Yobo 22
1 Elifazi, moto ya Temani, azwaki maloba mpe alobaki:
And Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 « Boni, litomba nini Nzambe akoki kozwa epai ya moto? Ezala ata moto ya bwanya, azalaka na litomba kaka mpo na ye moko.
Can a man be profitable to God? surely it is unto himself that the wise man is profitable.
3 Ezala soki ozali moyengebene, litomba nini Nkolo-Na-Nguya-Nyonso akoki kozwa, ata ozali kobongisa nzela na yo ya bosembo?
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if thou art righteous? And is it gain [to him] that thou makest thy ways perfect?
4 Boni, okanisi ete ezali mpo na boyengebene na yo nde azali kopamela yo mpe kosambisa yo?
Will he reason with thee for fear of thee? Will he enter with thee into judgment?
5 Mabe na yo ezali monene te? Masumu na yo eleki ndelo te?
Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities without end?
6 Ozalaki koluka na pamba ndanga epai ya bandeko na yo ya mibali, ozalaki kolongola bato bilamba mpe kotika bango bolumbu,
For thou hast taken a pledge of thy brother for nought, and stripped off the clothing of the naked.
7 ozalaki kopesa mayi te na moto oyo azalaki na posa ya mayi, mpe ozalaki kopimela moto oyo azalaki na nzala bilei,
Thou hast not given water to the fainting to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
8 atako ozalaki moto monene, nkolo mabele, mpe ozalaki kovanda na mabele yango lokola moto ya lokumu;
But the powerful man, he had the land; and the man of high rank dwelt in it.
9 ozalaki kozongisa basi bakufisa mibali maboko pamba, mpe ozalaki kosilisa makasi ya bana bitike.
Widows hast thou sent empty away, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Yango wana, mitambo ezingeli yo, kobebisama ya mbalakata ekomi kopesa yo somo,
Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;
11 molili makasi ezwi yo mpe ozali kokoka komona te, mpe mpela ezipi yo.
Or darkness, that thou canst not see, and floods of waters cover thee.
12 Boni, Nzambe azali te kuna na likolo, kati na Lola? Tala ndenge nini etando ya minzoto ezali likolo koleka!
Is not God in the height of the heavens? And behold the summit of the stars: how exalted are they!
13 Nzokande, ozali koloba: ‹ Nzambe ayebi nini? Akoki kosambisa kati na mapata ya molili ya boye? ›
And thou sayest, What doth God know? will he judge through the dark cloud?
14 Mapata minene ezipi Ye, yango wana azali komona biso te, wana azali kotambola-tambola na etando ya Lola?
Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh on the vault of the heavens.
15 Olingi solo kotikala kaka na nzela ya kala, nzela oyo bato mabe balekelaki?
Dost thou mark the ancient path which wicked men have trodden?
16 Kufa ememaki bango na mbalakata, mpe miboko na bango etiolaki na mpela.
Who were carried off before the time, whose foundation was overflowed with a flood;
17 Bazalaki koloba na Nzambe: ‹ Tika biso, biso moko! Nkolo-Na-Nguya-Nyonso akosala biso nini? ›
Who said unto God, Depart from us! and what could the Almighty do to them?
18 Nzokande, Ye nde atondisaki bandako na bango na biloko ya kitoko. Yango wana, ngai, naboyaka toli ya bato mabe.
Yet he filled their houses with good. But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 Bato ya sembo bazali komona kobebisama na bango mpe bazali kosepela, bayengebene bazali koseka bango mpe bazali koloba:
The righteous see it, and are glad; and the innocent laugh them to scorn:
20 ‹ Solo, banguna na biso babebi, moto ezikisi bomengo na bango. ›
Is not he who rose against us destroyed, and doth not the fire consume his residue?
21 Zongisa boyokani na yo elongo na Ye mpe luka kimia. Na nzela wana, bomengo ekoya lisusu epai na yo.
Reconcile thyself now with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.
22 Ndima malako oyo ekowuta na monoko na Ye, mpe batela maloba na Ye kati na motema na yo.
Receive, I pray thee, instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in thy heart.
23 Soki ozongi epai na Nkolo-Na-Nguya-Nyonso, soki obengani mabe mosika ya ndako na yo, bomengo na yo ekozongela yo.
If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up. If thou remove unrighteousness far from thy tents,
24 Bwaka wolo na yo kati na putulu, wolo na yo ya Ofiri kati na mabanga ya lubwaku;
And put the precious ore with the dust, and [the gold of] Ophir among the stones of the torrents,
25 bongo Nkolo-Na-Nguya-Nyonso akozala wolo na yo, mpe palata oyo eleki kitoko mpo na yo.
Then the Almighty will be thy precious ore, and silver heaped up unto thee;
26 Solo, okozwa esengo epai ya Nkolo-Na-Nguya-Nyonso mpe okotombola elongi na yo epai ya Nzambe.
Yea, then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God:
27 Okosambela Ye, Ye akoyoka yo, mpe okokokisa ndayi na yo.
Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he will hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows;
28 Makambo oyo okokana, ekosalema, mpe pole ekongenga na nzela na yo.
And thou shalt decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 Soki bato balembi, mpe yo olobi: ‹ Telema! › Nzambe akobikisa bango,
When they are made low, then thou shalt say, Rise up! and he shall save him that is of downcast eyes.
30 akokangola ata moto oyo asali mabe, akokangola ye penza mpo na bopeto ya maboko na yo. »
[Even] him that is not innocent shall he deliver; yea, he shall be delivered by the pureness of thy hands.
