Yobo 31
1 « Nasalaki boyokani elongo na miso na ngai ete nalula elenge mwasi te.
A covenant, I solemnised for mine eyes, —How then could I gaze upon a virgin?
2 Pamba te, libula nini Nzambe akoki kobongisela ngai wuta na likolo? Libonza nini Nkolo-Na-Nguya-Nyonso akoki kotindela ngai wuta na likolo?
Or what would have been my portion of GOD from above? Or what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
3 Boni, pasi ezali mpo na bato mabe te? Kobebisama ezali mpo na bato oyo basalaka masumu te?
Is there not calamity, for the perverse? and misfortune, for the workers of iniquity?
4 Amoni banzela na ngai te? Atangi matambe na ngai nyonso te?
Would, he, not see my ways? and of all my steps, take account?
5 Soki natambolaki na lokuta to litambe na ngai elandaki nzela mabe,
Verily I walked not in falsity, nor did my foot haste unto deceit: —
6 tika ete Nzambe ameka ngai na emekelo ya sembo, mpe akomona ete ngai nasali mabe te.
Let him weigh me in balances of righteousness, —and let GOD take note of mine 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 my goings have swerved from the way, —and, after mine eyes, hath gone my heart, and, to my hands, hath adhered any stain,
8 tika ete bato mosusu balia biloko oyo ngai naloni, mpe tika ete nkona na ngai epikolama!
Let me sow but, another, eat. And let, what I have springing up, be uprooted!
9 Soki motema na ngai ekosamaki na mwasi to soki natalaki na makanisi mabe ekuke ya mozalani na ngai,
If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman, or, by the door of my neighbour, I have lien in wait,
10 tika ete mwasi na ngai atutela moto mosusu ble mpe tika ete mibali mosusu basangisa na ye nzoto.
Let my wife, grind to another, and, over her, let others bend!
11 Pamba te elingaki kozala likambo ya soni, mpe lisumu ya boye ebongi na esambiselo ya basambisi.
Surely that had been a shameful thing! and that an iniquity for the judges!
12 Ezali moto oyo ezali kozikisa kino na kobebisama mpe ekoki kobebisa bomengo na ngai nyonso.
Surely, a fire, had that been, which, unto destruction, would have consumed, and, of all mine increase, had it torn up the root.
13 Soki nasalelaki na bosembo te bawumbu na ngai ya mibali mpe ya basi tango bazwaki ngai mabe,
If I refused the right of my servant, or my handmaid, when they contended with me,
14 nakosala nini soki Nzambe asambisi ngai? Nakopesa eyano nini tango akotuna ngai ndenge nini nabandaki kosala?
What then could I have done when GOD rose up? And, when he visited, what could I have answered him?
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?
Did not he who, in the womb, made me, make him? And is not he who formed us in the body one?
16 Soki nakokisaki te posa ya mobola to soki nalembisaki miso ya mwasi oyo akufisa mobali,
If I withheld—from pleasure—the poor, or, the eyes of the widow, I dimmed;
17 soki nabombaki lipa na ngai mpo na ngai moko to nakabolaki yango te na bana bitike,
Or, used to eat my morsel alone, so that the fatherless did not eat thereof;
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—
Surely, from my youth, he grew up to me, as to a father, and, from my birth, I acted as guide to her:
19 soki namonaki mobola kokufa na kozanga bilamba to moto akelela kozanga bilamba,
If I saw one perishing for lack of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;
20 bongo motema na ye epambolaki ngai te na ndenge nazipaki ye na bilamba oyo ewutaki na bibwele na ngai,
If his loins did not bless me, or if, with the fleece of my lambs, he did not warm himself;
21 soki natombolaki loboko na ngai mpo na kosala mwana etike mabe, wana nayebaki ete nazali na nguya liboso ya basambisi,
If I shook—against the fatherless—my hand, when I saw, in the gate, his need of my help,
22 tika ete loboko na ngai elongwa na lipeka na ngai to ebukana!
Let, my shoulder, from the shoulder-blade, fall, and, my arm, from the upper bone, be broken;
23 Pamba te nazalaki kobanga etumbu ya Nzambe, mpe nakokaki te kosala eloko liboso ya lokumu na Ye.
For, a dread unto me, was calamity from GOD, and, from his majesty, I could not escape.
24 Soki natiaki elikya na ngai na wolo to nalobaki na wolo ya kitoko: ‹ Ozali ekimelo na ngai, ›
If I made gold my stay, and, to precious metal, said, My confidence!
25 soki nasepelaki na ebele ya bozwi na ngai, bomengo oyo maboko na ngai esalaki,
If I rejoiced because great was my substance, and, an abundance, my hand had discovered;
26 soki natalaki moyi na kongenga na yango to sanza kotambola na nkembo,
If I looked at the sun, when it flashed forth light, or at the moon, majestically marching along;
27 soki motema na ngai ekosamaki na nkuku, mpe maboko na ngai epesaki yango beze ya lokumu,
And befooled secretly was my heart, so that my hand kissed my mouth,
28 wana elingaki lisusu kozala mbeba oyo ebongi na esambiselo ya basambisi, pamba te nalingaki kowangana Nzambe oyo azali na Likolo.
That too, had been a judicial iniquity, For I should have been false to GOD, above.
29 Soki nasepelaki na pasi ya monguna na ngai to nagangaki na esengo na likama oyo ekomelaki ye,
If rejoiced in the misfortune of him that hated me, or exulted when calamity found him; —
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;
Neither did I suffer my palate to sin, by asking, with a curse, for his life:
31 soki bato ya libota na ngai balobaka te: ‹ Nani oyo atondaki te na misuni ya banyama ya Yobo? ›
If the men of my household have not said, Oh for some of his flesh—we cannot get filled,
32 Soki mopaya moko te alalaki libanda, pamba te ekuke na ngai ezalaki ya kofungwama tango nyonso mpo na moleki nzela,
Outside, the sojourner lodged not for the night, My doors—to the wayfarer, I threw open.
33 soki nabombaki lisumu na ngai ndenge Adamu asalaki to nabombaki yango na motema na ngai,
If I covered, like Adam, my transgressions, by hiding in my bosom mine iniquity,
34 pamba te nabangaki bato mpe nabangaki ete mabota etiola ngai, yango wana nakangaki monoko mpe nakokaki kobima libanda te!
Then let me be made to tremble at a great throng, yea let, the contempt of families, terrify me, so that, keeping silence, I shall not go out of the door!
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!
Oh that I had one to hear me, Lo! my crossmark, May, the Almighty, answer me! And would that, a book, mine opponent had written!
36 Solo, nalingaki komema yango na lipeka na ngai, nalingaki kolata yango lokola motole,
Oh! would I not, upon my shoulder, lift it, or bind it as a crown upon me;
37 nalingaki kotalisa Ye makambo nyonso oyo nasalaki, nalingaki kopusana pene na Ye lokola mokambi.—
The number of my footsteps, I would declare to him, Like a noble, would I draw near to him.
38 Soki mabele na ngai eboyi ngai, soki mikala na yango elelaki,
If, against me, my ground used to cry out, and, together, my ridges did weep;
39 soki naliaki bambuma na yango na ofele to soki natungisaki bankolo na yango,
If, the strength thereof, I used to eat, without payment, and, the soul of the holders thereof, I made groan;
40 tika ete banzube ebima na esika ya ble, mpe matiti mabe ebima na esika ya orje. » Oyo nde suka ya maloba ya Yobo.
Instead of wheat, let there come forth bramble, and, instead of barley, a bad-smelling weed! Ended are the words of Job.
