Bileli 4
1 Ndenge nini wolo ebungisi kongenga na yango, wolo ya peto enzuluki! Mabanga ya talo oyo ya bule epanzani na basonge ya babalabala nyonso.
[Previously our people were like] [MET] pure gold, but now they are worthless. [Like] [MET] the sacred stones in the temple have been scattered, [our young men have been scattered].
2 Ndenge nini bana mibali ya motuya ya Siona, oyo, na kala, bazalaki kozwa bango lokola wolo ya peto, kasi bakomi lelo komona bango lokola mbeki ya mabele, oyo mosali mbeki basili kosala!
The young men of Jerusalem were as valuable as [MET] large amounts of gold, but now people consider that they are as worthless as [ordinary] clay pots.
3 Ata mbwa ya zamba ezalaka na posa ya komelisa bana na yango mabele; kasi bato na ngai bakomi mitema makasi lokola maligbanga kati na esobe.
Even the [female] jackals/wolves feed their pups, but my people act cruelly [toward their children]; they are like [SIM] ostriches in the desert [that abandon their eggs].
4 Likolo ya nzala, lolemo ya mwana ekangami na likolo ya kati ya monoko na ye; bana mike bazali kosenga bilei kasi moto moko te azali kopesa bango yango.
[My people’s] infants’ tongues cling to the roofs/tops of their mouths because they are [extremely] thirsty; the children plead for some food, but no one gives them [any].
5 Bato oyo na kala bazalaki kolia bilei ya kitoko bakomi kokufakufa na babalabala; ba-oyo bakolaki na molato ya motane bakomi sik’oyo kolalela matiti ya kopola.
People who [previously] ate fine food are [now] starving in the streets; those who previously lived luxuriously [MTY] [now] paw/dig through rubbish heaps [to find some food].
6 Lisumu oyo bato na ngai basali ezali monene koleka lisumu ya Sodome, engumba oyo ebebisamaki na mbala moko wana moto moko te asembolaki loboko na ye mpo na kotelemela yango.
[The people of] Sodom were struck with a disaster very suddenly, and there was no one to rescue them; but my people have been punished more severely than [the people of] Sodom were punished.
7 Bana ya bakonzi na bango bazalaki kongala koleka mvula ya pembe, pembe koleka miliki; banzoto na bango ezalaki motane koleka langi ya motane penza, mpe lolenge na bango ezalaki lokola libanga na safiri.
Our leaders’ [behavior] was [previously] very pure, whiter [and brighter] than snow and milk; their bodies were redder than [red] coral/stones; they were very strong and healthy [MET].
8 Bilongi na bango ekomi mwindo koleka makala, bazali koyeba bango lisusu te na babalabala; poso na bango ya nzoto ekangami na mikuwa, ekawuki lokola koni.
But now their faces are blacker than soot, and no one recognizes them in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones, and it has become as dry as [SIM] a wooden [stick].
9 Bato oyo bakufi na mopanga bazali malamu koleka ba-oyo bakufi na nzala: banzulukaka mpe bakondaka makasi mpo na nzala, mpo na kozanga bilei kowuta na bilanga.
It is better to die in a battle [MTY] than to die of hunger. There was no food to harvest in the fields, so the people slowly starved until they died.
10 Basi ya mitema malamu balambi, na maboko na bango, bana na bango moko; bana na bango bakomi bilei na bango kati na pasi oyo ekomeli bato na ngai.
Women who [usually/previously] were very kind have [killed and] cooked their own children; they ate them [when there was no other food], when Jerusalem was surrounded [by enemy soldiers].
11 Yawe asilikaki makasi koleka; asopaki kanda na Ye mpe apelisaki moto kati na Siona, moto oyo ezikisaki miboko na yango.
Yahweh has shown that he was extremely angry; [it is as though] he started/ignited a fire in Jerusalem that burned everything to ashes.
12 Bakonzi ya mabele mpe bikolo mosusu ya mokili bandimaki te ete banguna mpe bayini bakokaki kokota na bikuke ya Yelusalemi.
