< Jeremi 18 >

1 Tala liloba oyo Yawe alobaki na Jeremi:
The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
2 — Kende na ndako ya mosali mbeki mpe, kuna, nakoyebisa yo makambo.
Up! go down to the potter's house, and there I will let my words come to your ears.
3 Boye, nakendeki na ndako ya mosali mbeki mpe nakutaki ye azali kosala mosala na ye.
Then I went down to the potter's house, and he was doing his work on the stones.
4 Kasi mbeki oyo azalaki kosala na mabele oyo basalelaka bikeko ezalaki kokangama ye na maboko. Bongo, mosali mbeki yango asalaki mbeki mosusu wuta na mbeki oyo ebebaki, asalaki yango lisusu kitoko kolanda posa ya motema na ye.
And when the vessel, which he was forming out of earth, got damaged in the hand of the potter, he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make it.
5 Mpe kuna, Yawe alobaki na ngai:
Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
6 — Oh bana ya Isalaele, nakoki kosala bino te ndenge mosali mbeki oyo azali kosala, elobi Yawe? Bana ya Isalaele, bozali te kati na maboko na Ngai lokola mabele oyo basalelaka bikeko kati na maboko ya mosali mbeki?
O Israel, am I not able to do with you as this potter does? says the Lord. See, like earth in the potter's hand are you in my hands, O Israel.
7 Soki nazwi mokano ya kopikola, ya kokweyisa to ya kobebisa ekolo to mokili songolo,
Whenever I say anything about uprooting a nation or a kingdom, and smashing it and sending destruction on it;
8 bongo ekolo to mokili oyo nakebisi etiki kosala mabe, nakobongola mokano oyo nasilaki kozwa mpo na yango mpe nakolongola pasi oyo nakanaki kotindela yango.
If, in that very minute, that nation of which I was talking is turned away from its evil, my purpose of doing evil to them will be changed.
9 To mpe lisusu, soki nazwi mokano ya kotonga to ya kolona ekolo to mokili pakala,
And whenever I say anything about building up a nation or a kingdom, and planting it;
10 bongo ekolo to mokili yango ekomi kosala mabe na miso na Ngai mpe eboyi koyokela Ngai, nakobongola mokano oyo nasilaki kozwa ya kosalela yango bolamu.
If, in that very minute, it does evil in my eyes, going against my orders, then my good purpose, which I said I would do for them, will be changed.
11 Yango wana, yebisa sik’oyo bato ya Yuda mpe bavandi ya Yelusalemi: « Tala liloba oyo Yawe alobi: ‹ Tala, nasili kozwa mokano ya kotindela bino pasi, mpe nazali na mabongisi ya kosala bino mabe. Boye, tika ete moko na moko kati na bino atika nzela na ye ya mabe, abongola bizaleli mpe misala na ye. ›
Now, then, say to the men of Judah and to the people of Jerusalem, This is what the Lord has said: See, I am forming an evil thing against you, and designing a design against you: let every man come back now from his evil way, and let your ways and your doings be changed for the better.
12 Kasi bakozongisa: ‹ Ezali na tina te! Tokokoba kaka kosala mabongisi ya mitema na biso, mpe moko na moko kati na biso akokoba kaka kolanda baposa mabe ya motema na ye. › »
But they will say, There is no hope: we will go on in our designs, and every one of us will do what he is moved by the pride of his evil heart to do.
13 Yango wana, tala liloba oyo Yawe alobi: « Boluka koyeba kati na bikolo soki nani asila koyoka makambo ya boye! Isalaele, mboka kitoko, asali likambo ya mabe penza!
So this is what the Lord has said: Make search among the nations and see who has had word of such things; the virgin of Israel has done a very shocking thing.
14 Boni, bosila komona mvula ya pembe ya Libani kosila na bangomba na yango? Bosila komona mayi ya malili oyo ekitaka na bangomba na yango kokawuka?
