Ezayi 40
1 Bobondisa, bobondisa bato na Ngai, elobi Nzambe na bino.
Our God says, “Encourage my people! Encourage them!
2 Boloba kati na Yelusalemi, boyebisa ye ete minyoko na ye ekomi na suka, masumu na ye esili kolimbisama, pamba te asili kozwa na loboko ya Yawe ngolu koleka mbala mibale mpo na masumu na ye nyonso.
Speak kindly to [the people of] Jerusalem; tell them that their suffering is ended, and that I have forgiven them for the sins that they have committed; I [SYN] have fully punished them for their sins.”
3 Mongongo ya moto moko ezali kobelela: « Kati na esobe, bobongisa nzela mpo na Yawe; kati na mabele ya kokawuka, bosembolela Nzambe na biso nzela moko ya monene.
I hear someone who is shouting, “Prepare in the desert a way for Yahweh to come [to you]; make a smooth road for our God (OR, Prepare yourselves to receive Yahweh when he comes, like people make a straight road for an important official [MET]).
4 Tika ete mabwaku nyonso ekundama, bangomba nyonso ya milayi to ya mikuse ekitisama, banzela nyonso oyo etengama esembolama, mpe mabulu nyonso ekoma bitando.
Fill in the valleys; flatten every hill and every mountain. Make the uneven ground smooth, and make the rough places smooth.
5 Bongo, nkembo na Yawe ekomonisama, mpe bato nyonso bakomona yango elongo; » pamba te Yawe nde alobi.
[If you do that], it will become known that Yahweh is glorious/great, and all people will realize it at the same time. [Those things will surely happen] because it is Yahweh who has said [MTY] it.”
6 Mongongo moko elobi: « Belela! » Mpe nazongisaki: « Nabelela likambo nini? » « Bato nyonso bazalaka lokola matiti, mpe nkembo na bango nyonso ezalaka lokola bafololo ya bilanga.
Someone said to me, “Shout!” I replied, “What should I shout?” [He replied], “[Shout that] people are like [SIM] grass; their influence fades as quickly as flowers in the field.
7 Matiti ekawukaka mpe fololo elembaka, tango mopepe ya Yawe elekaka likolo na yango. Solo, bato bazali lokola matiti:
Grass withers and flowers dry up when Yahweh causes a hot wind from the desert to blow on them. And people are [MET] like that.
8 Matiti ekawukaka mpe fololo elembaka, kasi Liloba na Nzambe na biso ewumelaka seko na seko. »
The grass withers and the flowers dry up, but what our God promises will last forever.”
9 Mata likolo ya ngomba, Siona, yo momemi sango malamu; tombola mongongo na yo mpe ganga makasi, Yelusalemi, yo momemi sango malamu; tombola yango penza, kobanga te; loba na bingumba ya Yuda: « Botala Nzambe na bino! »
You [people of] Jerusalem, you have good news to tell to people, so, shout it from the top of a high mountain! Shout it loudly, and do not be afraid! Tell the people in the towns of Judah, “Your God is coming here!”
10 Botala, Nkolo Yawe azali koya na nguya, loboko na Ye ezali kopesa Ye makoki ya kokonza. Botala, azali na lifuti elongo na Ye, azali kotambola na lifuti na Ye.
Yahweh your God will be coming with power; he will rule powerfully [MTY]. And when he comes, he will bring with him the people whom he has freed [MET] [from being slaves in Babylonia].
11 Azali kobatela etonga na Ye lokola mobateli bibwele: kosangisa bana meme na maboko na Ye mpe kokanga bango na tolo na Ye; kotambolisa malembe-malembe bana meme ya basi oyo ezali nanu komela mabele.
He will take care of his people like [SIM] a shepherd takes care of his sheep, and carries the young lambs in his arms. He carries them close to his chest and he gently leads the female sheep that are nursing their young lambs.
12 Nani asila komeka ebale monene kati na loboko na Ye, to likolo na nzela ya molayi ya misapi na Ye? Nani asila kosangisa putulu nyonso ya mabele kati na katini moko to komeka kilo ya bangomba milayi na nzela ya ndobo to komeka kilo ya bangomba mikuse na nzela ya emekelo kilo?
[There is no one like Yahweh]! (Who else has measured the water in the oceans in the palm of his hand?/No one else has measured the water in the oceans in the palm of his hand!) [RHQ] (Who else has measured the sky with his fingers?/No one else has measured the sky with his fingers!) [RHQ] (Who else knows how much the earth weighs?/No one else knows how much the earth weighs!) [RHQ] (Who else has weighed the mountains and hills on scales?/No one else has weighed the mountains and hills on scales!) [RHQ]
13 Nani asosoli makanisi ya Yawe to apesi Ye toli lokola molakisi?
And (who else can advise Yahweh’s Spirit?/No one else can advise Yahweh’s Spirit!) [RHQ] (Who can teach him or advise/tell him what he should do?/No one can teach him or advise/tell him what he should do!) [RHQ]
14 Yawe atunaki toli na nani mpo ete apesa Ye mayele? Nani alakisaki Ye ndenge bakataka makambo na sembo to apesaki Ye boyebi, to mpe ateyaki Ye nzela ya bososoli?
(Has Yahweh consulted anyone else to get advice?/Yahweh has certainly not consulted anyone else to get advice!) [RHQ] (Does he need someone to tell him what is right to do and how to act justly?/He certainly does not need someone to tell him what is right to do and how to act justly!) [RHQ]
15 Solo, bikolo ezali lokola litanga moko ya mayi na katini, lokola putulu kati na emekelo kilo! Tala, amekaka bisanga lokola eloko ya moke penza.
