2 Bakolinto 4
1 Boye, lokola yango nde lotomo oyo Nzambe apesaki biso na mawa na Ye, tobungisaka elikya te;
So, because God has acted so kindly [toward me], enabling [me to teach] this great [message to people], I never get [so] discouraged [that I stop teaching it].
2 toboyaka nde makambo ya soni oyo esalemaka na nkuku, toboyaka kotambola na lokuta mpe kobebisa bosolo ya Liloba na Nzambe. Nzokande, wuta tokoma koteya bosolo na polele, topesaka na moto nyonso nzela ya kotala soki tozali kotambola malamu to te na miso ya Nzambe.
And I have determined that we [(exc)] will be honest [LIT] in everything that we do. We will not [do anything that would cause] us to be ashamed [if people found out about it]. We never try to deceive [you with clever arguments, as some other people do]. We never [try to deceive you] by changing God’s message, [as those same people do]. Instead, we always teach [people only] the truth [about Christ], and we teach it clearly. Knowing that God is watching what we do, we [teach his message in an honest way, with the result that] no one can [accuse] us [(exc) of being deceitful].
3 Mpe soki Sango Malamu oyo toteyaka ezali kaka ya kozipama, ezali ya kozipama kati na bato oyo bazali kobunga,
And if, [as some of you say, some people are] not able to understand the message [that we teach about Christ, it is not because we do not teach it clearly]. It is because those people [do not want to believe it]. They are going to perish eternally.
4 ba-oyo bazangi kondima, ba-oyo mayele na bango ebebisama na nzambe ya mokili oyo, mpo ete bamona te pole ya Sango Malamu oyo emonisaka nkembo ya Klisto oyo azali elilingi ya Nzambe. (aiōn g165)
[Satan, who is] the one [who rules] this world, controls the thoughts of those unbelievers. He prevents them from understanding the message about how wonderful Christ is. [They are not able to understand that] Jesus is like God [in every way]. (aiōn g165)
5 Toteyaka sango na biso moko te, toteyaka nde ete Yesu-Klisto azali Nkolo, mpe ete biso tozali bawumbu na bino mpo na Yesu.
That is why, [when we(exc) teach people], we do not boast about ourselves, [as some people say that we do]. Instead, [we teach you] that Jesus Christ is our Lord. We ourselves are [only] your servants. [We want to honor and obey] Jesus.
6 Pamba te Nzambe oyo alobaki: « Tika ete pole engenga kati na molili, » angengaki Ye moko kati na mitema na biso mpo na kopesa biso pole ya boyebi ya nkembo ya Nzambe, oyo engengaka na elongi ya Yesu-Klisto.
When God [created the world], he commanded the light to shine [where there was nothing but] darkness. He is the one who has [made his message about Jesus to be like] [MET] a light shining into our [(inc)] minds. [God] has done that [for all of us who believe in Jesus. He has done that so that we will understand that when people saw] Christ, they saw how awesome God himself was.
7 Kasi tomemaka bomengo yango kati na bambeki ya mabele mpo ete nguya monene ya Nzambe emonana, kasi nguya na biso bato te.
[This work that God has given to] us [(exc)] is [MET] [like] a very valuable treasure. But we who have that treasure [are as weak as fragile] [MET] clay pots. [God has planned it like that] in order that [people] will know that the power [that changes lives] is God’s power, and not any power of our own.
8 Boye, tomonaka pasi ya ndenge na ndenge, kasi tosukaka te; mobulu ekotaka kati na mayele na biso, kasi tobungisaka elikya te;
We are continually oppressed {[People] continually oppress us} in many ways, but [we have] not been prevented {[God has] not [allowed them to] prevent us} [from teaching the message about Jesus Christ]. We often do not know what to do [in difficult situations], but we never say, “God has abandoned us.”
9 tonyokwamaka mingi, kasi Nzambe asundolaka biso te; tokweyisamaka na mabele, kasi tokufaka te.
[We are frequently] persecuted {[People frequently] cause us to suffer}, but [God] never abandons us. [Sometimes we are] badly wounded {[people] badly wound us}, but [God does] not [allow] us [to] be killed {[them to] kill us}.