Will the white snow go away from the top of Sirion? will the cold waters flowing from the mountains become dry?
15 Nzokande, bato na Ngai babosani Ngai, bazali kotumba malasi ya ansa mpo na banzambe ya bikeko oyo ezanga tina, oyo ebetisaka bango mabaku na nzela mpe epengwisaka bango na nzela ya kala, bongo ememaka bango na banzela mosusu oyo bafungola nanu te.
For my people have put me out of their memory, burning perfumes to that which is nothing; and because of this, I will put a cause of falling in their ways, even in the old roads, and will make them go on side-roads, in a way not lifted up;
16 Mokili na bango ekotikala lisusu na bato te, ekokoma eloko ya kotiola mpo na tango nyonso, bongo bato nyonso oyo bakoleka wana bakokamwa mpe bakoningisa mito na bango.
Making their land a thing of wonder, causing sounds of surprise for ever; everyone who goes by will be overcome with wonder, shaking his head.
17 Nakopanza bango liboso ya banguna na bango ndenge mopepe ya este esalaka. Tango bakokoma na pasi, nakopesa bango mokongo mpe nakolakisa bango elongi na Ngai te. »
I will send them in flight, as from an east wind, before the attacker; I will let them see my back and not my face on the day of their downfall.
18 Bazalaki koloba: « Boya! Tika ete tosalela Jeremi likita mpo na kosala ye mabe, pamba te ezala ndenge nini, Banganga-Nzambe bakosila te mpo na koteya Mobeko, bato ya bwanya bakosila te mpo na kopesa toli, mpe basakoli bakosila te mpo na kosakola Liloba na Yawe. Boya! Tika ete toboma ye na nzela ya lolemo, mpe tolanda te makambo oyo azali koloba! »
Then they said, Come, let us make a design against Jeremiah; for teaching will never be cut off from the priest, or wisdom from the wise, or the word from the prophet. Come, let us make use of his words for an attack on him, and let us give attention with care to what he says.
19 Eh Yawe, yoka makambo oyo bafundi na ngai bazali koloba!
Give thought to me, O Lord, and give ear to the voice of those who put forward a cause against me.
20 Boni, bazongisaka solo mabe na malamu? Tala, batimoli libulu mpo na kokunda ngai! Kanisa ndenge nini natelemaki liboso na Yo mpo na koloba na tina na bolamu na bango, mpo ete kanda na Yo ekende mosika na bango.
Is evil to be the reward of good? for they have made a deep hole for my soul. Keep in mind how I took my place before you, to say a good word for them so that your wrath might be turned away from them.
21 Mpo na yango, boma bana na bango na nzala, kaba bango na mopanga! Tika ete basi na bango bakufisa bana na bango mpe bakoma basi bakufisa mibali! Tika ete kufa ekomela mibali na bango, mpe bilenge mibali na bango bakufa na mopanga ya bitumba.
For this cause, let their children be without food, and give them over to the power of the sword; and let their wives be without children and become widows; let their men be overtaken by death, and their young men be put to the sword in the fight.
22 Tika ete kolela eyokana wuta na bandako na bango tango okotindela bango banguna na pwasa, pamba te batimoli libulu mpo ete bakanga ngai mpe batie mitambo na makolo na ngai!
Let a cry for help go up from their houses, when you send an armed band on them suddenly: for they have made a hole in which to take me, and have put nets for my feet secretly.
23 Kasi Yo, Yawe, oyebi mabongisi nyonso oyo basali mpo na koboma ngai; kolimbisa mabe na bango te, kolongola masumu na bango liboso na Yo te! Tika ete balenga liboso na Yo! Pesa bango etumbu na mokolo ya kanda na Yo.
But you, Lord, have knowledge of all the designs which they have made against my life; let not their evil-doing be covered or their sin be washed away from before your eyes: but let it be a cause of falling before you: so do to them in the time of your wrath.

< Jeremi 18 >