Ebandeli 18
1 Yawe abimelaki Abrayami pene ya banzete minene ya Mamire, wana avandaki na ekotelo ya ndako na ye ya kapo, na moyi makasi ya midi.
One day during that year when it was hot, Yahweh appeared to Abraham again near the big trees that belonged to Mamre, while Abraham was sitting in the entrance to his tent.
2 Tango Abrayami atombolaki miso, amonaki mibali misato pene na ye. Mpe tango kaka amonaki bango, atelemaki wuta na ndako na ye ya kapo mpe akendeki mbangu mpo na kokutana na bango; bongo agumbamaki kino na mabele.
Abraham looked up [MTY] and was surprised to see three men standing near him. [Actually, one was Yahweh, and the other two were angels]. When he saw them, he ran to meet them. He prostrated himself with his face on the ground to show respect,
3 Alobaki: — Nabondeli bino, bankolo na ngai, soki nazwi ngolu na miso bino, boleka mosali na bino te.
and said [to one of them], “Sir, if you are pleased with me, stay here for a little while [LIT].
4 Tika ete namemela bino mwa mayi mpo ete bokoka kosukola makolo mpe bopema na se ya nzete oyo.
Allow my servants to bring a little water and wash your feet, and rest under this tree.
5 Tika ete namemela bino mwa eloko ya kolia mpo ete bozwa lisusu makasi na nzoto; bongo bokokoba mobembo na bino, pamba te ezali mpo na yango nde boleki epai na ngai mosali na bino. Bazongisaki: — Ezali malamu, sala ndenge olobi.
Since you have come here to me, allow me to bring you some food [SYN] so that you can feel refreshed before you leave.” Yahweh replied, “All right, do as you have said.”
6 Abrayami akotaki na lombangu na ndako na ye ya kapo mpe alobaki na Sara: « Kamata katini misato ya farine mpe sala bagato na lombangu. »
So Abraham quickly went into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick, get some of our best flour and make some loaves of bread!”
7 Mpe Abrayami apotaki mbangu na lopango ya bibwele, azwaki mwana ngombe ya mafuta mpe apesaki yango na mosali na ye mpo ete alamba yango noki-noki.
Then he ran to the herd of cattle and selected a calf whose meat would be tender and tasty. He gave it to one of his servants [and told him to] quickly kill it and cook it.
8 Azwaki mafuta ya ngombe, miliki mpe mosuni oyo alambaki, mpe atiaki yango liboso na bango. Abrayami atelemaki pembeni na bango, na se ya nzete, wana bazalaki kolia.
When the meat was cooked, Abraham brought some curds and milk and the meat that had been prepared, and set them in front of his visitors. Then he stood near them, under a tree, while they ate.
9 Sima, batunaki ye: — Wapi Sara, mwasi na yo? Abrayami azongisaki: — Azali na ndako.
[One of] them asked him, “Where is Sarah, your wife?” He replied, “She is in the tent.”
10 Bongo moko kati na bango alobaki: — Solo, na mobu oyo ezali koya, kaka na eleko oyo, nakozonga epai na yo, mpe Sara, mwasi na yo, akozala na mwana mobali. Nzokande, Sara ayokaki maloba wana na ekotelo ya ndako ya kapo, na sima ya Abrayami.
Then the leader of the group said, “I will return to you (about this time/in the springtime) next year, and to your amazement, your wife Sarah will have an infant son.” It happened that Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, which was behind the one who was speaking.
11 Abrayami mpe Sara bazalaki mibange, mpo ete bakomaki na mibu ebele penza mpe Sara azalaki lisusu na makoki te ya kobota.
Abraham and Sarah were very old, and Sarah was far past the time of when she could bear children.
12 Sara asekaki mpe amilobelaki: « Awa nasili konuna boye, nakoki lisusu koyoka posa ya mobali? Kutu nkolo na ngai akomi mpe mobange! »
So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, “My body is worn out, and my husband is old. So how can I have the pleasure [of having a child]?” [RHQ]
13 Yawe alobaki na Abrayami: — Mpo na nini Sara aseki mpe alobi: « Nakoki solo kobota mwana awa nasili kokoma mobange? »
Yahweh said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why was she thinking, ‘I am too old, so how can I bear a child?’
14 Boni, ezali na eloko oyo Yawe akoki kolembana? Na mobu oyo ezali koya, na tango oyo ekatama, kaka na eleko oyo, nakozonga epai na yo, mpe Sara akozala na mwana mobali.
I am Yahweh! (Is there anything too difficult for me?/There is nothing too difficult for me!) [RHQ] I will return about this time next year in the springtime, and Sarah will have an infant son.”
15 Sara abangaki; boye awanganaki: — Naseki te. Kasi Yawe alobaki: — Ezali ya solo, oseki.
Then Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.” But Yahweh said, “Don’t deny it! You did laugh.”
16 Tango mibali yango batelemaki mpo na kokoba mobembo na bango na Sodome, Abrayami akendeki kotika bango na nzela.
When the three men got up to leave, they looked down into the valley toward Sodom [city]. Abraham was walking with them to say “goodbye” to them.
17 Yawe amilobelaki: « Boni, nakoki solo kobombela Abrayami likambo oyo nalingi kosala?
Yahweh thought to himself, “It is not right for me to prevent Abraham from knowing what I plan to do [RHQ].
