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.
Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there will I let thee hear my words.
3 Boye, nakendeki na ndako ya mosali mbeki mpe nakutaki ye azali kosala mosala na ye.
Then went I down to the potter's house, and, behold, he was doing work on the wheels.
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 the vessel that he was making became spoiled as [happeneth] with the clay in the hand of the potter; and he made again thereof another vessel, as it seemed good in the eyes of the potter to make it.
5 Mpe kuna, Yawe alobaki na ngai:
Then came the word of the Lord 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?
Shall I not be able to do unto you as this potter, O house of Israel? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in my hand, O house of Israel.
7 Soki nazwi mokano ya kopikola, ya kokweyisa to ya kobebisa ekolo to mokili songolo,
At one instant I speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy 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.
But should that nation, against whom I have spoken, return from their wrong-doing: then will I bethink me of the evil that I had thought to do unto them.
9 To mpe lisusu, soki nazwi mokano ya kotonga to ya kolona ekolo to mokili pakala,
And at one instant I speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant 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.
But should it do what is evil in my eyes, so as not to hearken to my voice: then will I bethink me of the good, wherewith I had thought to benefit the same.
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. ›
And now do say to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as followeth, Thus hath said the Lord, Behold, I form against you evil, and devise against you a device: do but return now every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds.
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. › »
And they said, It is useless: for after our own thoughts will we walk, and we will every one do after the stubbornness of his evil heart.
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!
Therefore thus hath said the Lord, Only ask among the nations, Who hath heard the like things? a very horrible act hath the virgin of Israel committed.
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?
Doth the snow of Lebanon ever quit the rock of the field? or do the far-coming, cold, flowing waters ever fail?
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.
That my people have forgotten me, that they have burnt incense to false gods, and are made to stumble on their ways, the ancient beaten tracks, to walk in paths, on a road which is not leveled?
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.
To make their land desolate, a perpetual derision: every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and shake 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. »
Like an east wind will I scatter them before the enemy; with the back, and not the face, will I regard them on the day of their calamity.
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! »
And they said, Come, and let us contrive devices against Jeremiah; for the law will not be lost from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not listen to any of his words.
19 Eh Yawe, yoka makambo oyo bafundi na ngai bazali koloba!
Listen to me, O Lord, and hearken to the voice of those that contend with 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.
Shall evil be recompensed instead of good, that they have dug a pit for my life? Remember my standing before thee to speak good concerning them, to cause thy wrath to turn 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.
Therefore give up their children to the famine, and let their life ebb out by means of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and widows; and let their men be slain by death; their young men smitten by the sword in the battle.
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 be heard from their houses, when thou bringest a troop over them suddenly; for they have dug a pit to catch me, and laid concealed snares for my feet.
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.
Yet thou, Lord, knowest well all their counsel against me to [procure my] death: forgive not their iniquity, and let their sin not be blotted out from before thee; but let them be brought to stumbling before thee; in the time of thy anger deal thus with them.
