Job 29
1 Job again took up his parable, and said,
Yobo akobaki koloba:
2 “Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;
« Ah! Soki nakokaki kozala lisusu ndenge nazalaki na basanza oyo eleki, ndenge nazalaki na mikolo oyo Nzambe azalaki kobatela ngai,
3 when his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,
tango mwinda na Ye ezalaki kongenga na moto na ngai, mpe tango, na pole na Ye, nazalaki kotambola kati na molili.
4 as I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was in my tent,
Ah! Soki nakokaki kozala lisusu ndenge nazalaki na mikolo oyo nazalaki nanu na makasi, tango bolingo ya Nzambe ezalaki kopambola ndako na ngai,
5 when the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me,
tango Nkolo-Na-Nguya-Nyonso azalaki nanu elongo na ngai bana mibali na ngai bazingelaki ngai,
6 when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,
tango nzela na ngai etondisamaki na miliki mpe libanga ezalaki kosopa mafuta ya olive mpo na ngai!
7 when I went out to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street.
Tango nazalaki kokende na ekuke ya mboka mpe nazalaki kotia kiti na ngai na esika oyo bato ebele bakutanaka,
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood.
bilenge bazalaki komona ngai mpe bazalaki kobombama, mibange bazalaki kotelema,
9 The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
bakambi bazalaki kozanga maloba mpe kozipa minoko na bango na maboko,
10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
bato ya lokumu bazalaki kokitisa mingongo na bango mpe lolemo na bango ezalaki kokangama na minoko na bango.
11 For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it commended me,
Moto nyonso oyo azalaki koyoka ngai azalaki koloba ete nazali moto ya esengo, mpe bato nyonso oyo bazalaki komona ngai bazalaki kotatola mpo na ngai;
12 because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had no one to help him,
pamba te nazalaki kosunga babola oyo bazalaki kosenga lisungi, mpe mwana etike oyo azangi moto oyo akosunga ye.
13 the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
Moto oyo akomaki pene ya kokufa azalaki kopambola ngai, mpe nazalaki kopesa esengo na motema ya mwasi oyo akufisa mobali.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.
Nazalaki kolata bosembo lokola elamba; bosembo ezalaki elamba na ngai mpe kitendi na ngai ya kokanga na moto.
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame.
Nazalaki miso ya mokufi miso mpe makolo ya mokakatani;
16 I was a father to the needy. I researched the cause of him whom I didn’t know.
nazalaki tata ya moto oyo akelela, nazalaki kobundela moto oyo nayebi te;
17 I broke the jaws of the unrighteous and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
nabukaki mbanga ya moto mabe mpe nabotolaki bato oyo akangaki na minu na ye.
18 Then I said, ‘I will die in my own house, I will count my days as the sand.
Nazalaki kokanisa: ‹ Nakokufa kati na ndako na ngai moko sima na mikolo ebele lokola zelo.
19 My root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch.
Misisa na ngai ekoluka mayi, mpe mayi oyo ezalaka na matiti ekovanda butu mobimba na bitape na ngai.
20 My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.’
Lokumu na ngai ekozongisela ngai esengo, ata tolotolo ekokoma ya sika na loboko na ngai. ›
21 “Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel.
Bato bazalaki koyoka ngai na bokebi, bazalaki na kimia mpo na koyoka toli na ngai.
22 After my words they didn’t speak again. My speech fell on them.
Sima na ngai koloba, bazalaki na liloba ya kozongisa te; maloba na ngai ezalaki kokota na esengo na matoyi na bango.
23 They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.
Bazalaki kozela ngai ndenge bazelaka mvula, mpe bazalaki komela maloba na ngai lokola mvula ya suka.
24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn’t reject the light of my face.
Soki nasekisi bango, bazalaki kondima te; kongenga ya elongi na ngai ezalaki na motuya mpo na bango.
25 I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.
Naponaki nzela mpo na bango mpe navandaki lokola mokonzi na bango; nazalaki kokonza bango lokola mokonzi kati na mampinga na ye, nazalaki lokola moto oyo azalaki kolendisa bato ya mawa. »
