Ezayi 44
1 Kasi sik’oyo yoka, oh Jakobi, mowumbu na Ngai, Isalaele oyo naponaki!
And now, give ear, O Jacob my servant, and Israel whom I have taken for myself:
2 Tala liloba oyo Yawe alobi, Ye oyo asalaki yo, abongisaki yo wuta na libumu ya mama na yo mpe asungaka yo: Oh Jakobi, mowumbu na Ngai, kobanga te; yo, Yeshuruni, oyo naponaki.
The Lord who made you, forming you in your mother's body, the Lord, your helper, says, Have no fear, O Jacob my servant, and you, Jeshurun, whom I have taken for myself.
3 Pamba te nakosopa mayi na mokili ya kokawuka, mpe bibale, na mabele ya kokawuka; nakosopa Molimo na Ngai na likolo ya bana na yo mpe mapamboli na Ngai na likolo ya bakitani na yo.
For I will send water on the land needing it, and streams on the dry earth: I will let my spirit come down on your seed, and my blessing on your offspring.
4 Bakokola malamu kati na matiti ya mobesu lokola banzete ya pepiliye pene ya ebale.
And they will come up like grass in a well-watered field, like water-plants by the streams.
5 Moto moko akoloba: ‹ Nazali ya Yawe, › mpe moto mosusu akomibenga na kombo ya Jakobi, kino mosusu akokoma na loboko na ye: ‹ Nazali ya Yawe, › mpe akozwa kombo ya Isalaele.
One will say, I am the Lord's; and another will give himself the name, Jacob; another will put a mark on his hand, I am the Lord's, and another will take the name of Israel for himself.
6 Tala liloba oyo Yawe, Mokonzi mpe Mosikoli ya Isalaele, Mokonzi ya mampinga, alobi: Nazali ebandeli mpe nazali suka; Nzambe mosusu azali te, soki Ngai te.
The Lord, the King of Israel, even the Lord of armies who has taken up his cause, says, I am the first and the last, and there is no God but me.
7 Nani azali lokola Ngai? Tika ete atatola yango; tika ete aloba mpe abimisa liboso na Ngai makambo oyo esalema wuta kala, wuta tango nasala bato oyo, mpe makambo oyo ekoya! Solo, tika ete basakola makambo oyo ekoya!
If there is one like me, let him come forward and say it, let him make it clear and put it in order before me: who has made clear in the past the things to come? let him make clear the future to me.
8 Bolenga te, bobanga mpe te. Boni, natatolaki yango te? Nasakolaki yango te wuta kala? Bozali batatoli na Ngai. Boni, ezali na nzambe mosusu pembeni na Ngai? Te, ezali na Libanga mosusu te, nayebi ata moko te. »
Have no fear, be strong in heart; have I not made it clear to you in the past, and let you see it? and you are my witnesses. Is there any God but me, or a Rock of whom I have no knowledge?
9 Basali bikeko, bango nyonso, bazali pamba, mpe biloko oyo bango balingaka ezali ata na litomba te; esengelaki kotatola mpo na bango, kasi emonaka te mpe eyebaka ata eloko moko te; boye, bayokisama soni.
Those who make a pictured image are all of them as nothing, and the things of their desire will be of no profit to them: and their servants see not, and have no knowledge; so they will be put to shame.
10 Nani asala nzambe to ekeko ya ebende mpo ete ezala ata na litomba moko te mpo na ye?
Whoever makes a god, makes nothing but a metal image in which there is no profit.
11 Tala, ye elongo na baninga na ye bakozala na soni; basali bikeko bazali na bango kaka bato lokola bato nyonso! Tika ete bango nyonso baya elongo mpe batelema wana; bakokweya na somo mpe na soni.
Truly, all those who make use of secret arts will be put to shame, and their words of power are only words of men: let them all come forward together; they will all be in fear and be put to shame.
12 Monyangwisi bibende na moto azwaka sizo, asalelaka yango mpe asalaka na makala ya moto; asalaka ekeko na marto mpe abongisaka yango na makasi ya loboko na ye; nzokande soki akomi na nzala, makasi esili ye; soki mpe ameli mayi te, nzoto elembi ye!
The iron-worker is heating the metal in the fire, giving it form with his hammers, and working on it with his strong arm: then for need of food his strength gives way, and for need of water he becomes feeble.
13 Mosali bikeko afungolaka singa oyo bamekelaka molayi, akomaka elilingi na ekomeli ya motane, asalaka yango na nzela ya mbeli ya minu makasi, abongisaka mondelo na yango na lime mpe apesaka yango lolenge ya moto, ndenge kaka moto azalaka kitoko, mpo ete ekoka kowumela na Esika ya bule.
The woodworker is measuring out the wood with his line, marking it out with his pencil: after smoothing it with his plane, and making circles on it with his instrument, he gives it the form and glory of a man, so that it may be placed in the house.
14 Akataka banzete ya sedele; mpe tango mosusu, banzete ya sipele to ya sheni; atikaka yango ekola kati na banzete ya zamba mpe alonaka nzete ya pen oyo mvula ekokolisa.
He has cedars cut down for himself, he takes an oak and lets it get strong among the trees of the wood; he has an ash-tree planted, and the rain gives it growth.
15 Moto azwaka yango mpo na kopelisa moto, akataka yango mpo na koyetola moto to mpo na kobelisa mapa; kasi asalaka na yango lisusu nzambe oyo afukamelaka; asalaka na yango nzambe ya ekeko oyo agumbamelaka.
Then it will be used to make a fire, so that a man may get warm; he has the oven heated with it and makes bread: he makes a god with it, to which he gives worship: he makes a pictured image out of it, and goes down on his face before it.