18 Solo, Abrayami akokoma ekolo monene mpe ya nguya, mpe bato ya bikolo nyonso ya mabele bakomipambola mpo na ye.
Abraham’s descendants [MTY] will become a great and powerful nation. And people of [MTY] all nations will be blessed because of what I do for him.
19 Pamba te naponaki ye mpo ete ateya bana na ye mpe ndako na ye sima na ye ete bayeba kobatela nzela ya Yawe na kozalaka na etamboli ya malamu mpe ya sembo; na bongo nde, Ngai Yawe, nakokokisela Abrayami elaka oyo napesaki ye. »
I have chosen him in order that he will teach his children and their families to obey me and do what is right and fair, and then I will do for Abraham what I promised.”
20 Bongo Yawe alobaki: « Nayoki sango ete mabe ya bato ya Sodome mpe ya Gomore eleki ndelo, mpe masumu na bango eleki mingi penza.
So Yahweh said to Abraham, “I have heard the terrible things that have been said about the people of [MTY] Sodom and Gomorrah. Their sins are very great.
21 Nakokita mpo na kotala soki makambo oyo bazali kosala ekokani na oyo Ngai nayoki. Soki ezali bongo te, nakoyeba. »
So I will go down now, and I will see if all the terrible things that I have heard are true or not true.”
22 Mibali yango babalukaki mpe bakendeki na Sodome, kasi Abrayami atelemaki kaka liboso ya Yawe.
Then the two men turned and started walking toward Sodom. But Yahweh remained, standing in front of Abraham.
23 Bongo Abrayami apusanaki mpe alobaki: — Boni, Nkolo na ngai, okoboma penza elongo moto ya sembo mpe moto mabe?
Abraham came closer to him and said, “Will you really destroy righteous people along with wicked ones?
24 Soki bato ya sembo bazali tuku mitano kati na engumba, okoboma bango kaka? Okolimbisa engumba yango te mpo na bato ya sembo tuku mitano oyo bazali kati na yango?
What will you do if there are only 50 righteous people in the city? Will you really get rid of them all, and not spare the place/city for the sake of the 50 righteous people who are in the city?
25 Te, okoki kosala likambo ya boye te! Okoki te koboma elongo bato ya sembo mpe bato mabe, okoki kosala ndenge moko te na bato ya sembo mpe na bato mabe. Okoki kosala bongo te! Boni, Mosambisi ya mokili mobimba akosambisa na bosembo te?
It would certainly not be right for you to do such a thing, to kill righteous people along with wicked ones, and treat righteous people and wicked people the same way. You could not do that, because you, who are the judge of everyone on the earth, will certainly do what is right [regarding the people of Sodom]!” [RHQ]
26 Yawe azongisaki: — Soki nakuti na Sodome bato ya sembo tuku mitano, nakolimbisa engumba mobimba mpo na bango.
Yahweh replied, “If I find 50 righteous people in Sodom, I will spare the whole place/city for their sake.”
27 Abrayami alobaki lisusu: — Solo, nazali na ngai moto pamba mpe putulu, kasi limbisa ete nameka kosolola na Nkolo na ngai.
Abraham replied, “I should not be bold like this and speak to you, God, because I am as worthless as dust and ashes [MET].
28 Bongo soki motango na bato ya sembo ezali tuku minei na mitano? Boni, okobebisa engumba mobimba mpo na bato mitano oyo bazangi? Yawe azongisaki: — Soki nakuti bato ya sembo tuku minei na mitano, nakobebisa yango te.
But what will you do if there are only 45 righteous people? Will you destroy everyone in the whole city because there are only 45 and not 50 righteous people?” Yahweh replied, “I will not destroy it if I find that there are 45 righteous people.”
29 Abrayami alobaki na Ye lisusu: — Bongo soki bato ya sembo bazali kaka tuku minei? Azongisaki: — Soki bazali kaka tuku minei, nakobebisa yango te.
Abraham continued to speak to him [like this], saying, “What will you do if you find that there are only 40 righteous people there?” Yahweh replied, “I will not destroy them all, for the sake of the 40.”
30 Bongo Abrayami alobaki: — Tika ete Nkolo na ngai asilika te soki nakobi koloba: Bongo soki bato ya sembo bazali kaka tuku misato? Azongisaki: — Soki nakuti bato ya sembo tuku misato, nakobebisa yango te.
Abraham said, “God, please don’t be angry now. Let me speak again. What will you do if there are only 30 righteous people?” He replied, “I will not do it if I find that there are 30 there.”
31 Abrayami alobaki: —Awa nameki kosolola na Nkolo, boni, okosala nini soki bato ya sembo bazali kaka tuku mibale? Azongisaki: — Mpo na bato ya sembo tuku mibale, nakobebisa engumba te.
Abraham said, “I should not be bold and speak to you like this, God. But what will you do if you find that there are only 20 righteous people there?” He replied, “I will not destroy the whole city, for the sake of those 20.”
32 Bongo Abrayami alobaki: — Tika ete Nkolo na ngai asilika te, pamba te nazali koloba mpo na mbala ya suka: Bongo soki bato ya sembo bazali kaka zomi? Azongisaki: — Mpo na bato ya sembo zomi, nakobebisa engumba te.
Abraham said, “God, don’t be angry now. Just let me speak one time more. What will you do if you find that there are only ten righteous people there?” Yahweh answered, “I will not destroy the city for the sake of those ten.”
33 Sima na Yawe kosolola na Abrayami, akendeki; mpe Abrayami azongaki na ndako na ye.
Abraham said no more, and as soon as Yahweh finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.