[Yahweh considers that] the nations are [as insignificant as] [MET] one drop from a bucket [full of water]. They are [as insignificant as] dust on scales. He is able to weigh islands [as though they weighed no more than] grains of sand.
16 Banzete ya Libani ekokoka te mpo na kopelisa moto ya etumbelo, mpe banyama na yango ekokoka te mpo na kotumba mbeka.
There would be [not] enough wood from all the trees in Lebanon to make a suitable fire for [sacrificing animals to] him, and there are not enough animals in Lebanon to offer as sacrifices to him.
17 Na miso na Ye, bikolo nyonso ezali lokola biloko pamba; amonaka yango lokola eloko pamba to mpe lokola eloko te.
The nations of the world are completely insignificant/unimportant to him; he considers that they are worthless and less than nothing [HYP, DOU].
18 Bolingi kokokanisa Nzambe na nani? Bolingi kokokanisa Ye na elilingi nini?
So, to whom can you compare God? What image resembles him?
19 Ndenge basalaka ekeko, mosali bikeko anyangwisi ebende na moto mpe asali ekeko; mosali ya wolo abambi ekeko yango wolo, bongo akangisi yango na basheneti ya palata.
Can you compare him to an idol that is made in a mold, and then is covered with [a thin sheet of] gold and decorated with silver chains?
20 Moto oyo azangi makoki ya kobonza makabo ya boye mpo ete azali mobola makasi akopona nzete oyo epolaka te; akoluka mosali bikeko oyo azali penza mayele mpo na kosala nzambe ya ekeko oyo eninganaka te.
A man who is poor [cannot buy silver or gold for his idol]; [so] he selects a piece of wood that will not rot, and he gives it to a craftsman to carve an idol that will not fall down!
21 Boyebi yango te? Boyoka nanu yango te? Bayebisa bino nanu yango te wuta na ebandeli? Bososola nanu yango te wuta mokili esalema?
Have you(pl) not heard this? Do you not understand it? Are you unable to hear what God said long ago— [messages that he gave] before he created the earth?
22 Yawe avandaka na likolo ya mondelo ya mabele, epai wapi bato na yango bamonanaka lokola mabanki; atandaki likolo lokola liputa mpe afungolaki yango lokola ndako ya kapo mpo na kovanda kuna;
God sits [on his throne] above the earth, and the people [on the earth] below seem to be [as small] as [SIM] grasshoppers. He spreads out the sky like a curtain; it is like [SIM] a tent for him to live in.
23 akomisaka bakonzi ya mokili bato pamba, mpe bakambi na yango lokola biloko pamba.
He causes kings to have no more power, and he causes the rulers to be worth nothing.
24 Tango nanu batiami kutu na mabele te, nanu balonami kutu te, mobimbi na bango ezwi nanu ata misisa te, afuli bango lokola mopepe mpe bakawuki, bongo mopepe makasi ememi bango lokola matiti ya kokawuka.
They start to rule, like small plants start to grow and form roots; but then [he gets rid of them] as though [MET] they withered when he blew on them, like [SIM] chaff that is blown away by the wind.
25 « Bolingi kokokanisa Ngai na nani? Bolingi kotia Ngai esika moko na nani, » elobi Ye oyo azali Mosantu?
The Holy One asks, “To whom will you compare me? Is anyone equal to me?”
26 Botombola miso na bino mpe botala na likolo: Nani akela biloko nyonso ya likolo: moyi, sanza, minzoto mpe biloko mosusu? Ezali Ye oyo abimisaka mampinga nyonso ya minzoto mpe abengaka yango moko na moko na kombo na yango. Mpo na bokonzi monene mpe nguya makasi na Ye, moko te kati na yango ezangaka.
Look up toward the sky: Consider who [RHQ] created all the stars. [Yahweh created them], and at night he causes them to appear; he calls each one by its name. Because he is extremely powerful [DOU], all of the stars are there [LIT] [when he calls out their names].
27 Oh Jakobi, mpo na nini ozali koloba; oh Isalaele, mpo na nini kotatola: « Nzela na ngai ebombami na miso ya Yawe, likambo na ngai eyebani te na Nzambe na ngai? »
You people of Israel [DOU], why do you complain that Yahweh does not see the [troubles that you are experiencing]? Why do you say that he does not act fairly toward you?
28 Oyebi te? Nanu oyoka te? Yawe azali Nzambe ya libela na libela, azali Mokeli ya basuka ya mabele; alembaka te mpe apemaka te, mpe moko te akoki kososola mayele na Ye.
Have you never heard and have you never understood that Yahweh is the everlasting God; he is the one who created the earth, [even the] most distant places on the earth. He never becomes weak or weary, and no one can find out how much he understands.
29 Apesaka makasi na bato oyo balembi mpe abakisaka nguya na bato oyo bazanga nguya.
He strengthens [DOU] those who feel weak and tired.
30 Solo, bilenge bapemaka mpe balembaka, bilombe batengaka-tengaka;
Even youths become faint and weary, and young men will fall when they are exhausted.
31 basi bato oyo batiaka elikya na Yawe, Yawe ayeisaka makasi na bango ya sika: bapumbwaka likolo lokola bampongo, bapotaka mbangu mpe bapemaka te, batambolaka mpe balembaka te.
But those who trust in Yahweh will become strong again; [it will be as though] they will soar/fly high like [SIM] eagles do. They will run [for a long time] and not become weary; they will walk [long distances] and not faint.