10 Solo, tomemaka tango nyonso mpe bisika nyonso kufa ya Yesu kati na nzoto na biso, mpo ete bomoi ya Yesu emonana mpe kati na nzoto na biso.
[Wherever we(exc) go], we continually [realize that because people killed] Jesus, [people may] kill us [for teaching his message. But we are willing to go on living this way] in order that [people] will know that Jesus is alive and [that he is directing] us [SYN].
11 Pamba te, biso oyo tozali na bomoi, tokutanaka na kufa mpo na Yesu, mpo ete bomoi ya Yesu emonana mpe kati na nzoto na biso, oyo ekufaka.
[So, although] we are [still] alive, we always realize that we may be killed {that [people some day] may kill us} because [we teach about] Jesus. [God allows us to suffer] in order that [people] will see that Jesus is alive and that he is [strengthening] our bodies that are some day going to die.
12 Boye, kufa esalaka mosala na yango kati na biso, kasi bomoi esalaka mosala na yango kati na bino.
So [I conclude that although] we [apostles] are constantly [suffering and may soon] die, [the result of that is that all of] you [have now received eternal] life.
13 Mpe awa tozali na molimo wana moko ya kondima, kolanda ndenge ekomama: « Nandimaki, yango wana nalobaki, » biso mpe tondimaka, mpe yango wana tolobaka.
We are not discouraged. We are like [the person who] wrote [in the Scriptures], “[God], I trusted [in you] and so I continue speaking [your message].” We [(exc)] also trust [in God], so we continue speaking [his message].
14 Pamba te toyebi malamu ete Ye oyo asekwisaki Nkolo Yesu kati na bakufi akosekwisa mpe biso elongo na Yesu, mpe akobimisa biso elongo na bino liboso na Ye.
[We do this] because we [(exc)] know that [although people might kill us, God], who caused the Lord Jesus to live again after he died, will also cause us [(exc)] to live again [after we die. God will do this because we belong to] Jesus. [And then God] will bring us [(exc)], together with you, to be with him.
15 Makambo oyo nyonso ezali mpo na litomba na bino, mpo ete ngolu efuluka koleka kati na bato ebele, mpe ete losambo ya kozongisa matondi ekoma mingi mpo na nkembo ya Nzambe.
[So I say that] all these things [that we(exc) suffer] happen in order to help you. [We have suffered all this] in order that more and more people, [as a result of hearing that God will] kindly/freely [forgive their sins], will thank [him and praise him. Then] they will greatly honor him [and worship him].
16 Yango wana tobungisaka elikya te. Mpe atako bomoto na biso ya libanda ezali kobeba moke-moke, kasi bomoto na biso ya kati ekomaka ya sika, mokolo na mokolo.
So, [because we know that as a result of our suffering many people will honor God], we [(exc)] never get so discouraged [that we stop teaching his message]. Although our bodies are getting weaker, [God] encourages us every day and strengthens us spiritually.
17 Pamba te pasi oyo tozali komona sik’oyo ezali pepele mpe ezali koleka, ezali nde kobongisela biso nkembo monene, nkembo ya seko mpe nkembo oyo eleki nyonso na motuya. (aiōnios g166)
[I know that] all these troubles that [happen to us in this life are] not significant and will not last forever. [When we think of] the glorious things [that God is preparing] for us [to enjoy] forever [in heaven], all [our suffering now] is not important. (aiōnios g166)
18 Boye, totalaka te oyo emonanaka na miso, kasi totalaka nde oyo emonanaka te; pamba te oyo emonanaka ezali mpo na tango moke, kasi oyo emonanaka te ekowumelaka seko na seko. (aiōnios g166)
That is why we say, “We will not continue thinking about [all the suffering that we] are experiencing now. Even though [we] cannot see [all the things that God has prepared for us in heaven], those are what we should be thinking about.” [That is how we should think], because [all these troubles] that [we(exc)] have [now] will last only a short time. But what [we will have in heaven], what [we] cannot see [now], will last forever. (aiōnios g166)
