Yobo 31
1 « Nasalaki boyokani elongo na miso na ngai ete nalula elenge mwasi te.
I vowed to myself never to look with desire at young women.
2 Pamba te, libula nini Nzambe akoki kobongisela ngai wuta na likolo? Libonza nini Nkolo-Na-Nguya-Nyonso akoki kotindela ngai wuta na likolo?
What should people expect to receive from God? What reward should the Almighty on high give them?
3 Boni, pasi ezali mpo na bato mabe te? Kobebisama ezali mpo na bato oyo basalaka masumu te?
Isn't it disaster for the wicked and destruction for those who do wrong?
4 Amoni banzela na ngai te? Atangi matambe na ngai nyonso te?
Doesn't God see everything I do—even count every step I take?
5 Soki natambolaki na lokuta to litambe na ngai elandaki nzela mabe,
Have I lived a deceitful life? Have I been eager to tell lies?
6 tika ete Nzambe ameka ngai na emekelo ya sembo, mpe akomona ete ngai nasali mabe te.
No! Let God weigh me on the scales of his justice and let him discover my integrity.
7 Soki matambe na ngai ebimaki na nzela na Ye, soki motema na ngai etambolisamaki kolanda miso na ngai, soki maboko na ngai ekomaki mbindo,
If I have wandered from God's way, if I have let what I see become my desires, if there's any stain of sin on my hands,
8 tika ete bato mosusu balia biloko oyo ngai naloni, mpe tika ete nkona na ngai epikolama!
then let someone else eat what I have sown, and all that I have grown be uprooted.
9 Soki motema na ngai ekosamaki na mwasi to soki natalaki na makanisi mabe ekuke ya mozalani na ngai,
If a woman has seduced me, or if I have looked for an opportunity to sleep with my neighbor's wife,
10 tika ete mwasi na ngai atutela moto mosusu ble mpe tika ete mibali mosusu basangisa na ye nzoto.
then let my wife serve another, let other men sleep with her.
11 Pamba te elingaki kozala likambo ya soni, mpe lisumu ya boye ebongi na esambiselo ya basambisi.
For that would be wicked, a sin deserving punishment,
12 Ezali moto oyo ezali kozikisa kino na kobebisama mpe ekoki kobebisa bomengo na ngai nyonso.
for this sin is like a fire that leads to destruction, destroying everything I have.
13 Soki nasalelaki na bosembo te bawumbu na ngai ya mibali mpe ya basi tango bazwaki ngai mabe,
If I had refused to listen to my menservants or maidservants when they brought their complaints to me,
14 nakosala nini soki Nzambe asambisi ngai? Nakopesa eyano nini tango akotuna ngai ndenge nini nabandaki kosala?
what would I do when God came to judge me? How would I reply if he investigated me?
15 Ezalaki Ye te oyo asalaki ngai kati na libumu ya mama na ngai nde asalaki bango? Ngai na bango, tozalaki lolenge moko te kati na mabumu ya bamama na biso?
Didn't the same God make all of us?
16 Soki nakokisaki te posa ya mobola to soki nalembisaki miso ya mwasi oyo akufisa mobali,
Have I refused to give the poor what they needed, or caused widows to despair?
17 soki nabombaki lipa na ngai mpo na ngai moko to nakabolaki yango te na bana bitike,
Have I even eaten just a piece of bread by myself? Haven't I always shared my food with orphans?
18 —nzokande wuta bolenge na ngai, nazalaki kobokola bana bitike lokola tata na bango; mpe wuta mbotama na ngai, nazalaki kolakisa nzela na mwasi oyo akufisa mobali—
From when I was young I was a father to orphans and took care of widows.
19 soki namonaki mobola kokufa na kozanga bilamba to moto akelela kozanga bilamba,
If ever I saw someone needing clothes, the poor without anything to wear,
20 bongo motema na ye epambolaki ngai te na ndenge nazipaki ye na bilamba oyo ewutaki na bibwele na ngai,
they always thanked me for the wool clothing that kept them warm.
