Kobima 17
1 Lisanga mobimba ya bana ya Isalaele elongwaki na esobe ya Tsini mpe ezalaki kotambola kolanda ndenge Yawe azalaki kotinda. Batongaki molako na bango na Refidimi, kasi mayi ya komela ezalaki te mpo na bato.
Obeying what Yahweh commanded, all the Israeli people moved from the Sin Desert. They/We traveled from one place to another. They/We camped at [a place named] Rephidim, but there was no water there for (the people/us) to drink.
2 Bato ya Isalaele baswanisaki Moyize, balobaki na ye: — Pesa biso mayi ya komela! Moyize azongiselaki bango: — Mpo na nini bozali koswanisa ngai? Mpo na nini bolingi komeka Yawe?
So the people complained to Moses/me again, saying, “Give us water to drink!” Moses/I replied to them, “Why are you (criticizing/arguing with) me [RHQ]? And why are you trying to determine whether Yahweh [has the power to provide for you]?”
3 Lokola posa ya mayi elekaki makasi, bato bayimaki-yimaki epai ya Moyize mpe balobaki: — Mpo na nini obimisaki biso na Ejipito? Ezali mpo ete obomisa biso, bana na biso mpe bibwele na biso na posa ya mayi?
But the people were very thirsty, and they continued to complain to Moses/me. They were saying things like “Why did you bring us out of Egypt?”, and “Did you bring us here to cause us and our children and livestock to die (from thirst/because we had no water to drink) [RHQ]?”
4 Moyize abelelaki Yawe: — Nasala nini mpo na bato oyo? Etikali kaka moke ete babamba ngai mabanga!
So Moses/I prayed earnestly to Yahweh. He/I said, “(How shall I deal with these people?/I do not know how to deal with these people!) [RHQ] They are almost ready to [kill me by throwing] stones at me!”
5 Yawe azongiselaki Moyize: — Leka liboso ya bato, kamata ndambo ya bakambi ya Isalaele. Zwa na loboko na yo, lingenda oyo obetaki na ebale Nili, mpe kende.
Yahweh replied to Moses/me, “Take some of the elders/leaders of the Israeli people with you and [tell the rest of] the people to follow you [to Sinai Mountain]. Take along the stick with which you struck the Nile [River].
6 Ngai nakotelema kuna, liboso na yo, na likolo ya libanga oyo ezali na ngomba Orebi. Okobeta libanga yango, mpe yango ekobimisa mayi, bongo bato bakomela. Moyize asalaki bongo na miso ya bakambi ya Isalaele.
Listen carefully: I will stand in front of you on top of a [large] rock at the foot of the mountain. Strike the rock with your stick. [When you do that], water for the people to drink will flow out of the rock.” [When they/we arrived at the mountain], Moses/I did that while the Israeli elders were watching, [and water flowed from the rock].
7 Abengaki esika yango Masa mpe Meriba, pamba te bana ya Isalaele baswanisaki ye mpe bamekaki Yawe tango balobaki: « Boni, Yawe yango azali kati na biso to te? »
Moses/I gave that place two names [in the Hebrew language: ] Massah, [which means ‘testing’], and Meribah, [which means ‘complaining’]. He/I gave it the name Massah because the Israeli people were testing Yahweh, saying “Is Yahweh really among us [and able to help us], or not?”, and he/I gave it the name Meribah because they were [continually] complaining.
8 Bato ya Amaleki bayaki mpe babundisaki bana ya Isalaele na Refidimi.
Then the descendants of the Amalek people-group came and fought against the Israeli people at Rephidim.
9 Moyize alobaki na Jozue: — Ponela biso bilombe ya bitumba kati na bato; mpe lobi; wana yo okende kobundisa bato ya Amaleki, ngai nakotelema na likolo ya ngomba moke elongo na lingenda ya Nzambe na loboko na ngai.
Moses/I said to Joshua, [who was one of our army/Israeli leaders], “Choose some men to go out and fight against the Amalek people-group tomorrow. I will stand on the top of the hill, holding the stick that God told me to carry.”
10 Jozue asalaki ndenge Moyize atindaki ye mpe abundisaki bato ya Amaleki; wana Moyize, Aron mpe Wuri bamataki likolo ya ngomba.
So Joshua did what Moses/I told him to do. He took some men to fight against the Amalek people-group. [While they were fighting], Aaron, Hur, and Moses/I went up to the top of the hill [so that they/we could see the whole battle area].
11 Tango nyonso Moyize abandaki kotombola maboko na ye mpo na kobondela, bana ya Isalaele bazalaki kolonga; kasi tango nyonso azalaki kokitisa maboko na ye, bato ya Amaleki bazalaki kolonga.
Whenever Moses/I lifted up his/my arms, the Israeli men started to win [the battle]. And whenever he/I lowered his/my arms, the Amalek people-group started to win.
12 Tango maboko ya Moyize elembaki, Aron mpe Wuri bakamataki libanga mpe batielaki ye yango mpo ete avandela yango; mpe Moyize avandelaki yango. Aron mpe Uri batombolaki maboko na ye, moko na ngambo moko, mpe mosusu na ngambo mosusu. Boye maboko na ye etikalaki ya kosembolama kino na pokwa.
But his/my arms became tired. So Aaron and Hur [rolled] a [large] stone for Moses/me to sit on. [While he/I was sitting on it], those two held up his/my arms, [one on one side and the other on the other side]. In that way, they kept his/my arms lifted up, and his/my arms held steady until the sun went down.
13 Mpe Jozue alongaki basoda ya bato ya Amaleki na mopanga.
So Joshua and the men with him completely defeated the Amalek people-group, using their swords [to fight against them].
14 Yawe alobaki na Moyize: — Koma yango na buku lokola ekaniseli, mpe loba na Jozue ete nakosilisa bato ya Amaleki na mokili; bakotikala kokanisa bango lisusu te.
Then Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Write an account of this battle, and then read it to Joshua. [Also write that some day] I will completely get rid of the Amalek people-group.”
15 Moyize atongaki etumbelo mpe abengaki yango « Nkolo azali bendele na ngai ya lokumu. »
Then Moses/I built a [stone] altar there and named it ‘Yahweh is [like] my flag’.
16 Moyize alobaki: « Lokola esali ete babundisi Kiti ya Bokonzi ya Yawe, Yawe akobundisa bato ya Amaleki tango nyonso. »
He/I said, “Hold high Yahweh’s flag! Yahweh will continue to fight against the Amalek people-group (forever/in all future generations)!”