None of the kings on the earth or anyone else believed that any of our enemies could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
13 Kasi makambo wana esalemaki mpo na masumu ya basakoli ya Yelusalemi mpe mabe ya Banganga-Nzambe na yango, oyo basopaki kati na yango makila ya bato ya sembo.
[But that is what happened]; it happened because the prophets sinned; and the priests [also] sinned by causing innocent people to be executed [MTY].
14 Bakomaki sik’oyo koyengayenga na babalabala lokola bakufi miso, bakomaki mbindo na makila mpe moto moko te akokaki kosimba bilamba na bango.
The prophets and priests wandered through the streets [as though they were] blind. No one would touch them because their clothes were stained with the blood [of people who had been killed].
15 Bato bazali koganga mpe koloba na bango: « Bolongwa awa, bato ya mbindo! Bolongwa awa, bolongwa awa, bosimba biso te! » Wana bazalaki kokima mpe kotelengana, bato ya bikolo mosusu bazalaki koloba: « Bavanda na esika oyo te! »
The people [who were alive] shouted, “Stay away [from us] [DOU]! You are defiled/untouchable! Do not touch us!” So the prophets and priests fled [from Israel], and they wandered around from one country to another, because people [in each country] kept saying to them, “You cannot stay here!”
16 Yawe, Ye moko, apanzi bango, azali kotala bango lisusu te. Bapesaki Banganga-Nzambe lokumu te mpe bayokelaki mibange mawa te.
It is Yahweh himself who has scattered them; he no longer is concerned about them. People do not respect [our] priests or leaders.
17 Miso na biso elembaki lisusu mpo na kozela na pamba lisungi; wuta na bandako milayi na biso ya kotalela na mosika, tozalaki kotala wana tozalaki kozela lisungi kowuta na ekolo songolo mpe pakala, kasi ebikisaki biso te.
We [SYN] continued to look for someone to help [us], but it was useless. We continued to watch to see if one of our allies would save us, but none of the nations that we were waiting for could help [us].
18 Banguna na biso bazalaki kolanda matambe na biso; boye tokokaki lisusu te kotambola na babalabala na biso. Suka na biso ekomaki pene, mikolo na biso ekomaki ya kotanga, mpo ete tokomaki na suka.
[Our] enemies were hunting for us, so we could not [even] walk in our streets [lest they seize us]. We were about to be captured; it was time for us to be killed.
19 Bato oyo bazalaki kolanda biso bazalaki mbangu koleka mpongo, na likolo; bazalaki kolanda biso na likolo ya bangomba mpe kotiela biso mitambo kati na esobe.
Those who pursued us were faster than eagles [flying] in the sky. Even if we fled to the mountains or hid in the desert, they [went there ahead of us and] waited [to attack] us.
20 Mopakolami na Yawe, oyo totielaki motema akangami na mitambo na bango; nzokande tozalaki kokanisa boye na tina na ye: « Tokobika bomoi malamu na se ya bobatelami na ye kati na bikolo. »
[Our king, ] whom Yahweh appointed, was the one who enabled us to remain alive [MTY]; he was the one whom we trusted to protect us [IDM] from [the armies of] other nations. But he was [captured] [like animals are] [MET] caught in a pit.
21 Edomi, mboka kitoko, movandi ya mokili ya Utsi, sepela, zala na esengo! Kasi yo mpe, bakopesa yo kopo; okomela, okolangwa mpe okotikala bolumbu.
You people of [IDM] Edom and Uz, [you may] be happy [about what is happening to us now], but [Yahweh] will be punishing [MTY] you [also]. You will become drunk and will be ashamed [because your enemies] will have stripped off your clothes.
22 Siona, mboka kitoko, etumbu na yo ekosila; Nzambe akomema yo lisusu na bowumbu te. Kasi yo Edomi, mboka kitoko, Nzambe akopesa yo etumbu mpo na mabe na yo, mpe akobimisa masumu na yo na polele.
You [people of] [APO] Jerusalem, the time of your being punished will end; Yahweh will not allow you to continue to live in (exile/foreign countries). But [you people of] [APO] Edom, Yahweh will punish [you]; he will reveal the wicked things that you have done.
