Ebandeli 38
1 Nzokande na tango wana, Yuda atikaki bandeko na ye mpe akendeki kovanda epai ya Ira, moto ya Adulami.
At that time, Judah left his older and younger brothers and went down from the hilly area and stayed with a man whose name was Hiram, who lived in Adullam [town].
2 Yuda akutanaki kuna na mwana mwasi ya Shuwa, moto ya Kanana. Abalaki ye mpe asangisaki na ye nzoto.
There he (met/became acquainted with) a woman who was the daughter of a man from Canaan named Shua. He married her. He had sex [EUP] with her,
3 Mwasi yango akomaki na zemi mpe abotelaki Yuda mwana mobali. Mpe Yuda apesaki ye kombo « Eri. »
and she became pregnant and later gave birth to a son, whom he named Er.
4 Mwasi yango azwaki lisusu zemi mpe abotaki mwana mobali; apesaki ye kombo « Onani. »
Later she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son whom she named Onan.
5 Abotaki mwana mobali mosusu mpe apesaki ye kombo « Shela. » Yuda azalaki na Kezibi tango mwasi na ye abotaki mwana ya misato.
Many years later, when Judah and his family went to live in Kezib [town], Judah’s wife gave birth to another son, whom she named Shelah.
6 Yuda abalelaki Eri, mwana na ye ya liboso, mwasi: Tamari.
When Judah’s oldest son Er [grew up], Judah got a wife for him, a woman named Tamar.
7 Kasi Eri, mwana liboso ya Yuda, azalaki moto mabe na miso ya Yawe; yango wana Yawe abomaki ye.
But Er did something that Yahweh considered to be very wicked, so Yahweh caused him to die.
8 Bongo Yuda alobaki na Onani: « Sangisa nzoto na semeki na yo mpo ete obota bana mpo na ndeko na yo ya mobali oyo akufa. »
Then Judah said to Onan, “Your older brother died without having any sons. So marry his widow and have sex [EUP] with her. That is what our customs require that you should do.”
9 Kasi lokola Onani ayebaki ete bana oyo bakobotama bakozala ya ye te, azalaki kobwaka mayi na ye ya mibali na mabele tango nyonso azalaki kosangisa nzoto na semeki na ye, mpo ete abotela ndeko na ye ya mobali bana te.
But Onan knew if he did that, any children who would be born would not be considered to be his. So every time he had sex [EUP] with his brother’s widow, he spilled his semen on the ground, so that she would not get pregnant and produce children for his older brother.
10 Likambo oyo Onani azalaki kosala ezalaki kosepelisa Yawe te. Boye ye mpe lisusu, Yawe abomaki ye.
Yahweh considered that what he did was wicked, so he caused him to die also.
11 Yuda alobaki na Tamari, bokilo na ye ya mwasi: « Lokola okufisi mibali, kende kovanda na ndako ya tata na yo kino Shela, mwana na ngai ya mobali, akokoma mokolo. » Pamba te azalaki komilobela: « Tango mosusu ye mpe akoki kokufa lokola bandeko na ye ya mibali. » Boye Tamari akendeki kovanda na ndako ya tata na ye.
Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Return to your father’s house, but do not marry anyone else. When my youngest son Shelah grows up, [he can marry you].” But Judah [really did not want Shelah to marry her, because] he was afraid that then Shelah would die too, just as his older brothers had died. So Tamar [obeyed Judah and] went back to live in her father’s house again.
12 Sima na tango molayi, mwana mwasi ya Shuwa, mwasi ya Yuda, akufaki. Lokola tango na ye ya matanga esilaki, Yuda akendeki na Timina epai ya bato oyo bazalaki kolongola bapwale ya bameme na ye. Boye, moninga na ye Ira, moto ya Adulami, akendeki elongo na ye.
Several years later, Judah’s wife, who was the daughter of Shua, died. When the time of mourning for her was finished, Judah decided to go up to Timnah, to the place where his (men were shearing his sheep/sheep were being sheared) His friend Hiram, from Adullam, went with him.
13 Tango bayebisaki Tamari: « Bokilo na yo ya mobali azali kokende na Timina mpo na kolongolisa bapwale ya bameme na ye, »
Someone said to Tamar, “Your father-in-law is going to [the fields near the city of] Timnah to help the men who are shearing his sheep.”
14 alongolaki bilamba na ye ya mwasi akufisa mobali mpe amizipaki elongi na vwale mpo ete bayeba ye lisusu te. Avandaki na ekuke ya Enayimi oyo ezalaki na nzela ya Timina, pamba te amonaki ete Shela akolaki, kasi bapesaki ye te na libala epai ya Shela.
[She realized that now Shelah was grown up, but Judah had not given her to him to be his wife. So] she took off her widow’s clothes, and covered her head with a veil, so that people would not (recognize her/know who she was). Then she sat down at the entrance to Enaim [town], which is on the road to Timnah.
15 Tango Yuda amonaki ye, akanisaki ete azali mwasi ya ndumba, pamba te azipaki elongi na ye.
When Judah came along and saw her, he thought that she was a prostitute, because she had covered her head [like prostitutes often did] (OR, [and sat where prostitutes often sat)].
16 Lokola Yuda ayebaki te ete ezali bokilo na ye ya mwasi, apusanaki na esika oyo azalaki, pembeni ya nzela, mpe alobaki na ye: — Yaka, ndima ete tosangisa na yo nzoto. Tamari atunaki: — Okopesa ngai nini soki osangisi na ngai nzoto?
