Ezayi 44
1 Kasi sik’oyo yoka, oh Jakobi, mowumbu na Ngai, Isalaele oyo naponaki!
But now, you people of Israel whom Yahweh has chosen to serve him, listen to me.
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.
Yahweh, the one who created you and helps you, says this: “You dear people of Israel whom I have chosen, you who serve me, do not be afraid.
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.
I will pour water on your dry land and cause streams to flow. And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants and greatly bless them.
4 Bakokola malamu kati na matiti ya mobesu lokola banzete ya pepiliye pene ya ebale.
They will grow up like [SIM] grass grows along the water, like [SIM] willow/poplar [trees] grow well along a riverbank.
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.
Some of them will say, ‘I belong to Yahweh,’ and others will say, ‘We are descendants of Jacob,’ and others will write on their hands, ‘We belong to Yahweh,’ and others will say, ‘We are Israelis.’”
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.
Yahweh, the King of Israel, the one who saves us, the Commander of the armies of angels, says this: “I am the one who begins everything and who ends everything; there is no other God.
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 anyone like me [RHQ], he should proclaim it! He should speak and tell me [now]! He should tell what has happened since I caused my people [of Israel] to become a nation long ago, and he should also tell what things will happen; he should predict what will happen in the future.
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. »
[My people], do not be afraid. Long ago I told you things that would happen [RHQ]; I predicted them, and you can testify that I did that. There certainly is not [RHQ] any other God. There is no other God who is able to protect you [MET]; I know that there is no other God!”
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.
All those who make idols are foolish, and the idols that they (think highly of/greatly respect) are worthless. And the people who worship those idols— [it is as though] they are blind, and they will be ashamed [for having worshiped those idols].
10 Nani asala nzambe to ekeko ya ebende mpo ete ezala ata na litomba moko te mpo na ye?
Only [foolish people] [RHQ] would make idols in a mold, idols that would never help them at all.
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.
Those who make idols and those who worship them will be ashamed. Those who make idols are only human beings, [but they claim that they are making gods]! They should stand in front of God in a court, and [when they hear what he says], they will be terrified, and they will all be disgraced.
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!
Metalworkers stand in front of hot coals in order to make idols. They pound them strongly with hammers, and shape them. Because they work very hard, they become hungry and weak; they become very thirsty and feel exhausted.
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.
Then a woodcarver takes a big block/piece of wood and he measures it; then he marks it to show where he will cut it. He uses a chisel and other tools to carve it to resemble a human. He causes it to become a very beautiful [idol], and then he puts it in a shrine.
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.
[Before he carves an idol from that block of wood], he has cut down a cedar tree, or he has selected a cypress tree or an oak tree and allowed it to grow tall in the forest. Or, he has planted a pine/evergreen tree and the rain has watered it [and caused it to grow tall].
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.
[And after he uses part of the tree to make an idol], he uses the other part of the tree to make a fire, either to warm himself or to bake bread. But he uses [part of the same tree] to make for himself an idol to worship! He makes an idol and then he bows down to worship 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! »
He burns part of the wood of the tree to cook his meat and eats the meat and his stomach becomes full, and he burns part of the wood to warm his body, and he says, “I feel warm while I am watching the flames in 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! »
Then he takes the rest of the wood and makes an idol which is his god. He bows down to it and worships it, and prays to it and says, “You are my god, so save me!”
18 Bayebi eloko moko te, bazali na bososoli te; miso na bango ekangama, emonaka te; mitema na bango ezali makasi, esosolaka te.
Those people are very stupid and ignorant [SAR]. [It is as though] they are blind and cannot see, and their minds are closed and they cannot think well.
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? »
They do not think about what they are doing, that they are taking a block of wood and burning half of it to warm themselves and using some of the rest to bake bread and roast some meat! [They do not say to themselves], “It is stupid [RHQ] to take the rest of the wood to make a detestable idol! It does not make sense to bow down to a block 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? »
They are very stupid to [worship something that if you burn it, it becomes] ashes! They trust in something that cannot save them; they do not admit, “In my hand I hold something that is not really a god! [RHQ]”
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.
[Yahweh says, “You descendants of] [MTY] Jacob, you people of Israel who should be serving me, I created you, and I will not forget you.
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 gotten rid of your sins like [SIM] [the wind blows away] a cloud. [It is as though] your transgressions were a morning mist [SIM] that I have blown away. Return to me because I have rescued you.”
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.
[The sun and moon and stars] in the sky should sing, and all the things that are beneath the ground should shout joyfully! All the mountains and forests, and all you trees, should sing loudly, because Yahweh has rescued [the descendants of] [MTY] Jacob; [the people of] Israel will praise/honor him.
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.
Yahweh, who saved you and created you, says this: “I am Yahweh, the one who created everything. I am the only one who stretched out the sky. There was [RHQ] no one who (was with/helped) me when I created the earth.
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.
I show that the false prophets are liars, and I show that those who perform rituals to predict the future are fools. Some people who [falsely think that they] are [IRO] wise [say that they] know a lot, but I show that they are 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. ›
But I always cause to happen what my prophets predict [DOU]. [I tell them to] say to [the people of] [MTY] Jerusalem, ‘[Some day] people will live here again.’ [And I tell them to] say to [the people in other] towns in Judah [that Yahweh says], ‘Your towns will be rebuilt; I will cause the places that are only ruins to be rebuilt.’
27 Nalobi na ebale monene: ‹ Kawuka, mpe nakokawusa bibale na yo! ›
When I say to the rivers, ‘Dry up!’, they will become 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.’ › »
When I say about King Cyrus, ‘He will [take care of my people like] [MET] a shepherd [takes care of his sheep], he will do what I want him to do,’ he will say about Jerusalem, ‘We must rebuild it!’, and he will also say, ‘We must rebuild the temple!’”