21 soki natombolaki loboko na ngai mpo na kosala mwana etike mabe, wana nayebaki ete nazali na nguya liboso ya basambisi,
If I raised my hand to hit an orphan, confident that if it came to court the judges would be on my side,
22 tika ete loboko na ngai elongwa na lipeka na ngai to ebukana!
then let my shoulder be pulled from its joint, my arm wrenched out of its socket.
23 Pamba te nazalaki kobanga etumbu ya Nzambe, mpe nakokaki te kosala eloko liboso ya lokumu na Ye.
Since I'm terrified of what punishment God may have in store for me, and because of his majesty, I could never do this.
24 Soki natiaki elikya na ngai na wolo to nalobaki na wolo ya kitoko: ‹ Ozali ekimelo na ngai, ›
Have I put my trust in gold, calling fine gold, ‘My security’?
25 soki nasepelaki na ebele ya bozwi na ngai, bomengo oyo maboko na ngai esalaki,
Have I delighted in being rich, happy at all my wealth I had gained?
26 soki natalaki moyi na kongenga na yango to sanza kotambola na nkembo,
Have I looked at the sun shining so brilliantly or the moon moving in majesty across the sky
27 soki motema na ngai ekosamaki na nkuku, mpe maboko na ngai epesaki yango beze ya lokumu,
and been tempted to secretly worship them by kissing my hand to them in devotion?
28 wana elingaki lisusu kozala mbeba oyo ebongi na esambiselo ya basambisi, pamba te nalingaki kowangana Nzambe oyo azali na Likolo.
This too would be a sin deserving punishment for it would mean I had denied God above.
29 Soki nasepelaki na pasi ya monguna na ngai to nagangaki na esengo na likama oyo ekomelaki ye,
Have I ever been happy when disaster destroyed those who hated me, or celebrated when evil took them down?
30 soki napesaki nzela na monoko na ngai ete esala lisumu na kosenga kufa ya monguna na ngai na nzela ya maloba ya kolakela mabe;
I have never allowed my mouth to sin by putting a curse on someone's life.
31 soki bato ya libota na ngai balobaka te: ‹ Nani oyo atondaki te na misuni ya banyama ya Yobo? ›
Haven't my family asked, ‘Is there anyone who has not eaten as much as they wanted of his food?’
32 Soki mopaya moko te alalaki libanda, pamba te ekuke na ngai ezalaki ya kofungwama tango nyonso mpo na moleki nzela,
I have never let strangers sleep in the street; I have opened my doors to travelers.
33 soki nabombaki lisumu na ngai ndenge Adamu asalaki to nabombaki yango na motema na ngai,
Have I concealed my sins from others, hiding my wrongdoing deep inside me?
34 pamba te nabangaki bato mpe nabangaki ete mabota etiola ngai, yango wana nakangaki monoko mpe nakokaki kobima libanda te!
Was I afraid of what everybody else would think, scared of the contempt families would show me, so that I kept quiet and didn't go outside?
35 Ah, soki nazalaki ata na moto oyo akokaki koyoka ngai! Yango nde sik’oyo liloba na ngai ya suka. Tika ete Nkolo-Na-Nguya-Nyonso ayanola ngai! Tika ete moto oyo afundi ngai akoma na mokanda makambo oyo afundeli ngai!
Why won't anyone listen to what I'm saying! I'm signing my name to endorse everything I've said. Let the Almighty answer me. Let my accuser write down what he is charging me with.
36 Solo, nalingaki komema yango na lipeka na ngai, nalingaki kolata yango lokola motole,
I would hold them up high; I would wear them on my head like a crown.
37 nalingaki kotalisa Ye makambo nyonso oyo nasalaki, nalingaki kopusana pene na Ye lokola mokambi.—
I would explain to him everything I'd done; I would hold my head high before him.
38 Soki mabele na ngai eboyi ngai, soki mikala na yango elelaki,
If my land has cried out against me; if her furrows have wept over me;
39 soki naliaki bambuma na yango na ofele to soki natungisaki bankolo na yango,
if I have taken its crops without payment or if I have caused harm to the farmers;
40 tika ete banzube ebima na esika ya ble, mpe matiti mabe ebima na esika ya orje. » Oyo nde suka ya maloba ya Yobo.
then let thorns grow instead of wheat, and weeds instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.
