< Mishe 3 >

1 Boye, nalobaki: « Boyoka, bino bakambi ya libota ya Jakobi, bino batambolisi ya libota ya Isalaele! Ezali bino te bato bosengeli koyeba malamu mibeko?
And I said, Hear, I pray you, O ye heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel! Is it not for you to know what is justice?
2 Nzokande, ezali bino bato bozali koboya bolamu mpe bozali kolinga mabe. Bozali kolongola poso ya nzoto ya bato ya libota na ngai, bozali kolongola misuni na bango mpe kobuka mikuwa na bango.
[But they are those] who hate the good, and love the evil; who tear their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones;
3 Bozali kodunda misuni ya bato ya libota na ngai, bozali kolongola bango poso ya nzoto mpe kobuka mikuwa na bango. Bozali kokata bango mike-mike lokola misuni oyo bakalingaka to oyo batokisaka na nzungu. »
Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; and who crush their bones, and chop them in pieces, as that to be put in a pot, and as flesh within a caldron.
4 Yango wana, tango bakobelela Yawe, akoyanola bango te. Na tango wana, akobombela bango elongi na Ye likolo ya mabe na bango nyonso oyo basalaki.
Then will they cry unto the Lord, but he will not hear them; and he will hide his face from them at that time, as they have committed their evil deeds.
5 Tala liloba oyo Yawe alobi mpo na kotelemela basakoli ya lokuta oyo babungisaka bato na ngai nzela: « Soki bapesi bango eloko ya kolia, basakolaka kimia; soki bapesi bango te eloko ya kolia, basakolaka bitumba.
Thus hath said the Lord concerning the prophets that mislead my people, who, when they have something to bite with their teeth, cry, Peace; but who prepare war against him who putteth nothing in their mouth:
6 Na butu, bokozwa lisusu bimoniseli te. Soki bapesi bango te eloko ya kolia, molili ekozingela bino mpe bokokoka lisusu kosakola te! Moyi ekobimela lisusu basakoli yango te, mpe mokolo ekokoma molili mpo na bango.
Therefore shall the night be unto you, without a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, without divining; and the sun shall go down around the prophets, and the day shall be obscured around them.
7 Bamoni makambo bakotonda na soni, mpe bato oyo balobaka makambo oyo ekoya bakosambwa. Bango nyonso bakobomba bilongi na bango, pamba te Nzambe akoyanola bango te. »
Thus shall the seers be made ashamed, and the diviners be put to the blush: yea, they shall all wrap themselves up to the upper lip; for there is no answer of God.
8 Kasi ngai, na nzela ya Molimo na Yawe, natondisami na nguya, na bosembo mpe na mpiko mpo na kobimisa polele mabe ya Jakobi mpe lisumu ya Isalaele.
But truly I am indeed full of strength by the spirit of the Lord, and [of power] of judging, and of might, to tell unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.
9 Boyoka maloba oyo, bakambi ya Jakobi mpe batambolisi ya Isalaele, bino oyo bolingaka makambo ya sembo te mpe bobongolaka makambo ya alima,
Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel, that abhor justice, and make crooked all that is straight.
10 bino oyo botongaka Siona na kosopa makila, mpe Yelusalemi na kosalaka makambo mabe.
They build up Zion with blood-guiltiness, and Jerusalem with wrong.
11 Bakambi na yango basengaka kanyaka liboso ya kokata makambo, Banganga-Nzambe na yango basengaka misolo liboso ya koteya, mpe basakoli na yango basengaka mbongo liboso ya kosakola. Nzokande, babombamaka na sima ya Kombo ya Yawe tango balobaka: « Boni, Yawe azali kati na biso te? Pasi ekoki kokomela biso te! »
Her heads judge for bribes, and her priests teach for reward, and her prophets divine for money: and yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? evil cannot come over us.
12 Yango wana, likolo na bino, bakobalola Siona ndenge babalolaka mabele ya bilanga. Yelusalemi ekokoma liboke ya mabanga, mpe ngomba epai wapi batongaki Tempelo ekokoma ngomba moke oyo ezipami na matiti.
Therefore for your sake shall Zion be ploughed up as a field, and Jerusalem shall become ruinous heaps, and the mount of the house, forest-covered high-places.

< Mishe 3 >