16 Akotia ndambo ya nzete yango na moto, bongo akolamba na yango mosuni, akotumba mosuni na ye mpe akolia yango kino akotonda; akokoma lisusu koyoka molunge mpe akoloba: « Ah, nayoki molunge, namoni moto epeli makasi! »
With part of it he makes a fire, and on the fire he gets meat cooked and takes a full meal: he makes himself warm, and says, Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire:
17 Mpe na ndambo oyo etikali, oyo asalaki na yango nzambe, nzambe na ye ya ekeko, akofukamela yango mpe akosambela yango; akosambela yango mpe akoloba: « Bikisa ngai, ozali nzambe na ngai! »
And the rest of it he makes into a god, even his pictured image: he goes down on his face before it, giving worship to it, and making prayer to it, saying, Be my saviour; for you are my god.
18 Bayebi eloko moko te, bazali na bososoli te; miso na bango ekangama, emonaka te; mitema na bango ezali makasi, esosolaka te.
They have no knowledge or wisdom; for he has put a veil over their eyes, so that they may not see; and on their hearts, so that they may not give attention.
19 Moko te akanisaka, moko mpe te azalaka na boyebi mpe na mayele mpo na koloba: « Na nzela ya ndambo na yango, napelisaki moto, nabelisaki mapa na makala na yango ya moto, natumbaki mosuni mpe naliaki yango. Bongo mpo na oyo etikali, nasala na yango penza likambo ya nkele boye? Nafukamela penza mwa eteni ya nzete? »
And no one takes note, no one has enough knowledge or wisdom to say, I have put part of it in the fire, and made bread on it; I have had a meal of the flesh cooked with it: and am I now to make the rest of it into a false god? am I to go down on my face before a bit of wood?
20 Makanisi na ye ekangama na putulu, motema na ye ya lokuta ezali kokosa ye; akokoka te komikangola mpe koloba: « Boni, eloko oyo ezali na loboko na ngai ya mobali ezali lokuta te? »
As for him whose food is the dust of a dead fire, he has been turned from the way by a twisted mind, so that he is unable to keep himself safe by saying, What I have here in my hand is false.
21 « Oh Jakobi, kanisa nanu makambo oyo, pamba te, oh Isalaele, ozali mosali na Ngai. Nabongisaki yo mpo ete ozala mosali na Ngai; oh Isalaele, nakobosana yo te.
Keep these things in mind, O Jacob; and you Israel, for you are my servant: I have made you; you are my servant; O Israel, I will not let you go out of my memory.
22 Nalongoli mabe na yo lokola lipata, masumu na yo lokola lipata ya tongo. Zonga epai na Ngai, pamba te nasili kosikola yo. »
I have put your evil doings out of my mind like a thick cloud, and your sins like a mist: come back to me; for I have taken up your cause.
23 Oh Lola, yemba banzembo ya esengo, pamba te Yawe nde asali bongo! Oh mozindo ya mokili, tombola mongongo! Oh bino bangomba, bazamba mpe banzete nyonso kati na yango, boyemba banzembo ya elonga! Pamba te Yawe asikolaki Jakobi, amonisi nkembo na Ye kati na Isalaele.
Make a song, O heavens, for the Lord has done it: give a loud cry, you deep parts of the earth: let your voices be loud in song, you mountains, and you woods with all your trees: for the Lord has taken up the cause of Jacob, and will let his glory be seen in Israel.
24 « Tala liloba oyo Yawe alobi, Ye oyo azali Mosikoli na yo, oyo abongisaki yo wuta na libumu ya mama na yo: Nazali Yawe oyo asalaki biloko nyonso, Ngai moko nde natandaki likolo lokola liputa, Ngai moko nde natandaki mabele.
The Lord, who has taken up your cause, and who gave you life in your mother's body, says, I am the Lord who makes all things; stretching out the heavens by myself, and giving the earth its limits; who was with me?
25 Sik’oyo, nakomisi bilembo ya basakoli ya lokuta eloko pamba; natie mobulu kati na molimo ya bato oyo balobaka makambo ekoya, nakweyisi boyebi ya bato ya bwanya mpe nakomisi mayele na bango liboma.
Who makes the signs of those who give word of the future come to nothing, so that those who have knowledge of secret arts go off their heads; turning the wise men back, and making their knowledge foolish:
26 Nakokisi maloba ya mosali na Ngai mpe nalongisi mabongisi ya bamemi sango na Ngai. Natatoli na tina na Yelusalemi: ‹ Bato bakovanda kati na yo; › na tina na bingumba ya Yuda: ‹ Ekotongama lisusu, › mpe na tina na mabanga na yango oyo ebukana: ‹ Nakobongisa yango lisusu. ›
Who makes the word of his servants certain, and gives effect to the purposes of his representatives; who says of Jerusalem, Her people will come back to her; and of the towns of Judah, I will give orders for their building, and will make her waste places fertile again:
27 Nalobi na ebale monene: ‹ Kawuka, mpe nakokawusa bibale na yo! ›
Who says to the deep, Be dry, and I will make your rivers dry:
28 Nalobi na tina na Sirisi: ‹ Azali mobateli oyo naponi, akokokisa makambo nyonso oyo esepelisaka Ngai. Akoloba na tina na Yelusalemi: ‘Tika ete etongama lisusu,’ mpe na tina na Tempelo: ‘Tika ete batonga miboko na yango.’ › »
Who says of Cyrus, He will take care of my sheep, and will do all my pleasure: who says of Jerusalem, I will give the word for your building; and of the Temple, Your bases will be put in place.
