God’s laws completely they would be] separated from God forever. [God] wrote [his laws] on stone [slabs. Then he gave them to Moses to teach them to the people. Although God’s laws condemned the people] to die, [when Moses brought those laws down from Sinai Mountain, God caused Moses’ face to shine] Moses’ face to shine radiantly [to show the people that these laws were God’s laws. It shone]. so brightly that the people of Israel could not keep looking at Moses’ face. [They had to look away]. But the brightness was slowly fading away.
Sik’oyo, soki lotomo ya kufa, oyo ekomamaki na likolo ya bitando ya mabanga, eyaki na nkembo, na ndenge ete bana ya Isalaele balongaki te kowumela kotala elongi ya Moyize likolo ya kongenga ya nkembo na yango, nzokande nkembo yango esengelaki kosila,
8 [So], [since God showed in such a wonderful way that those laws that condemned the people to die were from him], surely when we [(exc)] teach [people about how God’s] Spirit will [change their lives], [God will show] in an even more wonderful way [that] it is [his message.] [RHQ]
ndenge nini lotomo ya Molimo eleka na nkembo te?
9 The message [that Moses taught them was wonderful, but when people heard] that message, [they realized that they were sinners and that God] would punish them. But God’s message that we [(exc) teach is a] much more wonderful message. We teach people that God will (erase the record of/declare people no longer guilty for) [the sinful things that they have done].
Pamba te, soki lotomo oyo ememelaki bato etumbu ezalaki na nkembo, ndenge nini lotomo oyo esalaki ete Nzambe akomisa bato sembo eleka na nkembo te?
10 [The truth is that, although the work of teaching the people to obey God’s laws] was once important, it is not as important now, because [the work of teaching people that God will forgive them and] enable them to live to please him is far more important.
Tokoki ata koloba ete nkembo ya kala ebungisa kongenga na yango liboso ya nkembo ya sika oyo eleki penza monene.
11 Furthermore, [the message that Moses taught was not a lasting message, just like] the brightness on his face was not lasting and soon faded away. But [when God gives his Spirit to people], the wonderful work that [God’s Spirit does in their lives] is much greater [because] it lasts forever.
Mpe soki oyo esengelaki kosila ezalaki na nkembo, ndenge nini nkembo ya oyo ekowumelaka seko na seko eleka monene te?
12 We [(exc)] know that the message that we teach is a [much more wonderful message than the message that Moses taught]. So we [can preach] boldly.
Lokola tozali na elikya ya lolenge oyo, tozali na bobangi te;
13 We do not [need to put a veil over our faces when we teach people], as Moses did. Moses put a veil over his face so that the Israelites would not see that the radiance [on his face] soon faded away. [Similarly, the glory of the old agreement has also faded away].
tozali te lokola Moyize oyo azalaki kosalela vwale mpo na kozipa elongi na ye, mpo na kopekisa bana ya Isalaele kotala suka ya nkembo oyo esengeli kosila.
14 But the Israelis stubbornly refused to [understand that the old agreement would end]. Even now, when they read the old agreement, [they still do not realize that it has ended. It is as if] [MET] that same veil [that Moses put on his face] is now over their [minds, keeping them from understanding God’s true message]. They will [understand that message] only when [they come to trust] in Christ. Then [it will be as though God] has removed the veil.
Kasi mayele na bango ekomaki bozoba. Kino na mokolo ya lelo, tango batangaka mikanda ya Boyokani ya Kala, vwale yango ezalaka kaka, elongwe nanu te kati na bango, pamba te elongwaka kaka kati na Klisto.
15 [Throughout all these years], even until now, when [the Israelis] read what Moses [write, it is as though] a veil is covering their minds.
Solo, kino na mokolo ya lelo, tango nyonso bana ya Isalaele batangaka mikanda ya Moyize, vwale moko ezipaka mitema na bango.
16 But when any of them believes in the Lord [Jesus], [God] removes that veil from them.
Kasi tango nyonso moto abalukaka epai ya Nkolo, vwale yango elongwaka.
17 [It is by the power of his] Spirit that the Lord [works in our lives], and the Lord’s Spirit has set us free [from trying to obey all the rules and rituals that God gave Moses].
Sik’oyo, Nkolo azali Molimo; mpe epai Molimo ya Nkolo azali, epai mpe bonsomi ezali.
18 [It is as though God] has removed the veil from our faces [MET]. We realize how awesome Jesus is. As we realize that, we are continually being changed {[the Holy Spirit is] continually changing us} to become more and more like Jesus, [so that people can see], more and more, how awesome [Jesus is]. It is the Spirit of the Lord who does [this].
Mpe biso nyonso oyo bilongi na biso ezipama te, biso oyo tomonisaka nkembo ya Nkolo, tozwaka elilingi na Ye kati na nkembo oyo kongenga na yango ebakisamaka se kobakisama. Nyonso wana ezali mosala ya Nkolo oyo azali Molimo.