Judah did not realize that she was his daughter-in-law. So he said to her, “Hey, let me have sex [EUP] with you!” She replied, “What will you give me for allowing you to have sex [EUP] with me?”
17 Yuda azongisaki: — Nakotindela yo mwana ntaba oyo nakozwa na etonga na ngai. Tamari atunaki lisusu: — Ndanga nini okosimbisa ngai kino tango okotindela ngai yango?
He replied, “I will send you a young goat from my flock of goats.” She asked, “Will you give me something now for me to keep until you send the goat?”
18 Yuda alobaki: — Ndanga nini olingi ete nasimbisa yo? Tamari azongisaki: — Lopete na yo, singa na yo mpe lingenda na yo, oyo osimbi na loboko. Boye Yuda apesaki ye yango, asangisaki na ye nzoto mpe Tamari akomaki na zemi.
He replied, “What do you want me to give to you?” She replied, “Give me the ring that has your name on it that is tied by a cord around your neck, and give me the walking stick that you are holding in your hand.” So he gave them to her. Then he had sex [EUP] with her, and she became pregnant.
19 Tamari atelemaki mpe akendeki; alongolaki vwale na ye mpe azongisaki lisusu na nzoto bilamba na ye ya mwasi akufisa mobali.
After she left, she took off the veil and put her widow’s clothes on again.
20 Boye Yuda atindaki moninga na ye Ira, moto ya Adulami, mpo ete amemela mwasi yango mwana ntaba mpe azwa ndanga oyo asimbisaki ye. Kasi Ira amonaki ye te.
Judah gave a young goat to his friend from Adullam, for him to take back to the woman, as he had promised. But his friend could not find the woman.
21 Boye atunaki epai ya bavandi ya esika wana, na Enayimi: — Wapi mwasi ya ndumba oyo azalaki na nzela, na Enayimi? Bazongiselaki ye: — Esika oyo etikala kozala na mwasi ya ndumba te.
So he asked the men who lived there, “Where is the prostitute who was sitting by the road at Enaim?” They replied, “There has never been a prostitute here!”
22 Ira azongaki epai ya Yuda mpe ayebisaki ye: — Namoni ye te; kutu bavandi ya Enayimi bayebisi ngai ete mwasi ya ndumba atikala kozala na esika wana te.
So he went back to Judah and said, “I did not find her. [Furthermore], the men who live in that town said, ‘There has never been a prostitute here.’”
23 Yuda alobaki: — Atikala na biloko oyo azwaki, noki te tokobima babolole. Ngai nazali na likambo te; natindeli ye mwana ntaba, mpe yo omoni ye te.
Judah said, “She can keep the things that I gave to her. If we continued to search for her, people would ridicule us. I tried to send this young goat to her, but you could not find her to give it to her.”
24 Sima na sanza misato, bayebisaki Yuda: — Tamari, bokilo na yo ya mwasi, asalaki kindumba, mpe tala kutu akomi na zemi. Yuda alobaki: — Babimisa ye mpe batumba ye na moto!
About three months later, someone told Judah, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has become a prostitute and now she is pregnant!” Judah said, “Drag her outside of the city and kill her by burning her!”
25 Wana bazalaki kobimisa ye libanda, Tamari atindaki sango oyo epai ya Yuda, bokilo na ye: — Nazali na zemi ya nkolo biloko oyo. Mpe abakisaki: — Tala soki okoki koyeba nani azali nkolo ya lopete oyo, ya singa oyo mpe ya lingenda oyo.
But as they were taking her outside of the city, she gave the ring and walking stick to someone, and told him to take them to Judah, and say to him, “The man who owns these things is the one who caused me to become pregnant.” She also said to tell him, “Look at this ring, and the cord that is attached to it, and this walking stick. Whose are they?”
26 Yuda asosolaki ete ezali biloko na ye mpe alobaki: — Azali sembo koleka ngai, pamba te nabalisaki ye te epai ya Shela, mwana na ngai ya mobali. Boye Yuda atikalaki lisusu te kosangisa na ye nzoto.
When the man did that, Judah recognized the ring and the stick. He said, “She is more righteous than I am. I did not tell my son Shelah to marry her, as I promised that I would.” And Judah did not have sex [EUP] with her again.
27 Wana tango na ye ya kobota ekokaki, emonanaki ete ezalaki na mapasa mibale ya mibali kati na libumu na ye.
When it was time for her to give birth, [she was surprised that] there were twin boys in her womb.
28 Na tango ya kobota, moko kati na bango abimisaki loboko; mpe mwasi oyo abotisaka asimbaki loboko yango, akangaki yango singa ya motane mpe alobaki: « Mwana oyo nde abimi liboso. »
As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand. So the midwife fastened a scarlet thread around his wrist, saying, “This one came out first.”
29 Kasi azongisaki loboko na ye, mpe ndeko na ye ya mobali abimaki. Bongo mwasi oyo abotisaka alobaki: « Ofungoli nzela nini mpo na kobima? » Mpe bapesaki ye kombo « Peretsi. »
But he pulled his hand back inside the womb, and his brother came out first. So she said, “So this is how you break your way out first!” So she named him Perez, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘breaking out].’
30 Sima, ndeko na ye oyo azalaki na singa ya motane na loboko mpe abotamaki; bapesaki ye kombo « Zera. »
Then his younger brother, the one who had the scarlet thread around his wrist, came out. And he was named Zerah, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘redness of dawn].’
